Opera Scotland

Tabarro 1957Sadler's Wells Opera

Read more about the opera Tabarro

This Tabarro is part of the only performance of the complete Trittico given in Scotland since the war.  The cast assembled by the Wells company is remarkably good, including one conductor assigned to each opera.

Leo Quayle took charge at Welsh National for several years before returning to his native South Africa.  Here he began the evening.  Marcus Dods, a Scottish conductor given the middle work, was excellent when assigned to operas by Verdi and Puccini, but went on to spend most of his career conducting West End musicals, including the premiere of Lionel Bart's Oliver!  The Sadler's Wells musical director at this time was young Alexander Gibson.  Already a recognised  expert at Puccini, he took charge of the final comedy.

Abbreviated details here are taken from the review in the Glasgow Herald - there is even less data in this brief notice about the second opera.  The three leads were definitely from the company's first division.

 

Sadler's Wells Opera on tour in Scotland -  1957

The four week tour of Scotland for once omitted Edinburgh, going to Aberdeen and Dundee instead.  Having been without professional opera since before the war, Dundee had received hugely successful visits by Carl Rosa in 1955 and 1956, so it was logical for the Wells to follow on, as they did annually with equal success until the theatre again became unavailable in 1961.  The repertoire in each city was similar but for Dundee not hearing Il trovatore (an extra Bohème instead) and Glasgow also getting Eugene Onegin and Puccini's Trittico.

The works performed were:  Mozart (Marriage of Figaro);  Flotow (Martha);  Verdi (Trovatore, Traviata);  Smetana (Bartered Bride);  Tchaikovsky (Eugene Onegin);  Puccini (Bohème, Tosca, Tabarro,  Suor Angelica, Gianni Schicchi).  

The tour schedule was as follows:

Aberdeen, w/c 1 April:  Mon 1  Traviata;  Tue 2  Tosca;  Wed 3  Martha;  Thu 4  Trovatore;  Fri 5  Marriage of Figaro;  Sat 6 mat Bartered Bride;  Sat 6 eve  Bohème.

Dundee, w/c 8 April:  Mon 8  Traviata;  Tue 9  Bohème;  Wed 10  Marriage of Figaro;  Thu 11  Martha;  Fri 12  Tosca;  Sat 13 mat  Bohème;  Sat 3 eve  Bartered Bride.

Glasgow, w/c 15 April:  Mon 15  Trovatore;  Tue 16  Bohème;  Wed 17  Tosca;  Thu 18  Trovatore;  Fri 19  Martha;  Sat 20 Mat  Bartered Bride;  Sat 20 eve  Tosca. 

Glasgow, w/c 22 April:  Mon 22  Marriage of Figaro;  Tue 23  Martha;  Wed 24  Tabarro & Suor Angelica & Gianni Schicchi;  Thu 25  Marriage of Figaro;  Fri 26 Eugene Onegin;  Sat 27 mat  Traviata.;  Sat 27 eve Bartered Bride.