Download European Opera Forum – London

European
Opera
Forum
–
London
The
Opera
Experience,
an
introduction
by
Nicholas
Payne
(Director
of
Opera
Europa)
London
follows
Paris
and
Barcelona
as
the
host
city
of
the
biennial
European
Opera
Forum.
What
can
it
offer
which
may
complement
its
successful
predecessors,
yet
which
is
uniquely
its
own?
Its
size
brings
cultural
diversity
and
a
rich
cocktail
of
all
the
arts.
While
the
variety
may
confuse,
the
choice
is
dazzling.
Two
large
opera
houses
share
the
same
postal
district
WC2.
The
Royal
Opera
House
Covent
Garden
is
one
of
the
undisputed
handful
of
top
international
houses
recognized
throughout
the
world.
English
National
Opera
communicates
in
the
vernacular
and
has
built
an
international
reputation
for
challenging
theatrical
work
at
the
London
Coliseum.
Yet,
our
weekend
in
March
may
confound
expectations.
The
Royal
Opera
will
transform
itself
for
the
premiere
production
of
a
potentially
shocking
new
opera
on
a
contemporary
subject,
the
life
and
death
of
the
model
Anna
Nicole,
by
Mark‐Anthony
Turnage
and
Richard
Thomas;
while
ENO
promises
to
surprise
with
a
new
treatment
of
Donizetti’s
bel
canto
classic
Lucrezia
Borgia
and
Wagner’s
hallowed
Parsifal.
Creative
teams
will
be
on
hand
to
examine
and
explain
and
demonstrate
what
drives
the
content
of
opera
today.
Across
the
river
Thames
lies
the
National
Theatre
with
its
three
contrasted
auditoria,
and
a
policy
of
providing
a
50:50
ratio
of
classic
and
modern
titles
in
its
repertory.
During
the
central
Saturday
at
the
NT,
architects
and
directors
will
look
at
theatre
buildings
today
and
propose
what
kind
of
spaces
might
be
best
for
opera
in
the
future.
That
evening,
delegates
will
be
welcomed
to
a
party
with
a
spectacular
view
over
the
city
at
the
iconic
museum
Tate
Modern.
A
central
question
is:
how
do
we
convey
the
message
about
what
we
do?
Our
think‐tank
of
young
delegates
who
have
been
helping
to
devise
the
programme
is
convinced
that
going
to
the
opera
is
more
than
just
seeing
a
show.
While
the
Opera
Experience
has
the
performance
at
its
heart,
it
also
encompasses
the
building
which
houses
and
surrounds
it,
the
social
context
and
how
that
is
communicated
to
a
widening
public.
We
have
invited
some
important
players
to
address
some
of
the
big
issues
concerning
opera
today.
We
hope
that
they
may
stimulate
you
to
contribute
to
the
debate
and
to
participate
in
our
extended
weekend
in
the
heart
of
London
at
the
beginning
of
March.