Camden Festival
Encyclopedia
Camdem Festival was an annual spring festival held in London
, England
, of which opera
was the central feature.
Founded in 1954 and continuing until 1987, it was originally called the St Pancras
Festival until 1965. It specialised in the revival of long-forgotten operas, some of which subsequently made their way back into the repertory. Performances were given at St Pancras Town Hall until 1969, and thereafter at the Bloomsbury Theatre (formerly Collegiate Theatre). It was superseded by the Bloomsbury Festival in 1988.
Among now well-known singers who appeared in the Festival was the young Kiri Te Kanawa
who sang Elena in Rossini's La donna del lago
in 1969 prior to joining the Covent Garden
Opera in 1970.
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, of which opera
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
was the central feature.
Founded in 1954 and continuing until 1987, it was originally called the St Pancras
St Pancras, London
St Pancras is an area of London. For many centuries the name has been used for various officially-designated areas, but now is used informally and rarely having been largely superseded by several other names for overlapping districts.-Ancient parish:...
Festival until 1965. It specialised in the revival of long-forgotten operas, some of which subsequently made their way back into the repertory. Performances were given at St Pancras Town Hall until 1969, and thereafter at the Bloomsbury Theatre (formerly Collegiate Theatre). It was superseded by the Bloomsbury Festival in 1988.
Among now well-known singers who appeared in the Festival was the young Kiri Te Kanawa
Kiri Te Kanawa
Dame Kiri Jeanette Te Kanawa, ONZ, DBE, AC is a New Zealand / Māori soprano who has had a highly successful international opera career since 1968. Acclaimed as one of the most beloved sopranos in both the United States and Britain she possesses a warm full lyric soprano voice, singing a wide array...
who sang Elena in Rossini's La donna del lago
La donna del lago
La donna del lago is an opera by Gioachino Rossini with a libretto by Andrea Leone Tottola, based on The Lady of the Lake, a poem by Sir Walter Scott.This opera was the first to be based on Scott's romantic works...
in 1969 prior to joining the Covent Garden
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St. Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit and vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist site, and the Royal Opera House, which is also known as...
Opera in 1970.
Sources
- Anderson, James, The Complete Dictionary of Opera and Operetta, London: Wings Books, 1993 ISBN 0-517-09156-9