By 1936 the management at Covent Garden had changed, with the departure of Eustace Blois from the post of Managing Director. Things were now on a more spectacular footing, with a two week long Grand Opera Festival in Edinburgh, repeated in Glasgow, and under the auspices of proprietors the London & Provincial Opera Society. This was in conjunction with the Imperial League of Opera, a product of Sir Thomas Beecham's long-standing attempts to introduce sponsorship by individuals and corporations based throughout the country. This company also adopted the title of Royal Opera, Covent Garden.
Sir Thomas was named as Artistic Director, with John Barbirolli, Clarence Raybould and Robert Ainsworth, continuing from the old regime, among the conductors. Following the introduction of the 'International Seasons' at Covent Garden, the language policy had changed - Italian works were to be sung in Italian and French in French. Only the German works would be given in English (and there were no native British works on display).
The repertoire for the two week Edinburgh visit was:
Mon 24 Feb tbc; Tue 25 Feb tbc; Wed 26 Feb Bohème; Thu 27 Feb Siegfried; Fri 28 Feb Barbiere di Siviglia; Sat 29 Feb mat Bohème; Sat 29 Feb eve Freischütz.
Mon 2 Mar Tristan and Isolde; Tue 3 Mar Roméo et Juliette; Wed 4 Mar Siegfried; Thu 5 Mar Barbiere di Siviglia; Fri 6 Mar Roméo et Juliette; Sat 7 Mar mat Freischütz; Sat 7 Mar eve Bohème.
They then moved on to Glasgow.
Bohème cast details are from a programme for 26 February in Edinburgh City Library
The tenor Dino Borgioli played an important role in the development of opera in Britain after the war, both as manager and as teacher. The soprano Lisa Perli was in fact a well-known English singer, Dora Labbette, who adopted the suitably foreign name when appearing in opera.
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