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Lecture

Patrick Bade
The Royal Opera House Covent Garden Between the Wars

Sunday 30.07.2023

Summary

After a post-war hiatus, international opera returned to the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden in 1924, bringing many of the world’s greatest singers to London. As the 1930s progressed, politics played an increasing role in the casting of singers with refugees fleeing Nazi persecution often forced to sing alongside Nazi favourites.

Patrick Bade

An image of Patrick Bade.

Patrick Bade is a historian, writer, and broadcaster. He studied at UCL and the Courtauld Institute of Art. He was a senior lecturer at Christie’s Education for many years and has worked for the Art Fund, Royal Opera House, National Gallery, and V&A. He has published on 19th- and early 20th-century paintings and historical vocal recordings. His latest book is Music Wars: 1937–1945.

Yes, yes. Erna Berger did actually in her autobiography, but most of them didn’t. It’s amazing that the kind of amnesia that there was after the war. People just conveniently forgetting what happened.