Opera Scotland

Trovatore 1919Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Trovatore

The Carl Rosa company arrived in Dundee for the first time since 1913 in what was to be their last viisit to the beautifully appointed and popular Her Majesty's Theatre.  It was located on the corner of Seagate and Gellatly Street, and visible from the High Street.  This building from 1885, always profitable, would soon fall victim to the rapidly developing mania for cinema, which meant that the new industry could pay a high premium for rapid access to an existing building.

The company's 1919 Glasgow visit started rather earlier than usual, on Monday, 3 February, immediately after Dundee.  The Thursday performance was perhaps a routine choice, Il trovatore, because Friday's was a novelty for the company requiring more rehearsal - Tosca.  Like Bohème and Butterfly the previous year, this third Puccini opera had already been toured by Moody-Manners and O'Mara.

 

The Carl Rosa Scottish Tours - 1919

The season consisted of one week at Aberdeen’s His Majesty’s Theatre (AHMT), then one week at Dundee’s Her Majesty’s Theatre (DHMT). There followed four weeks at Glasgow’s Theatre Royal (GTR). Following a break of one week at the King's Theatre, Greenock, there were two weeks at Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum (ERL), then later still another two in Glasgow (GTR). Ten weeks in total were followed by a further three in December to give thirteen. The original intention had been to return to Dundee for two weeks over Christmas and New Year, but the theatre was no longer available.  By now, the company were running a number of separate companies, the Phillips section giving the December performances.

w/c Mon Jan 20 Tales of Hoffmann Tue Tosca; Wed Tannhauser; Thu Mignon; Fri Carmen; Sat m Madam Butterfly; Sat e Faust. AHMT

w/c Mon Jan 27 Tales of Hoffmann; Tue Tannhauser; Wed Faust; Thu Madam Butterfly; Fri Mignon; Sat mTales of Hoffmann; Sat e Trovatore. DHMT 

w/c Mon 3 Feb Tannhauser; Tue Bohème; Wed Madam Butterfly; Thu Trovatore; Fri Tosca; Sat m Mignon; Sat e Tales of Hoffmann. GTR 

w/c Mon 10 Feb Cav and Pag; Tue Faust; Wed Carmen; Thu Tales of Hoffmann; Fri Madam Butterfly; Sat m Tosca; Sat e Maritana. GTR

w/c Mon 17 Feb Bohème; Tue Tannhauser; Wed Mignon; Thu Cav and Pag; Fri Don Giovanni; Sat m Tales of Hoffmann; Sat e Trovatore. GTR

w/c Mon 24 Feb Carmen; Tue Rigoletto; Wed Carmen; Thu Faust; Fri Tannhauser; Sat m Madam Butterfly; Sat e Bohemian Girl. GTR

w/c Mon 3 Mar Company performing in Liverpool

w/c Mon 10 Mar Tales of Hoffmann; Tue Tosca  ; Wed Faust; Thu Madam Butterfly; Fri Don Giovanni; Sat m Cav and Pag; Sat e Maritana. ERL

w/c Mon 17 Mar Tosca; Tue Tales of Hoffmann; Wed Tannhauser; Thu Bohème; Fri Carmen; Sat m Mignon; Sat e Trovatore; ERL

w/c Mon 30 Jun Tales of Hoffmann; Tue Carmen; Wed Mignon; Thu Cav and Pag; Fri Three Masks; Sat m Madam Butterfly; Sat e Faust GTR

w/c Mon 7 Jul Three Masks; Tue Trovatore; Wed Daughter of the Regiment; Thu Carmen; Fri Marriage of Figaro; Sat m Tales of Hoffmann; Sat e Maritana GTR

w/c Mon 1 Dec Tales of Hoffmann; Tue Carmen; Wed Faust; Thu Cav and Pag; Fri Tannhauser; Sat m Romeo and Juliet; Sat e Rigoletto.

w/c Mon 8 Dec Cav and Pag; Tue Trovatore; Wed Romeo and Juliet; Thu Lily of Killarney; Fri Faust; Sat m Traviata; Sat e Tales of Hoffmann.

w/c Mon 15 Dec Carmen; Tue Tannhauser; Wed Maritana; Thu Rigoletto; Fri Romeo and Juliet; Sat m Cavand Pag; Sat e Tales of Hoffmann

 

Thirteen weeks @seven performances = ninety-one

Thirteen Tales of Hoffmann

Eight Carmen; Tannhauser; Faust

Seven; Madam Butterfly; Cav and Pag

Six Mignon

Five Trovatore; Tosca

Four Cav and Pag; Maritana

Three Bohème; Romeo and Juliet

Two Three Masks; Don Giovanni; Rigoletto

One Marriage of Figaro; Daughter of the Regiment; Bohemian Girl; Traviata; Lily of Killarney.

Cast details for Trovatore in Glasgow are from a programme in the Gardiner Collection of the Mitchell Library. The Dundee performance the previous Saturday was not reviewed in the local press, who only mentioned that Beatrice Miranda was to appear (she aroused local interest because her uncle was a prominent musician in the city).

The reviewer in the Scotsman (24 March) noted the Azucena was Doris Woodall, stating the performance "had the benefit of a particularly good cast."