The end of ENO?

[Master Jacques]

Anybody who would like to write to Sir Nicholas Serota at the Arts Council, maybe to suggest his immediate resignation (as I've just done), could use this form:

https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/contact/contact-customer-services

[teamsaint]

Not being privy to the internal details this may be back-to-front of course. Touring may be financially counterproductive for WNO and ON at the moment. They do it because it's part of what they're for.

There was a paradox during the COVID lockdowns where the financial impact on organisations which raised a large proportion of their income from box office, private largesse and other commercial activity (like the Royal Opera House at 75% ish) was much greater than on those who were already heavily dependent on subsidy - like ENO/WNO/ON who if I recall right only got about 1/3 of pre-Covid income from box office etc.

For the latter, each touring performance you put on might end up costing you more money than if you just paid everyone to do nothing for the night, all other things being equal.

Ultimately though, what's the point in an opera company being subsidised to do not that much opera? That's the position ENO ended up in, with the sad consequences we now see...

Interesting paradox.
I always felt that, intentionally or otherwise, that lockdowns were a great way of softening up an arts sector that might generally be a source of opposition to govt policy, and a source of radical thinking.
A small , elite publicly funded sector which has to go cap in hand every three years, boxes duly ticked,isn’t going to be saying very challenging things to those in power, and that situation is likely much worse than three years ago.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Anybody who would like to write to Sir Nicholas Serota at the Arts Council, maybe to suggest his immediate resignation (as I've just done), could use this form:
https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/conta...tomer-services

I’ve done so but it’s utterly pointless

[Master Jacques]

I’ve done so but it’s utterly pointless

Well done you. If enough people do it, we never know how the weight of public reaction might play out. At the very least, it's important to let such people know that their timeserving blandishments have not passed muster with quite everyone!

In this case, I believe that representations are already being made about ENO, to go above the Arts Council's heads. The trouble is, that ENO's management have been their own worst enemy: the current Chief Executive is a shocker, and is already pre-booked to be the first rat off this sinking ship.

https://www.eno.org/news/eno-announces-departure-of-stuart-murphy-ceo-in-september-2023/

Norman Lebrecht, 2019: "Murphy makes his predecessors seem reasoned and adept. He maintains you don’t have to know anything about opera in order to run an opera house. The damage of his thoughtless actions is already evident and the consequences may be lasting". Prophetic words.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Well done you. If enough people do it, we never know how the weight of public reaction might play out. At the very least, it's important to let such people know that their timeserving blandishments have not passed muster with quite everyone!

In this case, I believe that representations are already being made about ENO, to go above the Arts Council's heads. The trouble is, that ENO's management have been their own worst enemy: the current Chief Executive is a shocker, and is already pre-booked to be the first rat off this sinking ship.

https://www.eno.org/news/eno-announces-departure-of-stuart-murphy-ceo-in-september-2023/

Norman Lebrecht, 2019: "Murphy makes his predecessors seem reasoned and adept. He maintains you don’t have to know anything about opera in order to run an opera house. The damage of his thoughtless actions is already evident and the consequences may be lasting". Prophetic words.

It’s nonsensical if you are in the far South West. GTO stopped touring here 4 years ago. So we’ll have gone from3 x 4-5 days of quality opera to none in about 5 years (WNO do two visits ) . I don’t count ETO as, worthy thought they are, it’s just a bit too small scale. Meanwhile ENO look set to be clashing with ON up North. Stuart Murphy might have been an excellent TV exec but I’m not sure he really had the political skills or connections to be honest.

[Master Jacques]

It’s nonsensical if you are in the far South West. GTO stopped touring here 4 years ago. So we’ll have gone from3 x 4-5 days of quality opera to none in about 5 years (WNO do two visits ) . I don’t count ETO as, worthy thought they are, it’s just a bit too small scale. Meanwhile ENO look set to be clashing with ON up North. Stuart Murphy might have been an excellent TV exec but I’m not sure he really had the political skills or connections to be honest.

Stuart Murphy has been a complete waste of space at ENO, pushing sentimental and naff populist policies of the worst order, with no idea about how to run something that wasn't geared to mass media. I think people are waking up to what's just been done to the English/Welsh opera network (or what's left of it after Covid). It needed much more money, not assassination.

I hear (on R4 Today this morning) that £1M per annum for 3 years guaranteed of ENO's money has gone to a marketing community project group in Wakefield, whose CEO (on a fat salary) proudly announced that getting a small audience of mixed able and disabled people to wave their hands in the air in rhythm together was a great and inclusive artistic achievement. Well worth the money, I am sure.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Stuart Murphy has been a complete waste of space at ENO, pushing sentimental and naff populist policies of the worst order, with no idea about how to run something that wasn't geared to mass media. I think people are waking up to what's just been done to the English/Welsh opera network (or what's left of it after Covid). It needed much more money, not assassination.

I hear (on R4 Today this morning) that £1M per annum for 3 years guaranteed of ENO's money has gone to a marketing community project group in Wakefield, whose CEO (on a fat salary) proudly announced that getting a small audience of mixed able and disabled people to wave their hands in the air in rhythm together was a great and inclusive artistic achievement. Well worth the money, I am sure.

Yes and the mass media part of the strategy didn’t work, ENO did very few live cinema relays , has no stream service and Anyone Can Sing proved a somewhat inaccurate assertion.
I could make your eyes water with how public money has been wasted on lamebrain arty digital initiatives over the decades.

[Frances_iom]

...
I could make your eyes water with how public money has been wasted on lamebrain arty digital initiatives over the decades.

but isn't this inherent in that digital (requiring nothing other than to switch on) inherently attracts lamebrains who just as easily switch off when some effort is needed - hence the only successful digital offering (arty or otherwise) is junk food for the masses - nothing worthwhile is ever gained without effort thus whilst digital does indeed enable easy access, it cannot enable easy understanding and appreciation.

[Ein Heldenleben]

but isn't this inherent in that digital (requiring nothing other than to switch on) inherently attracts lamebrains who just as easily switch off when some effort is needed - hence the only successful digital offering (arty or otherwise) is junk food for the masses - nothing worthwhile is ever gained without effort thus whilst digital does indeed enable easy access, it cannot enable easy understanding and appreciation.

I’m not so sure about that . One of my problems with a lot of video installations- particularly those that are essentially film projections is that they take up a lot of time in viewing in the uncomfortable space of an art gallery. But then I don’t like art galleries or museums - cultural graveyards.

[kuligin]

This is really the last rights for opera outside London. ON were dying anyway, as anyone who saw their Alcina will know, all spin and no substance, an Opera company who don’t do Opera. They presumably now won’t come to Manchester, that saves some money and ENO will do a little Puccini and musicals based in Birmingham or Manchester.

I went to the RNCM last night for the first time since COVID, they now do few classical music performances, the Opera school is a shadow of what it was. The Mahler they played was deeply disappointing, not only as a performance lit up only by a superb first oboe, but by a trivial speech from the Director of Communications about how wonderful the performance would be, no programme, the student audience apathetic, on their phones, wandering in and out. It was like going to a seminary were the students do not believe in God.

[Pulcinella]

This is really the last rights for opera outside London. ON were dying anyway, as anyone who saw their Alcina will know, all spin and no substance, an Opera company who don’t do Opera. They presumably now won’t come to Manchester, that saves some money and ENO will do a little Puccini and musicals based in Birmingham or Manchester.

I went to the RNCM last night for the first time since COVID, they now do few classical music performances, the Opera school is a shadow of what it was. The Mahler they played was deeply disappointing, not only as a performance lit up only by a superb first oboe, but by a trivial speech from the Director of Communications about how wonderful the performance would be, no programme, the student audience apathetic, on their phones, wandering in and out. It was like going to a seminary were the students do not believe in God.

Not sure I agree with you about ON (though I didn't go to Alcina); very much looking forward to Tosca, Vixen, and Ariadne in Leeds in January/February 2023. I do fear for arts institutions in general though.

[Ein Heldenleben]

This is really the last rights for opera outside London. ON were dying anyway, as anyone who saw their Alcina will know, all spin and no substance, an Opera company who don’t do Opera. They presumably now won’t come to Manchester, that saves some money and ENO will do a little Puccini and musicals based in Birmingham or Manchester.

I went to the RNCM last night for the first time since COVID, they now do few classical music performances, the Opera school is a shadow of what it was. The Mahler they played was deeply disappointing, not only as a performance lit up only by a superb first oboe, but by a trivial speech from the Director of Communications about how wonderful the performance would be, no programme, the student audience apathetic, on their phones, wandering in and out. It was like going to a seminary were the students do not believe in God.

Well that might be true of the RNCM but I was deeply impressed with what I saw of the RAM opera course a few years back and I’ve heard good things about the RCM . Don’t give up the faith : there are some great young British singers there. They need a domestic showcase ( and easy access visas)

[kuligin]

Not sure I agree with you about ON (though I didn't go to Alcina); very much looking forward to Tosca, Vixen, and Ariadne in Leeds in January/February 2023. I do fear for arts institutions in general though.

I support ON , I will go to Ariadne, though I really fear it might be an opera to hard for them to cast well, Vixen I assume is a revival of a good production and I look forward to it. But that’s it for me for 2022/3. I can’t abide Tosca. Gluck in concert, Monteverdi as a cross cultural event with Indian music, really is not what I am interested, and I have been described as an opera fanatic. The Company in respect of repertoire and performance levels is a shadow of what it was, and another cut in real terms, the introduction of ENO into their patch, I really fear for them.

Yes plenty of good young singers, few opportunities, best singing this year that I have heard was by Catherine Foster as Elektra but she was not singing with a British regional company, because they cannot stage a work like that.

[Pulcinella]

I support ON , I will go to Ariadne, though I really fear it might be an opera to hard for them to cast well, Vixen I assume is a revival of a good production and I look forward to it. But that’s it for me for 2022/3. I can’t abide Tosca. Gluck in concert, Monteverdi as a cross cultural event with Indian music, really is not what I am interested, and I have been described as an opera fanatic. The Company in respect of repertoire and performance levels is a shadow of what it was, and another cut in real terms, the introduction of ENO into their patch, I really fear for them.

Yes plenty of good young singers, few opportunities, best singing this year that I have heard was by Catherine Foster as Elektra but she was not singing with a British regional company, because they cannot stage a work like that.

You're right about the Monteverdi, which didn't appeal at all. Nor did the Gluck.
We were happy to find three operas that we like in the next few months (so booked all three to get our discount!).
And we'll use our free bus passes to get to Leeds: can't imagine them lasting much longer either, despite their demographic presumably being predominantly voters for you know which party!

[Master Jacques]

... Gluck in concert, Monteverdi as a cross cultural event with Indian music, really is not what I am interested, and I have been described as an opera fanatic. The Company in respect of repertoire and performance levels is a shadow of what it was, and another cut in real terms, the introduction of ENO into their patch, I really fear for them...

Don't underestimate the intense pressures the opera companies come under to mount embarrassing, cross-cultural mush like that Orfeo, under threat of losing their funding. It's a long time since the Arts Council stood up to political interference, which is where the pressure originates. ON won't have "believed" in that project, artistically, for one moment.

I wouldn't worry too much about ENO and Manchester, which is most unlikely to happen. There's nowhere to house them, for one thing. The Opera House isn't big enough or technically up to scratch; the Palace wouldn't touch them with a bargepole for anything other than two-week seasons; and the new multi-cultural white elephant (Factory International, "Let's invent tomorrow together") that's being launched next year - though for how long, nobody's sure, given the huge running costs - isn't remotely suitable for opera, or anything much else. ENO's multiplicity of stores and warehouses are all around London, their staff will be laid off straight away, and their business plan will be built around hiring out the London Coliseum, which remains their responsibility (or albatross, depending on your viewpoint). The "Manchester" notion is a dirty little fig leaf for Stuart Murphy and ACE, no more.

One advantage of Brexit was supposed to be the increased job opportunities at home for young professional singers and instrumentalists, plus the easy access permit to Europe which was promised but never materialised. Young professional singers now find themselves without serious prospects, unable to work in Europe, while the only full-time opera house left in England still contracts nearly all its principals from abroad.

To say the situation is dire is an understatement. Over the last five years England/Wales music has retreated from the 21st century, to something more like the 1930s - but with the added pressures of royalty-free, on-demand digital to further limit musicians' prospects. Although yesterday's bombshell has been expected for some time by those in the know, somehow I don't think many people expected it would actually be allowed to happen. But who was there to stop it?