Opera Scotland

Pagliacci 1950Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Pagliacci

The Scotsman reviewer (28 March) states Cav and Pag, "which were performed last night, showed the merits and demerits of the Carl Rosa.  Much of the singing was good...Less  effective was the production, which at times creaked alarmingly. The singing of soloists and chorus was not always sufficient to cover up the lapses in their acting. A programme in the Mitchell Library gives the full cast.

Nor was the orchestra as satisfactory as one would expect. It was strange to hear so much raggedness, even within the individual departments. considering that the players must know these operas backwards."

Neither did the Glasgow Herald give a an entirely satisfactory review (11 April). "...the chorus and some of the principals should, however, give more attention to quality of tone and stediness of line....while neither opera calls for great subtlety of acting, the stilted gestures of some members of the cast detracted a good deal from their performances."

 

The 1950 tour of Scotland by Carl Rosa consisted of two weeks in Edinburgh and four in Glasgow.

Edinburgh w/c Mon 27 Mar Cav and Pag; Tue Traviata; Wed Faust; Thu Tosca; Fri Rigoletto; Sat m Butterfly; Sat e Barber of Seville

Edinburgh w/c Mon 4 Apr Bohème; Tue Butterfly; Wed Carmen; Thu Barber; Fri Cav and Pag; Sat m Bohème; Sat e Barber.

Glasgow w/c Mon 10 Apr Cav and Pag; Tue Bohème; Wed Carmen; Thu Traviata; Fri Rigoletto; Sat m Butterfly; Sat e Faust.

Glasgow w/c Mon 17 Apr Butterfly; Tue Barber; Wed Bohème; Thu Faust; Fri Cav and Pag; Sat m Carmen; Sat e Butterfly.

Glasgow w/c Mon 24 Apr Carmen; Tue Traviata; Wed Rigoletto; Thu Tosca; Fri Faust; Sat m Barber; Sat e Bohème;

Glasgow w/c Mon 1 May Rigoletto; Tue Water Carrier; Wed Butterfly; Thu Cav and Pag; Fri Water Carrier; Sat m Bohème; Sat e Carmen.

 Six weeks of seven performances.