A two week season starting Monday 24 March saw the Royal Carl Rosa in Edinburgh towards the end of the war. Tosca had taken a while to gain a secure position in the Carl Rosa repertoire, and was never a fixture to the same extent as Butterfly or Bohème.
Joan Hammond is clearly the recognised star of this cast, though the expatriate Czech baritone Otakar Kraus went on to become an indespensable member of the Covent Garden company for the next twenty-five years, and a hugely influential teacher. Hubert Dunkerley's career with the company went back to the twenties, while Frank Titterton was a well-established lyric tenor. Walter Susskind's career included a period as chief conductor of the SNO in the fifties, while John Moody played an important role in the early years of Welsh National Opera.
Cast details for 26 March are from a programme in the Edinburgh Room collection at Edinburgh City Library.
The 1945 tour consisted of two weeks in Edinburgh, followed by two in Aberdeen then four in Glasgow.
W/c 26 Mar Edinburgh: Mon Tosca; Tue Traviata; Wed m Butterfly; Wed e Rigoletto; Thu Bohème; Fri Tosca; Sat m Cav & Pag; Sat e Trovatore.
W/c 2 Apr Edinburgh: Mon Faust; Tue Rigoletto; Wed m Cav & Pag; Wed e Tosca; Thu Butterfly; Fri Hoffmann; Sat m Hoffmann; Sat e Faust.
W/c 9 Apr Aberdeen: Mon Tales of Hoffmann; Tue Butterfly; Wed m Cav & Pag; Wed e Faust; Thu Bohème; Fri Hoffmann; Sat m Butterfly; Sat e Trovatore.
W/c 16 Apr Aberdeen: Mon Cav & Pag; Tue Rigoletto; Wed m Traviata; Wed e Hoffmann; Thu Trovatore; Fri Butterfly; Sat m Bohème; Sat e Faust.
W/c 23 Apr Glasgow: Mon Tosca; Tue Hoffmann; Wed m Butterfly; Wed e Traviata; Thu Tosca; Fri Rigoletto; Sat m Cav & Pag; Sat e Bohème.
W/c 30 Apr Glasgow: Mon Trovatore; Tue Traviata; Wed m Bohème; Wed e Faust; Thu Barber; Fri Hoffmann; Sat m Tosca; Sat e Rigoletto.
W/c 7 May Glasgow: Mon Faust; Tue Tosca; Wed m Hoffmann; Wed e Cav & Pag; Thu Bohème; Fri Butterfly; Sat m Trovatore; Sat e Barber.
W/c 14 May Glasgow: Mon Butterfly; Tue Barber; Wed Faust; Wed e Bohème; Thu Tosca; Fri Hoffmann; Sat m Butterfly; Sat e Faust.
Performances of Cav & Pag were accompanied by those of nine other operas.
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