Opera Scotland

Bohème 1930Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Bohème

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

 

The View in Glasgow

The Glasgow Herald of 5 April wrote:

'The Carl Rosa Opera Company returned to Puccini last evening at the Theatre Royal for the only time during the present visit.    The cast was mainly a familiar one, the chief newcomer being Miss Audrey Mildmay in the part of Musetta.  She was a little light vocally for some of the music, but sang well, made a good effect at the Café Momus for that most grateful song with which she wins back Marcel, and was properly vivaceous in her impersonation.  Miss Helen Ogilvie was particularly good as Mimi, giving in both singing and acting a very sympathetic performance.  While doing full justice vocally to all the telling phrases of the more impassioned periods she missed no opportunity for intimate treatment, which was always rightly gauged for the required effect. 

'The four Bohemians were Mr Ben Williams, Mr Hubert Dunkerley, Mr  Leslie Jones and Mr Frederic Collier.  The two first named were in good form and were excellently supported, in both gay and sentimental episodes, by the others.  The good quality of the teamwork from this Bohemian quartet was typical of the performance as a whole.  There was always the right interplay between the members of the numerous stage ensembles that are a particular feature of La bohème; and the famous scene outside the café was kept properly busy all through and was always interesting, though the last few minutes lost some of the impact of a well built up climax, and provided a relatively tame finish. Mr Robert Mawdsley made good use of his opportunities as Benoit and Alcindoro.  Mr Richard Austin conducted.'

 

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 Hoffman; Fri 04 Boheme; Sat 05 mat Hansel and Gretel; Sat 05 eve Maritana.

Glasgow, w/c 7 April: Mon 07 Tannhauser; Tue 08 Madam Butterfly; Wed 09 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.