The opening night of the Theatre Royal summer season saw the return of the famous young Edinburgh-born soprano Mary Ann Paton. She had been released from her contract at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden to give twelve performances in her home town.
According to Loewenberg's Annals of Opera this was the first performance of The Barber of Seville in Scotland. It is still necessary to confirm details of an earlier suggestion of 10 March 1820 for the premiere. The Caledonian Mercury of the 11th states just that the performance was well received, with a repeat to follow that evening (i.e. the 11th).
This cast is taken from a playbill in the National Library of Scotland. The performance opened with an 'entertainment in one act' called Is He Jealous? The Rossini was followed by the Farce of The Spectre Bridegroom. For the second performance, the advertised programme concluded with an entertainment composed by Sir Henry Bishop, entitled Brother and Sister. As was usual at this period with operas of Mozart, Rossini and others, The Barber of Seville was given in a version adapted by Bishop, which incorporated some of his own music.
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