Opera Scotland

Maritana 1913Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Maritana

This late winter Scottish season conisisted of seven weeks, each with seven performances. After a week in Aberdeen (w/c 20 Jan) then one in Dundee (w/c 27Jan), there followed three in Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre (commencing 3 Feb, 10 Feb, 17 Feb) and two in Glasgow’s Theatre Royal (w/c 24 Feb; 3 Mar).

The partial cast for the single performance of Maritana comes from the rather grudging review in the following morning's Scotsman.

 

An Edinburgh Review

Scotsman:  Friday, 14 February 1913  (p6)

Maritana at the King's Theatre

'So long has Vincent Wallace's Maritana been regarded as a Saturday night entertainment that its appearance in the bill for last evening's  performance by the Carl Rosa Opera Company at the King's Theatre was something of a surprise.  The opera belongs to a school that has passed.  It's popularity, lasting well over half a century - it was produced at Drury Lane in 1845 - depends on a number of popular airs that suited the time for which they were written, and that still suit a certain class of opera-goers who do not take their music too seriously.

'The ''Harp in the Air,'' the duet ''Of Fairy Wand, had I the Power,'' the beautiful solo of Lazarillo ''Alas those Chimes,'' the thrilling ''Yes, let me like a Soldier Fall,'' - which the late Mr Turner oftentimes rendered with splendid effect on his visits to Edinburgh;  ''There is a Flower that Bloometh,'' and ''In Happy Moments,'' have passed out of the opera into what may be called the literature of popular music. 

'To hear these songs set in their dramatic environment was the privilege of those who were present in the King's Theatre last night.  Miss Ina Hill sang well in the title rôle.  She is always vocally efficient, and though, perhaps, a trifle heavy for a part that demands juvenility, she carried her audience with her in her chief set pieces.

'Mr Hedmondt, as Don Caesar de Bazan, lent vitality to the production.  Not only in his singing, but in the swashbuckler style of his acting, he gave the work its proper dramatic character.  It is a remarkable feature of Mr Hedmondt's career, and it dates back a full generation, that he has never touched a part which he did not adorn.  This is said, not in respect of his vocal powers - though his Tannhäuser, his José, his Prophet, his Amico Fritz are to those who heard him in his best moments things that cannot be forgotten.  But if Mr Hedmondt had not been a great singer, he would have been a great actor;  and in last night's performance of a somewhat formal opera his free and open stage manner was instrumental in carrying it to success.

'Good work was done by Mr Leslie Austin as Don Jose, by Mr Frederick Clendon as the King, and by Miss Janet Hemslry as Lazarillo.  This latter part, though in a sense unimportant, was prettily played, and the singing that fell to it was marked by good quality of tone and by obvious art.  Although the orchestration of Maritana is not heavy, it requires careful treatment to be effective; and Mr Van Noorden saw to that.'

 

Carl Rosa Scottish Tour - 1913

This late winter Scottish season conisisted of seven weeks, each with seven performances.  After a week in Aberdeen (w/c 20 Jan) then one in Dundee (w/c 27 Jan), there followed three in Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre (commencing 3 Feb, 10 Feb, 17 Feb) and two in Glasgow’s Theatre Royal (w/c 24 Feb; 3 Mar).  Two performances originally scheduled of Jewels of the Madonna in Edinburgh were cancelled to allow for more rehearsals.  The operas that replaced them were Mefistofele (20 Feb) and Magic Flute (22 Feb mat)

The sixteen operas performed were by:  Mozart (Don Giovanni, Zauberflöte);  Benedict (Lily of Killarney);  Balfe (Bohemian Girl);  Thomas (Mignon);  Wallace (Maritana);  Wagner (Tannhäuser, Lohengrin);  Verdi (Trovatore);  Gounod (Faust);  Goldmark (Queen of Sheba);  Boito (Mefistofele);  Bizet (Carmen);  Leoncavallo (Pagliacci);  Mascagni (Cavalleria Rusticana);  Wolf-Ferrari (Jewels of the Madonna).

The performance schedule was:

Aberdeen, w/c 20 January:  Mon 20 Carmen;  Tue 21 Lohengrin;  Wed 22 Trovatore;  Thu  23 Mefistofele;  Fri 24 Magic Flute;  Sat 25 m Tannhäuser;  Sat 25 e Mignon.

Dundee, w/c  27 January:  Mon 27 Tannhäuser;  Tue 28 Magic Flute;  Wed 29 Mignon;  Thu 30 Trovatore;  Fri 31 Mefistofele;  Sat 1 Feb m Carmen;  Sat 1 Feb e Bohemian Girl.

Edinburgh, w/c 3 February:  Mon 3 Tannhäuser;  Tue 4 Mignon;  Wed 5 Magic Flute;  Thu 6 Trovatore;  Fri 7 Lohengrin;  Sat 8 m Faust;  Sat 8 e Bohemian Girl.

Edinburgh, w/c 10 February:  Mon 10 Magic Flute;  Tue 11 Queen of Sheba;  Wed 12 Carmen;  Thu 13 Maritana;  Fri 14 Magic Flute;  Sat 15 m Mignon;  Sat 15 e Lily of Killarney.

Edinburgh, w/c 17 February:  Mon 17 Cav & Pag;  Tue 18 Don Giovanni;  Wed 19 Faust;  Thu 20 Mefistofele;  Fri 21 Tannhäuser;  Sat 22 m Magic Flute;  Sat 22 e Trovatore.

Glasgow, w/c 24 February:  Mon  24 Magic Flute;  Tue 25 Mignon;  Wed 26 Trovatore;  Thu 27 Cav & Pag;  Fri 28 Jewels of the Madonna;  Sat 1 Mar m Tannhäuser;  Sat 1 Mar e Faust.

Glasgow, w/c  3 March:  Mon 3 Lohengrin;  Tue 4 Jewels of the Madonna;  Wed 5 Magic Flute;  Thu 6 Mignon;  Fri  7 Carmen :  Sat 8 m Jewels of the Madonna;  Sat 8 e Magic Flute.