Scottish Opera's 2011-12 season was its fiftieth, with celebrations in order, though the tone was muted. There was a sense of relief that the company had survived recent turmoils, and the level of activity was much reduced. The full-scale productions began in the autumn with a revival of Thomas Allen's Barber of Seville staging. In the New Year there were new productions of Hansel and Gretel and The Rake's Progress, along with a welcome revival of the vintage Tosca production. In the absence of any invitation to play the main festival in 2011, the first item in the season was a staging on the Edinburgh Fringe of Weill's Seven Deadly Sins. This was followed by a third co-operation with Music Theatre Wales at the Traverse - the highly dramatic Greek. The autumn repertoire also had a medium scale tour of Orpheus in the Underworld. In January the Russian co-productions with the Conservatoire continued, with Prokofiev's Betrothal in a Monastery. There was also the expected Highlands and Islands concert party under the Opera Highlights label. In June, the company's 50th anniversary was celebrated with a single concert performance, well-cast, of those old stalwarts from days of yore, Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci.
For its fiftieth birthday party in the intimate surroundings of the City Halls, Scottish Opera chose the distinctly surprising Cav & Pag - operas virtually ignored by the company in the past, with only a medium-scale tour in 1989 to represent these popular favourites.
Three Italian singers unknown in Britain were introduced, and the tenor and soprano showed their versatility by doubling the very contrasted lead roles in both pieces. While it is unusual for a tenor to sing Turiddu and Canio in one evening, it is even rarer for a soprano to attempt the very different roles of Santuzza and Nedda. In addition to these we had that excellent baritone Thomas Oliemans, admired for Rossini and Mozart, here entering very different territory.
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