Opera Scotland

Tales of Hoffmann 1930Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Tales of Hoffmann

A single performance only was given by Carl Rosa Opera in Scotland this year.

It was reviewed in the Glasgow Herald of 4 April, from which cast details are taken:

'With a company so obviously at home in their parts as were the Carl Rosa Opera Company...the audience could not help but enjoy themselves. Their enthusiastic reception of each act showed the popularity and the tunefulness of the work'.

"A delightful spirit of farce pervades the first tale, that of the hero falling in love with the mechanical doll. Mr Ben Williams as Hoffmann sang in all three tales, as the lover, with passion and feeling, rising to a climax in the second act, after Giulietta has enticed from him his reflection and given it to the Evil Being.  Acting with much skill, Miss Audrey Mildmay performed the part of the mechanical doll, and displayed a flexibility of voice such as is demanded by the decorative style of the music.  The inventor of the doll (Mr Robert Mawdsley) and his doddering servant (Mr Frank Clarke) provided a humorous touch.  In each of the ungracious parts - Coppelius, Dapertutto, and Dr Miracle - Mr Hubert Dunkerley was good.   The powerful ensemble in the second act was well worked up to a fine climax.  Miss Mabel Baker gave a carefully restrained rendering of her part as Giulietta, and in the famous Barcarolle with Nicklaus (Miss Myrtle Stewart) was greatly enjoyed.  In the pathetic last act, Mr Ronald Stear capably filled the role of father to Antonia (Miss Dorothy Truman-Taylor), who used her rather light voice well.  Miss Myrtle Stewart as Hoffmann's friend, contrasted well with the love-lorn poet."

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

 

The 1930 Carl Rosa tour

The 1930 season in Scotland consisted of three weeks in Glasgow at the Theatre Royal followed by one in Edinburgh at the 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 01 Apr Carmen; Wed 02 Rhinegold; Thu 03 Tales of Hoffmann; Friday 04 Bohème; Sat 05 mat Hansel and Gretel; Sat 05 eve Maritana.

Glasgow, w/c 7 April: Mon  7 Tannhäuser; Tue 8 Butterfly; Wed 9 Siegfried; Thu 10 Cav & Pag; Fri 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.