Opera Scotland

Fliegende Holländer 1930Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Flying Dutchman

The first performance at Glasgow's Theatre Royal was reviewed in the Scotsman of 27 March.

'Both from the point of view of singing and acting... an outstanding success.' Of the Edinburgh performance, the critic noted it had been eighteen years since the work had last been heard in Edinburgh, under the auspices of Ernsy Denhof, with the late Michael Balling as conductor.

'Mr Leslie Jones as the Dutchman sang with a genuinely musical tone, in a role where a semi-declamatory style is often employed.  Throughout he preserved a fine vocal line and he achieved just the precise dark tone which the music and the character alike demand. Miss Helen Ogilvie as Senta, while her singing suggested  that the music was perhaps just a little high for her, sang with telling effect.

"The staging of The Flying Dutchman offers some serious problems to a producer. By dint of leaving a judicious amount to the imagination, however, its presentation last night was impressive. The stormy opening scene was very well managed, and the Dutchman's ship was made to appear really spectral as it drove through the darkness... instead of Wagner's directions being followed and the redeemed Dutchman and the redeeming Senta, locked in each other's arms, seen ascending heavenwards in the light of the rising sun, the curtain came down on darkness and mystery.'

During the Scottish leg of the tour, two performances of Cav and Pag were given. The remaining performances involved fourteen different operas.

The 1930 Carl Rosa Tour

The Carl Rosa's Scottish tour in spring 1930 began on 24 March and consisted of three weeks in Glasgow (Theatre Royal) and one in Edinburgh (Lyceum).

The performances were as follows:-

Glasgow, w/c 24 March: Mon 24 Trovatore; Tue 25 Cav & Pag; Wed 26 Flying Dutchman; Thu 27 Hansel and Gretel; Fri 28 Messalina; Sat 29 mat Butterfly: Sat 29 eve Faust.

Glasgow, w/c 31 March: Mon 31 Flying Dutchman; Tue 1 Apr Carmen; Wed 2 Rhinegold; Thu 3 Tales of Hoffmann; Fri 4 Bohème; Sat 5 mat Hansel and Gretel; Sat 5 eve Maritana.

Glasgow, w/c 7 April: Mon 7 Tannhäuser; Tue 8 Butterfly; Wed 9 Siegfried; Thu 10 Cav & Pag; Friday 11 Rigoletto; Sat 12 mat Flying Dutchman; Sat 12 eve Carmen.

Edinburgh, w/c 14 April: Mon 14 Butterfly; Tue 15 Rigoletto; Wed 16 Carmen; Thu 17 Faust; Fri 18 Flying Dutchman; Sat 19 mat Hansel and Gretel; Sat 19 eve Trovatore.