Opera Scotland

Nozze di Figaro 1943Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Marriage of Figaro

The performance schedule for the Carl Rosa week commencing Monday 15 March began: Mon Bohème, Tue Rigoletto, Wed mat Butterfly, Wed eve Figaro. It continued Thu Barber, Fri Traviata, Sat mat Merry Wives and Sat eve Faust. Due to wartime paper restrictions cast details were compressed into two programmes, each a single sheet containing four operas. These have both been preserved in the A M Gardiner collection (Mitchell Library).  The cast given in the programme in the OperaScotland collection for the performance on 31 March shows no difference.

The only significant cast change compared with the 1942 team is the introduction of Ruth Packer as the Countess. She would later be more associated with heavier parts by Verdi and Puccini, though she did continue to sing Donna Anna.

As far as Scotland was concerned, the 1943 Carl Rosa season consisted of three weeks in Glasgow, followed by two in Edinburgh. Crowded houses were reported, further evidence being the Wednesday matinees.

Mon 15 Mar Boheme; Tue Rigoletto; Wed m Butterfly; Wed e Marriage of Figaro; Thu Barber of Seville; Fri Traviata; Sat m Merry Wives of Windsor; Sat e Faust

Mon 22 Mar Butterfly; Tues Merry Wives; Wed m Marriage of Figaro; Wed e Faust; Thu Boheme; Fri Barber of Seville; Sat m Trovatore; Sat e Rigoletto

Mon 29 Mar Merry Wives; Tue Traviata; Wed m Rigoletto; Wed e Figaro; Thu Butterfly; Fri Boheme; Sat m Barber; Sat e Trovatore.

Mon 5 Apr Butterfly; Tue Figaro; Wed m Boheme; Wed e Merry Wives; Thu Barber; Fri Traviata; Sat m Rigoletto; Sat e Trovatore

Mon 12 April Boheme; Tue Barber of Seville; Wed m Figaro; Wed e Faust; Thu Butterfly Fri Merry Wives; Sat m Rigoletto; Sat e Trovatore.

Forty performances of nine operas.