Opera and Music Theatre represent a particularly rich seam of cultural activity in Britain. The art form is notable for its diversity: large institutions (the Royal Opera House, Welsh National Opera, Scottish Opera, Glyndebourne) have been set up as platforms for national and international talent. Others (English National Opera, Opera North) take a more vernacular approach, performing in English and with an emphasis on contemporary production values. There is a plethora of high-quality, small-scale outfits looking at the repertoire afresh, with young casts and lively stagings. Innovation is rife, and the Almeida Opera and the Genesis Opera Project are especially focused on nurturing new work. All this activity has a wider impact through committed education and community projects, a field which British opera has helped to pioneer. And Britain can be rightfully proud of its output of singers, directors and designers with international careers. Ash Khandekar, Opera Now |
