Opera Scotland

Luisa Miller 1963Teatro San Carlo, Naples

Read more about the opera Luisa Miller

This wonderful opera has never achieved anything like the level of popularity it deserves. Sadly, this staging was generally considered to be disappointing, in spite of a welcome return to Scotland by the conductor Alberto Erede, familiar from the Festival’s early years.

This however offered the only operatic role sung in Edinburgh by baritone Piero Cappuccilli, then on the threshold of his great career. Renato Cioni was in excellent voice and Franco Ventriglia was a very good young American bass making a successful career in Italy.

 

Opera at the Edinburgh Festival - 1963

The six operas performed at the Festival were:  Gay/Pepusch (Beggar's Opera);  Donizetti  (Don Pasquale);  Verdi (Luisa Miller);  Cilea (Adriana Lecouvreur);  Bartók (Duke Bluebeard's Castle);   Britten (Rape of Lucretia).

The Festival's opera schedule was:

First week, commencing 19 August: Mon 19 Rape of Lucretia & Duke Bluebeard's Castle; Tue 20 Beggar's Opera & Bluebeard; Wed 21 Lucretia & Bluebeard; Thu 22 Beggar's Opera; Fri 23 Lucretia & Bluebeard; Sat 24 Beggar's Opera.

Second week, commencing 26 August: Mon 26 Luisa Miller; Tue 27 Adriana Lecouvreur; Wed 28 Luisa Miller; Thu 29 Don Pasquale; Fri 30 Adriana Lecouvreur; Sat 31 Luisa Miller.

Third week, commencing 2 Sep: Mon 2 Adriana Lecouvreur; Tue 3 Don Pasquale; Wed 4 Luisa Miller; Thu 5 Don Pasquale; Fri 6 Adriana Lecouvreur; Sat 7 Don Pasquale.