Opera Scotland

Carmen 1915Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Carmen

Wartime touring conditions must have been difficult, but Carl Rosa and O'Mara were among the companies that kept going, both giving frequent performances of Carmen.

The cast for Saturday afternoon 20 March is taken from a copy of the programme in the OperaScotland collection.

 

Edinburgh Opinion

Scotsma: Monday, 22 March 1915 (p7)

Carl Rosa Opera Company - Carmen

'Saturday's matinee performance of the Royal Carl Rosa Opera Company was a gratifying success.  Other attractions and the heavy rainfall immediately before the time appointed for the production of Carmen  might have been expected to operate against the attendance.  But this was not the case.  A splendid audience assembled, every seat in the circle being occupied and few vacant places being found in other parts of the house.  Indeed it was a thoroughly inspiring audience, including as it did a large number of naval and military men in uniform. The performance was worthy of the audience, and the enthusiasm aroused, the production became more and more pronounced as the opera proceeded, the leading characters being again and again called to the footlights.

'Miss Doris Woodall, who had been unable to appear on the previous evening on account of delay on the journey to Edinburgh resulting from a railway accident, filled the title role with great distinction.  Possessing a fine mezzo-soprano voice, she displayed it to great advantage in her rendering of the many songs falling to her share.  The other leading parts were no less satisfactorily filled, and the performance throughout was on a high level.

'The scenery of the several acts was of a most effective character, that of the rocky mountain pass near Seville eliciting applause of a partiularly hearty character.

 

The Carl Rosa Scottish tour - 1915

The Carl Rosa Scottish tour in spring 1915 consisted of three weeks in Glasgow (Theatre Royal), followed by two weeks in Edinburgh (Lyceum).

.The fifteen operas performed were by Mozart (Don Giovanni, Magic Flute);  Wagner (Tannhäuser);  Verdi (Trovatore,  Aïda); Balfe (Bohemian Girl);  Wallace (Maritana);  Nicolai (Merry Wives of Windsor);  Gounod (Faust);  Thomas (Mignon);  Offenbach (Tales of Hoffmann);  Bizet (Carmen);  Leoncavallo (Pagliacci);  Mascagni (Cavalleria Rusticana);  Wolf-Ferrari (Jewels of the Madonna)

The performance schedule was as follows:

Glasgow, w/c 22 February: Mon 22 Tales of Hoffmann; Tue 23 Faust;  Wed 24 Aïda;  Thu 25 Jewels of the Madonna;  Fri 26 Carmen;  Sat 27 m Tales of Hoffmann;  Sat 27 e Bohemian Girl.

Glasgow, w/c  1 March: Mon 1 Mar Cav & Pag; Tue 2 Magic Flute;  Wed 3 Tannhäuser;  Thu 4 Mignon;  Fri 5 Tales of Hoffmann;  Sat 6 m Aïda;  Sat 6 e Maritana.

Glasgow, w/c 8 March: Mon 8 Mar Don Giovanni;  Tue 9 Faust;  Wed 10 Trovatore;  Thu 11 Merry Wives of Windsor;  Fri 12 Aïda;  Sat 13 m Carmen;  Sat 13 e Tales of Hoffmann.

Edinburgh, w/c 15 March: Mon 15 Tales of Hoffmann;  Tue 16 Tannhäuser;  Wed 17 Faust;  Thu 18  Magic Flute;  Fri 19 Aïda;  Sat 20 m Carmen;  Sat 20 e Trovatore.

Edinburgh, w/c 22 March: Mon 22 Cav & Pag;  Tue 23 Tales of Hoffmann;  Wed 24 Mignon;  Thu 25 Merry Wives of Windsor;  Fri 26 Don Giovanni;  Sat 27 m Aïda;  Sat 27 e Tales of Hoffmann.