Opera Scotland

Siegfried 1930Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Siegfried

During the Scottish leg of the tour, two elements of the Ring were given, Rheingold being a more unusual choice than this Siegfried.

Two performances of Cav & Pag were given. The remaining performances involved fourteen different operas.

 

The Glasgow View

The reviewer in the Glasgow Herald (10 April) noted:

'The Carl Rosa Opera company presented Siegfried last night at the Theatre Royal, and gave a very good performance ro an audience that was not big enough for the occasion.  It was reasonable after hearing Mr William Boland on Monday evening to doubt his ability to sing last night.  The indulgence of the audience was again asked on his behalf; and indisposition limited his performance in those places where the more sensitive side of Siegfried's nature is expressed - as when he thinks of his mother or awakens Brünnhilde - and in those other places - as in the scene of the forging of the sword - where big singing is required.   But in spite of his disability Mr Boland made a lively and effective Siegfried and allowed a wider range of colour in his tone than was to be expected.

'Mr Robert Mawdsley as Mime confirmed the good impression he made last week in the Rhinegold.   He did not, however, make full use of all his opportunities in this important role.  There were times when fear, anger and excitement could have been more vividly expressed; and the tone of his account to Siegfried of the latter's birth and of all Mimi had done for him should be that of a crafty schemer assuming the role of an unappreciated guardian angel.  Mr Mawdsley's singing of this famous part of the first act was too 'straight' a vocal performance.  Some of his stage doings towards the close of the act were rather more athletic than was to be expected from Mimi; but his character study, if not complete, was nearly so, and the singing in general had the right incisive quality.  The words were very clear and were well employed. 

'Mr Hubert Dunkerley's Alberich was also good, with the right elemental quality on his emotional side.  The scene between the Nibelungs in the second act was presented in lively fashion, but Alberich's laughter on the death of Mime was not sufficiently in the character.

'Mr Leslie Jones made a dignified figure of the Wanderer, though he endowed the part with more geniality than is usual.  The patronising quality of this in the meeting with Alberich made a good effect, but in the interview with Siegfried it resulted in some loss of the needful bigness of conception.  Otherwise Mr Jones's Wanderer was properly impressive, and particularly so in his last scene.  He sang well.

'Miss Gladys Ancrum's voice, in spite of some unsteadiness, was well suited to the music of Brünnhilde, and there were many effective periods in the great closing duet with Siegfried.  Miss Rispah Goodacre, as so often happens in the music of Erda, failed, while making her message impressive, to make it also vital and interesting.  Breadth of style should not be allowed to displace the need for phrasing.  A less level delivery would have helped this performance.

'Mr Arthur Hammond conducted well, and  and secured from the orchestra their best playing of the present visit.  There were occasional periods where balance and ensemble were faulty, but the score was expressively realised and excellent results were obtained both in quiet periods and at times of climax.  the success of the performance owed a good deal to Mr Hammond.

'The opera was, on the whole, well mounted.  The problem of lighting the cave in Act I was not happily solved, and the back cloth in the last act was not suited to the occasion.   There can be no serious objection raised to dispensing with a visible dragon, but there should be given some more thrilling suggestion of its presence than was supplied last night.  The combat also was not exciting enough.'

 

An Edinburgh Perspective

The Scotsman (10 April) stated:

'Every phase of Wagner's music was very effectively interpreted, and the performance  of principals, chorus and orchestra alike, under the conductorship of Mr Arthur Hammond, afforded enjoyment to a large audience. Of special merit was the performance of Mr William Boland in the title role...'

 

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; Fri 04 Bohème; Sat 05 mat Hansel and Gretel; Sat 06 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 13 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.