In Madrid, the British singers welcomed the opportunity to appear in a major “Peter Grimes” production with about 150 artists at a time when most opera houses in Europe and the United States were closed, but they also sounded concerned about what would come after that would come .
James Gilchrist, who sings the role of a priest in Britten’s opera, said 90 percent of his work was in the European Union rather than the UK, which worried him not only about his own future but also about the prospects for younger artists. “If you’re a promoter in Frankfurt or something, you’re not going to want to put a British artist on the top of your list because it’s such a hassle,” he said.
“For very established artists this is probably less of a problem as their name on the poster gets people in, but if you are more early in your career I think this will be very, very difficult. ”
Matabosch said the Teatro Real strives to have the best possible line-up regardless of nationality. He predicted that post-Brexit travel rules would be easier to navigate, but conceded that British artists risked losing substitution work, which is an important part of their income.
“I’m sure that in the end we will know exactly how to get a British singer across, just like people from Australia or Canada come here. The problem, however, is that if you need a last minute replacement and you have to fly over someone that same morning it is not really feasible from the UK at the moment, ”said Matabosch.
Another British member of the Peter Grimes cast, John Graham-Hall, thanked the Teatro Real for helping them overcome travel hurdles that left him with “a very bad feeling that the British government was not interested in the arts “. He also gave a brief summary of the twin hurdles posed by Brexit and the pandemic: “It’s a bloody nightmare.”
Alex Marshall contributed to coverage from London
