During the Scottish leg of the tour, two performances of Cav & Pag were given. The remaining performances involved fourteen different operas.
This was the first and only appearance in Glasgow of Isidore de Lara's most successful opera. The two leading male roles, for tenor and baritone, are taken by long-term company regulars, William Boland and Hubert Dunkerley. Other prominent singers in the cast include Redvers Llewellyn, Ronald Stear and Audrey Mildmay, whose husband John Christie would shortly establish a Summer festival for her at their Sussex home, Glyndebourne.
The Scotsman critic in a notice of the only performance given in Scotland, commented on the heavy task imposed on the three principals 'who gave of their best, both in singing and acting.' The excellence of the choral work was also a feature."
The reviewer in the Glasgow Herald (29 March) explained the opera, now 30 years old, showed its age.
Cast details are from a programme in the Mitchell Library collection.
The 1930 Carl Rosa Tour
The Carl Rosa's Scottish tour in spring 1930 began on 24 March and consisted of three weeks in Glasgow (Theatre Royal) and one in Edinburgh (Lyceum).
The repertoire was scheduled as follows:
Glasgow, w/c 24 March: Mon 24 Trovatore; Tue 25 Cav & Pag; Wed 26 Flying Dutchman; Thu 27 Hansel and Gretel; Friday 28 Messalina; Sat 29 mat Butterfly: Sat 29 eve Faust.
Glasgow, w/c 31 March: Mon 31 Flying Dutchman; Tue 1 Apr Carmen; Wed 2 Rhinegold; Thu 3 Tales of Hoffmann; Fri 4 Boheme; Sat 5 mat Hansel and Gretel; Sat 5 eve Maritana.
Glasgow, w/c 7 April: Mon 7 Tannhäuser; Tue 8 Butterfly; Wed 9 Siegfried; Thu 10 Cav & Pag; Fri 11 Rigoletto; Sat 12 mat Flying Dutchman; Sat 12 mat Carmen.
Edinburgh, w/c 14 April: Mon 14 Butterfly; Tue 15 Rigoletto; Wed 16 Carmen; Thu 17 Faust; Friday 18 Flying Dutchman; Sat 19 mat Hansel and Gretel; Sat 19 eve Trovatore.
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