Opera Scotland

Pagliacci 1911Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Pagliacci

Once the pairing of Cav & Pag became established they remained a fixture in the Carl Rosa repertoire until the company stopped touring.

The partial cast for the matinee of Pagliacci on 11 March is from the Scotsman on Monday.  That for 28 March is from the brief Glasgow Herald review the following morning.

 

Two Edinburgh Reviews

Scotsman:  Monday, 13 March 1911  (p6)

The Carl Rosa Opera Company in Edinburgh

'In Pagliacci Mr Hedmondt took the part of Canio.  He was in splendid form, gay and light-hearted in the opening scene, and later infused an intensity of feeling into his singing.  As Nedda, Miss Beatrice Miranda was a great success, bewitching in turn each of the strolloing players.  The love duet with Silvio, Mr Leslie Austin, was an admirably rendered number.

'Mr Eugene Goossens conducted with his usual ability.'

 

Ednburgh Evening News:  Monday, 13 March 1911  (p2)

The Carl Rosa Company at the King's Theatre

'The triumph of the afternoon, however, was Pagliacci.  The theme of the strolling players, whose play turns, under stress of their real emotions,  into tragedy, fairly took hold of the audience.  For this result, the chief credit belongs to Mr Hedmondt, who realised the suppressed passion in the nature of Canio, and let it dominate his singing and acting.  Miss Beatrice Miranda made a charming Nedda, the Columbine whose flirtations bring about the disaster.  She was especially fine in interpreting the emotions of the play scene, where real terror alternates with the effort to keep up a smile before the audience.  Altogether the rendering of the opera was such as to keep its hearers enthralled, as well as charmed.'

 

A Glasgow Review

Glasgow Herald:  Wednesday, 29 March 1911 (p5)

Carl RosaOpera Company

'The musical public fortunately do not trouble much about styles and schools.  So long as their music is alive they are content.  The rude appeal of the modern Italian finds them as ready to respond as the appeal of the most refined German or Frenchman.   Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci have long been favourites, and last night in the Grand Theatre they were as enthusiastically received as ever.   The only feature of special interest was the appearance of Miss Enna Loeffler as Santuzza.   Miss Loeffler, though not specially interesting as a singer,  proved herself an actress of no small ability.  Unfortunately her singing of the part was marred by inartistic phrasing.  The other parts in the opera were well sustained by Misses Lawson-Taylor and Wilson and Messrs Wheatley and Austin.

'The performance of Pagliacci was notable for all-round excellence.  As Nedda Miss Ina Hill sang brilliantly, and Mr Hedmondt in the part of Canio kept the audience enthralled.   Chorus and orchestra under Mr Goossens were again highly efficient.'

 

The Carl Rosa Scottish Tour - 1911

The tour consisted of five weeks at three locations, two at Edinburgh (King's), two Glasgow (Grand), and one Greenock (King's).

The thirteen operas in the repertoire were: Mozart (Marriage of Figaro);  Benedict (Lily of Killarney);  Balfe (Bohemian Girl);  Thomas (Mignon);  Wallace (Maritana);  Wagner (Tannhäuser,  Lohengrin);  Verdi (Trovatore);  Gounod (Faust);  Goldmark (Queen of Sheba);  Bizet (Carmen);  Leoncavallo (Pagliacci);  Mascagni (Cavalleria Rusticana).

The schedule was:

Edinburgh, w/c 6 March:  Mon 6 Tannhäuser;  Tue 7  Carmen;  Wed 8  Lily of Killarney;  Thu 9 Marriage of Figaro;  Fri 10  Queen of Sheba;  Sat 11 m Cav & Pag;  Sat 11 e Trovatore.

Edinburgh, w/c 13 March:  Mon 13 Lohengrin;  Tue 14 Mignon;  Wed 15 Bohemian Girl;  Thu 16 Queen of Sheba;  Fri 17 Faust;  Sat 18 m Mignon; Sat 18 e Lily of Killarney.

Glasgow, w/c 20 March:  Mon 20 Mignon;  Tue 21 Faust;  Wed 22 Lily of Killarney;  Thu 23 Queen of Sheba;  Fri 24 Trovatore;  Sat 25 m Mignon; Sat 25 e Bohemian Girl.

Glasgow, w/c 27 March:  Mon 27 Carmen;  Tue 28 Cav & Pag;  Wed 29 Queen of Sheba;  Thu 30 Mignon;  Fri 31 Tannhäuser;  Sat 1 Apr m Queen of Sheba;  Sat 1 Apr e Lly of Killarney.

Greenock, w/c 3 April:  Mon 3 Carmen;  Tue 4 Faust;  Wed 5 Maritana:  Thu 6 Queen of Sheba;  Fri 7 Tannhäuser;  Sat 8 m Mignon;  Sat 8 e Bohemian Girl.