Opera Scotland

Otello 1967Scottish Opera

Read more about the opera Otello

This Otello marked a further revival of Anthony Besch’s famous production. In this season the staging was toured out of the central belt for the first time, with a single performance in Aberdeen.

Joan Carlyle was a familiar singer at Covent Garden and had already sung with Solti and Karajan.  The title role was shared by Charles Craig and the Italian tenor Pier Miranda Ferraro.  Ferraro had visited Scotland with an Italian touring company several years before, but is probably best known for his appearance as Enzo in Maria Callas’s second recording of La Gioconda.

 

Scottish Opera's Sixth Season - 1967

The spring 1967 season of Scottish Opera opened with the excellent new production of Così fan tutte, which was joined by the company's first stagings of Das Rheingold and La bohème.  There were also revivals of Otello and Albert Herring.

The 1967 season of mainstage performances involved Perth (Theatre), Glasgow (King's Theatre), Aberdeen (His Majesty's Theatre), and Edinburgh (King's Theatre).  For the first time the company was invited to appear at the Edinburgh Festival, with a major contribution to the Stravinsky theme.

 

The productions were Cosi fan tutte (9 performances), Albert Herring (4), Rheingold (5),  La bohème (7), Otello (5), Rake’s Progress (4) and Soldier’s Tale (6).

The complete schedule for the season was:

Perth, w/c Mon 10 Apr:  Wed 12 Cosi fan tutte;  Fri 14 Albert Herring;  Sat 15 Così fan tutte.

Glasgow, w/c Mon 1 May:  Sat 6 Rheingold.

Glasgow, w/c Mon 8 May:  Wed 10 Così fan tutte;  Thu 11 La bohème;  Fri 12 Rheingold;  Sat 13 La bohème.

Glasgow, w/c Mon 15 May:  Tue 16 Così fan tutte;  Wed 17 Otello;  Thu 18 m Così fan tutte;  Thu 18 e La bohème;  Fri 19 Albert Herring;  Sat 20 Otello.

Aberdeen, w/c Mon 22 May:  Tue 23 Rheingold;  Wed 24 Albert Herring;  Thu 25 Così fan tutte;  Fri 26 Otello;  Sat 27 La bohème.

Edinburgh, w/c Mon 29 May:  Tue 30 Otello,  Wed 31 Così fan tutte;  Thu 1 Jun La bohème;  Fri 2 Das Rheingold;  Sat 3 Otello.

Edinburgh, w/c Mon 5 Jun:  Tue 6 Albert Herring;  Wed 7 Das Rheingold;  Thu 8 m Così fan tutte; Thu 8 e La bohème;  Fri 9 Così fan tutte;  Sat 10 La bohème.

Edinburgh Festival - King's: 22, 26, 31 Aug; 8 Sep Rake’s Progress.

Edinburgh Festival - Assembly Hall: 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 Sep Soldier’s Tale.

As Scottish Opera gathered strength, by its fifth year the season had therefore grown to an impressive forty performances within Scotland; three Perth; five Aberdeen; eleven Edinburgh (plus ten at the Edinburgh Festival); and eleven Glasgow.