Opera Scotland

Don Giovanni 1913Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Don Giovanni

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).

 

Edinburgh Review

Scotsman:  Wednesday, 19 February 1913  (p8)

Don Giovanni at the King's Theatre

'The popularity of Don Giovanni seems to be almost equal to that of The Magic Flute, for last night, at the King's Theatre, the attendance was quite level with the average of the past fortnight.  Mozart's opera buffa, first produced in Prague in 1787, depends for its success not on an exciting story, but simply on its music.  For the tale of the amours and quarrels of the chief character does not bear serious examination.  It is the music of Mozart, in solo, duet, and concerted pieces, that keeps the piece alive and interesting after well over a century, during which musical taste has changed more rapidly and more decidedly than in any of the sister arts.

'An excellent cast had been arranged for last night's performance.  In Mr Felix Fleischer's personation of Dn Juan one missed something of the swagger that is inherent in the part.  But he sang his music well;  and though in his exchanges with Elvira and Zerlina he seemed to be occasionally lacking in animation - and the part is essentially artificial - he made merry in the final supper scene, and sang the serenade in excellent style.  Mr Winckworth is too old a member of the Carl Rosa Company not to know the ''business'' of Leporello    It is always a pleasure to hear a real basso in these days when every bass singer seems to affect the baritone quality.  He was warmly recalled after the ''Catalogue'' solo;  and otherwise his singing and acting lent much to the realisation of the humour of the dramatic situation.  Mr Gordon Thomas revealed a nice tenor voice in the music allotted to Don Ottavio and spoke his words well;  and Mr Frederick Clendon once again proved that he has a gift of humour apart from an excellent voice.  With Miss Ina Hill, Miss Miriam Licette and Miss Elizabeth Burgess in the historic rôles of Anna Zerlina and Elvira, the success of the presentation was assured.

'It is difficult to name the chief numbers, owing to the English version being still unfamiliar to those who have known the Italian;  but Donna Elvira's ''In Quali Ecessi,'' the duet ''La ci Darem,''  Don Giovanni's ''Finch'e dal Vino,'' - one of Mr Fleischer's distinct successes - ''Vedrai Carino,'' and ''Il Mio Tesoro,'' might be cited as examples of a sort of music that requires no translation, and that is possibly more enjoyable in Italian than in English.

'Mr Goossens secured a thoroughly good rendering of the orchestral work, which was always clear, and never too loud.'

 

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.