Opera Scotland

Rigoletto 1979Scottish Opera

Read more about the opera Rigoletto

David Alden’s well remembered production was immediately dubbed the "punk" Rigoletto, and it had a certain shock impact on its first appearance, greatly helped by the conviction with which the performers threw themselves into their interpretations. Neil Shicoff, Norma Burrowes and Brent Ellis gave wonderfully red-blooded interpretations, and Dennis O'Neill was nearly as vivid when he took over later in the run. Alden returned quickly to direct an equally impressive Wozzeck and a distinctly less successful Mahagonny, before transferring his future British activities to ENO.

 

Scottish Opera's 1978-79 season

Scottish Opera's fourth season at the Theatre Royal (1978-79) opened with Simon Boccanegra, and continued with Jenůfa, Catiline Conspiracy then an unusual triple-bill of Savitri, Fanny Robin and Dido and Aeneas. Next came Seraglio, Rosenkavalier, Hansel and Gretel, Fledermaus, Midsummer Night's Dream, Bohème, Kátya Kabanová and Rigoletto. In June there followed the company's first staging of a musical, Fiddler on the Roof. Many of these works were also toured.