Opera Scotland

Bohemian Girl 1913Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Bohemian Girl

It would be expected that the two Saturday performances would not be reviewed as the company would move on Sunday, and there would be little commercial gain in giving more free tickets to a critic  that might profitably be sold.

This particular Saturday in Dundee had two extremely popular works that would be expected to sell out - Carmen in the afternoon and The Bohemian Girl at night.  The abbreviated cast is as advertised on Saturday morning.

In Edinburgh, according to the Scotsman (Saturday 8 February), Gordon Thomas, Hebden Foster, Elizabeth Burgess and Janet Hemsley were to perform that evening at 7.30pm.  Walter van Noorden was scheduled to conduct.  In fact, the Monday review shows that Van Noorden took the matinee (Faust), leaving Eugene Goossens to conduct Bo Girl in the evening.

 

An Edinburgh Review

Scotsman:  Monday, 10 February 1913  (p6)

Carl Rosa Company - Bohemian Girl

'This popular opera was presented by the Carl Rosa Company at the King's Theatre on Saturday night, marking the close of the first week of their visit to the Scottish capital.  Although the theatre was by no means crowded, there was a large attendance, which was by no means slow to appreciate the merit of the opera and the talent of its producers.  Musically the performance was of a high order, and the singing of those delightful numbers - ''I Dreamt I Dwelt,''  ''When Other Lips,'' and ''The Heart Bow'd Down,'' was marked by a directness which was at once pleasing and effective.

'The principal characters of the opera were well represented.  Mr Frederick Clendon made a capital Devilshoof from every point of view.  Mr Hebden Foster was convincing as Count Arnheim.  Miss Elizabeth Burgess shared the honours as Arline, while the parts of Thaddeus and Florestein were capably filled by Mr Gordon Thomas and Mr William O'Connor respectively.  It is sufficient to say that Mr Goossens was in the conductor's chair.

'In the afternoon an admirable presentation of Faust was given under the conductorship of Mr Van Noorden.  With a strong cast, including Miss Miriam Licette,  Mr Hedmondt, and Mr Winckworth in the leading parts,  Gounod's grand opera, which was beautifully staged, ran with success from start to finish.'

 

Carl Rosa Scottish Tour - 1913

This late winter Scottish season conisisted of seven weeks, each with seven performances.  After a week in Aberdeen (w/c 20 Jan) then one in Dundee (w/c 27 Jan), there followed three in Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre (commencing 3 Feb, 10 Feb, 17 Feb) and two in Glasgow’s Theatre Royal (w/c 24 Feb; 3 Mar).  Two performances originally scheduled of Jewels of the Madonna in Edinburgh were cancelled to allow for more rehearsals.  The operas that replaced them were Mefistofele (20 Feb) and Magic Flute (22 Feb mat)

The sixteen operas performed were by:  Mozart (Don Giovanni, Zauberflöte);  Benedict (Lily of Killarney);  Balfe (Bohemian Girl);  Thomas (Mignon);  Wallace (Maritana);  Wagner (Tannhäuser, Lohengrin);  Verdi (Trovatore);  Gounod (Faust);  Goldmark (Queen of Sheba);  Boito (Mefistofele);  Bizet (Carmen);  Leoncavallo (Pagliacci);  Mascagni (Cavalleria Rusticana);  Wolf-Ferrari (Jewels of the Madonna).

The performance schedule was:

Aberdeen, w/c 20 January:  Mon 20 Carmen;  Tue 21 Lohengrin;  Wed 22 Trovatore;  Thu  23 Mefistofele;  Fri 24 Magic Flute;  Sat 25 m Tannhäuser;  Sat 25 e Mignon.

Dundee, w/c  27 January:  Mon 27 Tannhäuser;  Tue 28 Magic Flute;  Wed 29 Mignon;  Thu 30 Trovatore;  Fri 31 Mefistofele;  Sat 1 Feb m Carmen;  Sat 1 Feb e Bohemian Girl.

Edinburgh, w/c 3 February:  Mon 3 Tannhäuser;  Tue 4 Mignon;  Wed 5 Magic Flute;  Thu 6 Trovatore;  Fri 7 Lohengrin;  Sat 8 m Faust;  Sat 8 e Bohemian Girl.

Edinburgh, w/c 10 February:  Mon 10 Magic Flute;  Tue 11 Queen of Sheba;  Wed 12 Carmen;  Thu 13 Maritana;  Fri 14 Magic Flute;  Sat 15 m Mignon;  Sat 15 e Lily of Killarney.

Edinburgh, w/c 17 February:  Mon 17 Cav & Pag;  Tue 18 Don Giovanni;  Wed 19 Faust;  Thu 20 Mefistofele;  Fri 21 Tannhäuser;  Sat 22 m Magic Flute;  Sat 22 e Trovatore.

Glasgow, w/c 24 February:  Mon  24 Magic Flute;  Tue 25 Mignon;  Wed 26 Trovatore;  Thu 27 Cav & Pag;  Fri 28 Jewels of the Madonna;  Sat 1 Mar m Tannhäuser;  Sat 1 Mar e Faust.

Glasgow, w/c  3 March:  Mon 3 Lohengrin;  Tue 4 Jewels of the Madonna;  Wed 5 Magic Flute;  Thu 6 Mignon;  Fri  7 Carmen :  Sat 8 m Jewels of the Madonna;  Sat 8 e Magic Flute.