Opera Scotland

Maria Stuarda 1991Scottish Opera-Go-Round

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Maria Stuarda received its belated Scottish premiere at the 1969 Edinburgh Festival, and the little known drama was, in general, highly regarded on that occasion. It must therefore have seemed odd that Scottish Opera took over twenty years before mounting it, and then only with the Opera Go Round tour with piano accompaniment. This excursion was a particularly lengthy one, a total of thirty-three performances from August through to November, and covering an astonishing distance.  By the second performance everything was running smoothly.

The English translation used was the excellent version prepared in 1973 for the memorable John Copley production mounted at English National Opera with Janet Baker as Mary and Pauline Tinsley as Elizabeth.

The costumes were vaguely period, though not specifically 16th century.  The set was made from the cases of half a dozen upright pianos, which were wheeled around the stage in various groupings - the backs providing walls or enclosures of different sizes.  At the end they were wheeled together to form a platform which became Mary's scaffold.

The casting worked well.  Susan Roper, a young soprano from New Zealand, was tall and elegant, and sang beautifully in her long final scene on top of the pianos.  Jane Webster was shorter, and projected a more dynamic character.

In terms of acting and being noticed even when not singing, the usually missable role of Anna for once attracted attention in a remarkable performance by Alice Coote.  This must have been almost her professional debut, but she showed herself to be one of those rare special talents whose progress is worth watching.

The men were all good, though they have less to do, and Iain Paton, in particular,  also made a strong impression.

Scottish Opera's Season - 1991/92

At this period, Scottish Opera generally mounted nine main-stage operas each season, in groups of three. If funds allowed, there would be a small-scale production as well. For the 1991/92 season, the piano-accompanied tour, with 33 performances through the autumn, was of Maria Stuarda. The main stage schedule began at the Edinburgh Festival with a new production of La Clemenza di Tito. There were two more new stagings - Die Walküre and Don Giovanni. The six revivals were Madam Butterfly, Carmen, La traviata, Billy Budd, The Marriage of Figaro and Aïda.