Opera Scotland

Trovatore 1915Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Trovatore

The Trovatore performance in Edinburgh took place on the first Saturday evening of the two week Lyceum season, following an equally popular matinee of Carmen.

The cast for Saturday evening 20 March is taken from a copy of the programme in the OperaScotland collection, confirmed with the review in Monday's Scotsman.

As with Faust, there is a requirement in Il trovatore for a church scene in which an organ participates. To that end, the programme advertises that 'the Magnificent Pipe Organ travelled by the Company 'was 'manufactured by the Positive Organ Company.'

 

The Edinburgh Verdict

Scotsman:  Monday, 22 March 1915 (p7)

Carl Rosa Opera Company

"There was another large house in the evening, when Il Trovatore was given. The performance was one of all round merit, and the imaginative powere and beauty of Verdi's work were appreciated to the full by the audience, whose applause was frequent and hearty.

'Miss Elizabeth Burgess was in the role of Leonora and sang with sweetness and sympathy the charming arias which the maestro allotted to the troubadour's unhappy love.  In the ''Miserere'' scene, she achieved an artistic success, both vocallly and dramatically.  Miss Christine Oliver was the Azucena.  This part especially calls for the actress as well as the singer, and in each respect Miss Oliver's representation of the gipsy woman attained a high standard of merit.  Mr Edward Davies was a splendid Manrico, his rich tenor voice bringing out well the beauty of the love songs, and as Ferrando Mr Frederick Clendon gave a thoroughly satisfying performance. The other leading roles were ably filled by Miss Dorothy Lawson-Taylor as Inez,  Mr Frank Clark as the Count di Luna, and Mr Reginald Gordon as Ruiz.  The chorus again proved themselves efficient, and the large orchestra was skillfully led by by Mr Walter Van Noorden."

 

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.