Opera Scotland

Pagliacci 1895Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Pagliacci

The Scotsman (9 May) reported on the previous evening's performance  (which preceded that of Hansel and Gretel),  saying - 'the chief honours fell to Mr Barton McGuckin who, in the part of Canio, acted with great power and intensity,  and sang with force and feeling.  Miss L'Allemand's Nedda was pretty enough,  but not strong either on the vocal or dramatic side.  Mr Wilson Sheffield as Tonio,  Mr Frank A Wood as Beppe,  and Mr Paull as Silvio, were all unexceptionable..  Like Hansel and Gretel,  Pagliacci was staged according to the best Carl Rosa traditions,  and the exciting termination was followed by sustained applause.'

The Edinburgh Evening News later that day (p2) only mentioned two of the cast:-  'As Canio in Pagliacci Mr Barton McGuckin last night excelled himself.  His acting is improving and he was in splendid voice,  his declamatory passages being particularly well sung.  Miss L'Allemand does not make the most of Nedda;  her voice is a little deficient in purity of tone.  The other parts were well filled.  Both operas were favourably received,  especially the novelty,  by a house that was crowded in every part.'

Cast details are those from a programme for 15 November archived in the Mitchell Library, and shows different casting for Nedda and Tonio from the spring tour as detailed in the Scotsman. and Edinburgh Evening News.  Neither newspaper mentions the conductor on the spring tour.

Carl Rosa Opera’s spring tour consisted of a week in Glasgow, a week in Aberdeen and then two weeks in Edinburgh.  Over the four week period, the company gave 36 performances of eleven operas as follows:-

Royalty Theatre, Glasgow.  w/c 22 April Mon Tannhauser; Tue Ivanhoe; Wed Hansel and Gretel & Pagliacci; Thu m Hansel and Gretel; Thu evg Ivanhoe; Fri Hansel and Gretel & Bastien and Bastienne; Sat m Ivanhoe; Sat evg Bohemian Girl.

Her Majesty’s, Aberdeen.  w/c 29 April Mon Tannhauser, Tue Faust; Wed Bastien and Bastienne & Hansel and Gretel; Thu Carmen; Fri Ivanhoe; Sat m Bastien and Bastienne & Hansel and Gretel; Sat evg Lohengrin.

Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh w/c 6 May Mon Tannhauser; Tue Jeanie Deans; Wed Pagliacci & Hansel and Gretel; Thu Carmen; Fri Ivanhoe; Sat m Bastien and Bastienne & Hansel and Gretel; evg Bohemian Girl.

Royal Lyceum, Edinburgh w/c Mon 13 May Lohengrin; Tue Bastien and Bastienne & Hansel and Gretel; Wed Tannhauser; Thu Ivanhoe; Fri Pagliacci & Hansel and Gretel; Sat e Trovatore.

Carl Rosa Opera returned in November 1893 for two weeks in Glasgow.