Opera Scotland

Tales of Hoffmann 1946Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Tales of Hoffmann

While this was a new staging, the company had not yet taken the fresh look at the piece they would soon present in a reformed style.  The ordering of the acts was still the traditional 'wrong' one, with Giulietta in the middle, followed by Antonia.  Also the cast does not yet list the two anonymous voices singing the famous Barcarolle - so this will still have been performed by the illogical pairing of Giulietta and Nicklausse.   The Prologue is expanded to make room for the fourth love object (Stella) and the fourth villain (Lindorf).

There was not yet any attempt to unite the roles of the four leading ladies, and little for the villains, only Otakar Kraus singing two of them.  At least Liddell Peddieson is playing all four servants.  Noteworthy is the appearance of Victoria Elliott in one of her first major roles.

Arthur Hammond's direction of the company would soon ring the changes in how this work was presented.  He was an acknowledged expert in nineteenth century French opera.

Cast details for Hoffmann are from programmes for 26 March and 5 April in Aberdeen City Library; and for 17th April in the OperaScotland collection.

 

The Carl Rosa 1946 Tour

The 1946 Scottish tour by the Royal Carl Rosa lasted eight weeks, and started on Monday, 11 March, with two weeks in Edinburgh, followed by two in Aberdeen then four in Glasgow. There were eight performances each week, including matinees on Wednesday and Saturday.  The playing order was:

Edinburgh w/c Mon 11 Mar Tosca; Tue Hoffmann; Wed m Cav and Pag; Wed e Butterfly; Thu Faust; Fri Bohème; Sat m Hoffmann Sat e Butterfly

Edinburgh w/c Mon 18 Mar Trovatore; Tue Traviata; Wed m Cav and Pag; Wed e Butterfly; Thu Faust; Fri Bohème; Sat m Hoffmann; Sat e Butterfly

Aberdeen w/c Mon 25 Mar Butterfly; Tue Hoffmann; Wed m Cav and Pag Wed e Bohème; Thu Trovatore; Fri Faust; Sat Butterfly; Sat e Tosca

Aberdeen w/c Mon 1 Apr Traviata; Tue Cav and Pag; Wed m Faust; Wed pm Bohème; Thu Rigoletto; Fri Hoffmann; Sat Rigoletto; Sat Trovatore.

Glasgow w/c Mon 8 Apr Traviata; Tue Tosca; Wed m Cav and Pag; Wed Bohème; Thu Hoffmann; Fri Butterfly; Sat m Bohème; Sat e Traviata

Glasgow w/c Mon 15 Apr Cav and Pag; Tue Traviata; Wed m Hoffmann; Wed e Rigoletto; Thu Faust; Fri Tosca; Sat m Butterfly; Sat e Cav and Pag. 

Glasgow w/c Mon 22 Apr Faust; Tue Rigoletto; Wed m Traviata; Wed e Trovatore; Thu Tosca; Fri Cav and Pag; Sat m Bohème; Sat e Faust.

Glasgow w/c Mon 29 Apr Tosca; Tue Traviata; Wed m Butterfly; Wed e Rigoletto; Thu Bohème; Fri Traviata; Sat m Faust; Sat e Rigoletto

In Glasgow, all the operas received four performances, with the exception of Traviata (6), Butterfly (3), Hoffmann (2) and Trovatore (1).  Cav and Pag and eight other operas were given – Faust, Hoffmann, three Verdi, three Puccini.