Opera Scotland

Rigoletto 1947Covent Garden Opera

Read more about the opera Rigoletto

The newly-reconstituted Covent Garden Opera resumed touring quite quickly after the war, with a wide repertoire performed in English translation.  The most notable members of this Rigoletto cast are the Italian baritone Paolo Silveri in the title role, a leading performer at Covent Garden for several seasons, and the Australian tenor Kenneth Neate, who divided his career between Britain and Germany.

Edith Coates had a long career, from before the war through to the 1970s.  The bass David Franklin had sung at Glyndebourne before the war.  Though he retired from opera at a relatively young age, he continued to entertain, appearing for many years on the BBC radio panel game My Music.  The tenor Edgar Evans soon graduated to performing more significant parts, and also enjoyed a long career.

The conductor Karl Rankl had a high reputation, especially in the central Germanic repertoire of Beethoven, Wagner and Strauss. After a few seasons as musical director at Covent Garden he took up a similar position in Glasgow with the SNO.

 

The Covent Garden Opera in Glasgow - 1947

The repertoire for this two week Glasgow season was:   Mozart (Magic Flute);   Verdi (Rigoletto,  Trovatore);   Bizet (Carmen);   Puccini (Turandot);   Strauss (Rosenkavalier).

The schedule of performances:

First Week: Mon 18 Aug Magic Flute; Tue 19 Turandot; Wed 20 Trovatore; Thu 21 Carmen; Fri 22 Turandot; Sat 23 mat Carmen; Sat 23 eve Trovatore.

Second Week: Mon 25 Aug Magic Flute; Tue 26 Rosenkavalier; Wed 27 Trovatore; Thu 28 Rosenkavalier; Fri 29 Rigoletto; Sat 30 mat Turandot; Sat 30 eve Rigoletto.

The Rigoletto cast details are from a programme for 29 August in the Royal Opera House collection.