{{Short description|1956–84 British opera company}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2015}} {{Use British English|date=October 2015}} The '''New Opera Company''' was a British opera company active during the period 1956 to 1984. It was mainly based at Sadler's Wells Theatre, London and later worked in co-ordination with English National Opera. The company was responsible for the premieres or major revivals of important work in the operatic canon.<ref name="grove">Hume, Robert D, Jacobs, Arthur. "London, §II: Institutions, 1: Companies, K–N". In: ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera''. London & New York, Macmillan, 1997.</ref>
== History == The Cambridge university opera company was formed in 1956 and the following year became the New Opera Company.<ref>Obituary for Peter Hemmings. ''The Daily Telegraph'', 5 January 2002.</ref> The founders of the company were the conductor Leon Lovett, the administrator Peter Hemmings and musicologist Brian Trowell.<ref name="grove"/> Its inaugural productions were welcomed with enthusiasm by London critics; Andrew Porter praised the conducting of Lovett and Trowell's production of ''The Rake's Progress'' while in ''A Tale of Two Cities'' Lovett was described as a "born conductor of opera", Besch's production was commended in the "spirited and effective performance".<ref>Porter, Andrew. "New Opera Company at Sadler's Wells : ''A Tale of Two Cities'' and ''The Rake's Progress''". ''Opera'', vol. 8, no. 9, September 1957, pp. 586–593.</ref> From 1957 to 1967 there was a close association between the New Opera Company and Sadler's Wells Opera with costume and scenery loans, assistance with technical equipment, and the engagement of singers.<ref name="opera73">"In the News", ''Opera''. March 1973, p. 202.</ref>
In the early 1970s the Arts Council considerably increased its grant, and the Greater London Council also gave funding.<ref name="opera73"/> In 1971 Charles Mackerras and Anthony Besch joined the artistic council of the New Opera Company.<ref>"Szymanowski's ''King Roger''". ''Opera''. May 1975, p. 428.</ref>
In 1973 Anthony Besch was the Director of Productions. By that year the company had produced 34 works, of which 13 were world premieres and 12 were British premieres; works by 12 British composers were among those performed.<ref name="opera73"/> Although mainly based in London it gave a few independent productions elsewhere.<ref name="grove"/> Small-scale music theatre productions included ''Time Off? Not a Ghost of a Chance!'' (Elisabeth Lutyens), ''Dawnpath'' (Nicola LeFanu), ''A Full Moon in March'' (John Harbison) and ''Inner Voices'' (Brian Howard).<ref name="swtprog">Company description. Programme for ''Johnny Strikes Up'', Sadler's Wells Theatre, London, 1984.</ref>
In 1973 the ENO association was renewed and Edmund Tracey, Drama and Text director of Sadler's Wells Opera, joined the New Opera Company board, with Jeremy Caulton, assistant to Lord Harewood becoming general manager of the company.<ref name="opera73"/> After collaborating with English National Opera for several years, their only association of a planned series with Opera North was in October 1984 in Leeds, with a run in London.<ref name="swtprog"/>
The withdrawal of Arts Council funding was announced as part of the report 'The Glory of the Garden' and the company ceased operation after 1984.<ref name="swtprog"/> Grove comments that its "service to London opera in introducing new works, mostly in highly effective performances, was unparalleled".<ref name="grove"/>
== Repertory ==
Within its repertoire the company performed many rare operas:<ref name="grove"/>
{{col-begin}} {{col-2}} * ''The Rake's Progress'' (1957) London premiere * ''A Tale of Two Cities'' (Arthur Benjamin) (1957) stage premiere * ''Sir John in Love'' (Vaughan Williams) (1958) * ''Lord Bateman'' (Arnold Foster) (1958) premiere * ''Der Revisor'' (Egk) (1958) British premiere * ''Il prigioniero'' (1959) British premiere * ''Die Kluge'' (Orff) (1959) * ''The Diary of a Madman'' (Humphrey Searle) (1960) * ''Volpone'' (Francis Burt) (1961) British premiere * ''The Departure'' (Elizabeth Maconchy) (1962) premiere * ''Boulevard Solitude'' (Henze) (1962) British premiere * ''The Wager'' (Buxton Orr) (1962) premiere * ''The Knife'' (Daniel Jones) (1963) premiere * ''Tartuffe'' (Arthur Benjamin) (1964) premiere {{col-break}} * ''The Fiery Angel'' (1965) British premiere * ''The What d'ye call-it'' (Phyllis Tate) (1966) premiere * ''The Decision'' (Thea Musgrave) (1967) premiere * ''Cardillac'' (Hindemith) (1970) British premiere * ''The Scene-Machine'' (Anthony Gilbert) (1972) * ''The Nose'' Shostakovich (1973) British premiere, later broadcast * ''Arden Must Die'' Goehr (1974) British premiere * ''King Roger'' Szymanowski (1975) British premiere * ''Bomarzo'' (Ginastera) (1976) British premiere * ''Julietta'' (Martinů) (1978) British premiere * ''Il cappello di paglia di Firenze'' (Rota) (1980) * ''Inner Voices'' (Brian Howard) (1983) premiere * ''A Full Moon in March'' (John Harbison) (1983) * ''Jonny spielt auf'' (Krenek) (1984) {{col-end}}
== References == <references />
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Category:Defunct English opera companies Category:Musical groups disestablished in 1984