Opera Scotland

Barbiere di Siviglia 1942Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Barber of Seville

The Royal Carl Rosa played for three weeks from Monday 16 March to Saturday 4 April, under two conductors, Warwick Braithwaite and Charles Webber. The latter had worked with the company for many years. The presence of Braithwaite, who was, at the time, chief conductor of the Scottish Orchestra, allowed the season to be given 'in association with' that band, who played in the pit. Through the thirties he was more closely associated with Sadler's Wells, and the fact that they came to Glasgow a couple of months later, in June, shows a degree of interchange between the companies. Indeed The Barber also featured in that June season.

The noticeably early start to the evening performances should have allowed everyone to get home before any air raids started.

Several of the singers were previously associated with BNOC as well as Sadler's Wells, and Dennis Noble and Gladys Parr singing the same roles a number of years before.

Sources

The programme  for 21 March is in the main Mitchell Library collection, with a copy also in the OperaScotland collection. That for 17 March, which announces Hubert Dunkerley as a replacement for Dennis Noble in the title role, is in the A M Gardiner collection in the same building. 

The 1942 Carl Rosa season

As far as Scotland was concerned, the 1942 Carl Rosa season consisted of three weeks in Glasgow, followed by two in Edinburgh. Crowded houses were reported, evidenced in part by the Wednesday matinees.

Mon 16 Mar Traviata; Tue Barber of Seville; Wed mat Butterfly; Wed Evg Trovatore; Thu Rigoletto; Fri Butterfly; Sat m Barber of Seville; Sat e Faust

Mon 23 Mar Barber of Seville; Tue Boheme; Wed mat Trovatore; Wed evg Butterfly; Thu Faust; Fri Rigoletto; Sat m Traviata; Sat e Boheme.

Mon 30 Mar Barber of Seville; Tue Madam Butterfly; Wed m Barber of Seville; Wed evg Traviata; Thu Marriage of Figaro; Fri Trovatore; Sat m Marriage of Figaro; Sat e Rigoletto.

Mon 6 April Barber of Seville; Tuesday Butterfly; Wed m Marriage of Figaro; Wed evg Faust; Thu Boheme; Fri Traviata; Sat m Marriage of Figaro; Sat e Trovatore.

Mon 13 Apr Traviata; Tue Marriage of Figaro; Wed m Boheme; Wed evg Trovatore; Thu Rigoletto; Fri Barber of Seville; Friday evg Faust