Opera Scotland

Cenerentola 2007Scottish Opera-Go-Round

Read more about the opera Cenerentola

Scottish Opera's 2007-08 season consisted entirely of new productions, generally successful ones at that. The company was clearly still struggling financially, however. The autumn saw the start of a new relationship with the great baritone Sir Thomas Allen, who directed Il barbiere di Siviglia. The new Mozart staging was Seraglio. There was a small-scale version of Rossini's Cinderella, which toured with piano accompaniment in the autumn, then with a reduced orchestration in the spring. A Night at the Chinese Opera, the first full-length piece by Judith Weir, not yet seen in Scotland, was beautifully staged. There was also a successful new production of Verdi's Falstaff. A stimulating innovation also appeared - the first  of three runs of short new works called 5:15 - Operas Made in Scotland. The partnership with RSAMD also continued, with Eugene Onegin. There was another Highlands and Islands tour under the Essential Scottish Opera title, and the orchestra gave a group of Sunday afternoon concerts in St Andrew's in the Square.

This excellent small-scale tour with piano accompaniment was the first opportunity to see the work of young director Harry Fehr - a clearly thought out and consistent concept in an appropriately Austenite mode - empire line frocks and folding panels for simple scenery. It worked just as well the following year in a short tour with a delightfully virtuoso pit band. Fehr was quickly invited back to show off a range of repertoire from Handel and Cimarosa to Wagner.