Opera Scotland

Lohengrin 1910Carl Rosa Opera Company

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Glasgow Reaction

Glasgow Herald:  Thursday, 17 March 1910  (p9)

Carl Rosa Opera Company - A New Elsa

'Two features of interest in last night's performance of Lohengrin in the Grand Theatre were a new heroine and an old hero.  Miss Gertrude Vania is likely to prove a great acquisition in the ranks of the Carl Rosa Company.  She has the full, penetrating voice and breadth of style necessary for roles in the bigger operas, and she reflects emotion easily and convincingly both as singer and actress.  Elsa is perhaps not the most fascinating of Wagner's heroines, but she has much beautiful music to sing, and a note of tenderness to express that is not often found in the performances of the average prima donna.  Miss Vania made her part successful from the first note to the last.  Wagner wished his opera to centre round  Elsa and her doubts, and Miss Vania showed unmistakably the stages of her downfall.; she is certainly the best Elsa that has appeared in Glasgow for a long time.

''In calling Mr Hedmondt an old hero we wish merely to recall the many delightful performances of the part of the Knight of the Grail that he has given us in the past.  His Lohengrin is as youthful as ever in its energy and passion, even if some of the brilliance has gone from his voice.  Mr Hedmondt is of course a good artist and actor, and he had no difficulty in making his rôle convincing in all essential points.  The opening of the second act, usually the least popular part of the work, gained in interest through the clever performance of Miss Marion Broom as Ortrud.  If Elsa reflects the inner movement of the drama, Ortrud is the evil genius, and an ineffective Ortrud robs the story of the weak, fond heroine of all reality.  In Miss Broom a pointed singing and free, vigorous acting the character was admirably realised, and the performance made an admirable foil to that of her victim - or victims, for  Telramund should also appear completely under her influence.  Mr Hebden Foser was quite acceptable as the dishonoured knight; he had perhaps too many glances for the conductor, but he sang the music freely enough.

'Mr Alexander Richard as Henry the Fowler and Mr Frederick Clendon as the Herald also contributed to a conspicuously successful performance.   The chorus sang in finished style, and the orchestra, if somewhat rough now and then, were generally artistes and always safe.   The opera was conducted by Mr Eugene Goossens.'