Opera Scotland

Traviata 1943Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Traviata

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). There is also a programme dated 29 March giving casts for the first four performances of the week in the OperaScotland collection.

Clearly the most notable feature of this Traviata cast is the appearance of Joan Hammond in the title role. Violetta, like Mimì, is a part she had already sung at the Vienna State Opera. Kingsley Lark was appearing as a late replacement for Hubert Dunkerley, while Lark's scheduled role as Baron Douphol was taken by Appleton Moore. Clearly the company had a useful complement of singers able to go on as covers in the difficult and hard-working conditions on tour.

One strange feature, perhaps a misprint, is the fact that Martin Quinn, usually cast as the Marquis, is also listed as Doctor Grenvil - a duplication in the party scenes that would not be possible.

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.

Glasgow 15 Mar: Mon Bohème; 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

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

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

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

Edinburgh 12 Apr: Mon Bohème; 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.