Opera Scotland

Three Musketeers 1899Robert Cunningham Opera Company

Read more about the opera Three Musketeers

The Three Musketeers was all the rage in London, due to the long run of Beerbohm's dramatic production in the West End.  It is hardly surprising, then, that an operatic version should appear fairly quickly.  The difference of opinion among critics lay over whether this 'operatic drama' really was an opera, or simply a play with substantial incidental music.  The Glasgow Herald was dismissive, the Aberdeen Weekly Journal enthusiastic, while the Dundee Advertiser gave it the benefit of the doubt.  Audiences, at least, seem to have enjoyed themselves.

Reasons for the cast changes are unclear. In Glasgow both Alec Marsh and Marie Titiens were less than fully fit, but did sing. Titiens sang her other role, in Trovatore, at all three venues.  Alec Marsh continues to appear in Faust throughout (perhaps because his wife was singing Marguerite), but dropped The Bohemian Girl after Aberdeen.   It may simply be that with four performances in each venue the casts were alternating.

The full cast is as advertised in the Glasgow Herald, with amendments taken from reviews in Aberdeen and Dundee.   A programme can be found in the Mitchell Library in the box of programmes for the Theatre Royal.

 

Robert Cunningham Opera Company in Scotland - 1899

The five week tour repertoire was Balfe (Bohemian Girl);   Verdi (Trovatore);  Gounod (Faust) and Somerville (Three Musketeers).

The schedule was Glasgow Theatre Royal (i week);  Edinburgh Royal Lyceum (2 weeks);  Aberdeen Her Majesty's) 1 week) and Dundee Her Majesty's (1 week).

Glasgow, w/c Mar 27:  Mon 27 Faust;  Tue 28 Trovatore;  Wed 29 Three Musketeers;  Thu 30 Trovatore;  Fri 31 Three Musketeers; Apr 1 m Faust;  1 e Three Musketeers.

Edinburgh, w/c 3 Apr: to be confirmed.

Edinburgh,  w/c 10 Apr:  to be confirmed. 

Aberdeen, w/c  17 Apr:  Mon 17 Three Musketeers;  Tue 18 Faust;  Wed 19 Three Musketeers;  Thu 20 Trovatore;  Fri 21 Three Musketeers;   Sat 22 m Three Musketeers;  Sat 22 e Bohemian Girl.

Dundee,  w/c 24 Apr:  Mon 24 Trovatore;  Tue 25 Faust;  Wed 26 Bohemian Girl;  Thu 27 Three Musketeers;  Fri 28 Three Musketeers;  Sat 29 m Three Musketeers;  Sat 29 e Three Musketeers.