Opera Scotland

Trovatore 1911Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Trovatore

The Edinburgh performance of Il Trovatore was on a Saturday night - a slot invariably filled by a popular work that the orchestra could sight-read their way through.  The matinee choice was equally popular, the double bill of Cav & Pag.  The obvious reason for staging two such popular programmes is simply that the previous evening, Friday 10th, had seen the Scottish premiere of The Queen of Sheba, a completely unfamiliar grand opera by Karl Goldmark.  It is reasonable to assume that the orchestra members would be quite tired after rehearsing and performing such a work.

Cast details for the Saturday matinee are given in the Scotsman's concise review on Monday morning.  The Glasgow Herald of 25 March gives a brief review of the previous evening.

 

Two Edinburgh Reviews

Scotsman:  Monday, 13 March 1911  (p6)

The Carl Rosa Opera Company in Edinburgh

'In the evening Il Trovatore was  presented to a large audience, and this ever-popular opera received a performance marked by all-round ability.  Miss Ina Hill was the Leonora, and to delightful singing she united rare dramatic power,  which reached a moving climax in the closing tragedy.  As the gipsy, Azucena, Miss Phyllis Archibald also carried off a large share of the honours,  her fine contralto voice extracting in full measure the haunting beauty of the dreamy song in the last act.

'The rôle of the Troubadour was in the capable keeping of Mr Charles Neville, and Mr Dudley Marcus gave an artistic performance as the Count di Luna.  The subsidiary parts of Inez, Ferrando, and Ruiz were competently filled by Miss Fridham, mr frederick Clendon, and mr William O'Connor, respectively.  Mr Walter Van Noorden was the conductor, and under his able leadership the orchestra brought out all the charm of the melodious music.'

 

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

The Carl Rosa Company at the King's Theatre

'In the evening, in presence of a splendid audience, Il Trovatore was performed.  The opera contains some of the finest musical examples of the Italian school, and has always been popular by reason of the melodic quality of the music, which appeals to the emotions, rather than calling for any brain-racking analysis.  Miss Ina Hill, as Leonora, sustained the note of tragedy with rare dramatic intensity, while she sang the trying music with smoothness and beautiful tone.  Miss Phyllis Archibald filled the part of Azucena successfully, her voice being rich and full.  The Manrico of Mr Charles Neville, a recent member of the company, was in every way satisfactory.  With Miss Hill he had to reply to a persistent recall after the famous ''Miserere'' duet.  Mr Dudley Marcus, as the Count di Luna, made a capital appearance, and the parts of Ferrando and Ruiz were capably taken by Mr Frederick Clendon and Mr William O'Connor.'

 

Glasgow Opinion

Glasgow Herald: Saturday, 25 March 1911  (p9)

Il Trovatore

'The combination of inspired tunefulness and lurid melodrama make Il Trovatore probably the most popular of Verdi's works.  The story is ridiculously involved with its gipsies, troubadours, counts, stolen children,  and the rest, but perhaps the thickness of the mystery is part of the opera's charm.  Last night the Carl Rosa Company staged the work before a large audience, and the adventures of the hapless hero and his lady were followed with the usual breathless interest.

'The performance was all through on the high level that the company has taught us to expect.  Miss Ina Hill was delightful as Leonora, and Mr Walter Wheatley as Manrico shared her applause as he shared her ill-fortune.  Mr Hebden Foster made an acceptable Count, and Miss Phyllis Archibald, who completed the quartet of principals, was entirely successful as Azucena.  The smaller parts were well filled, and chorus and orchestra gave a good account of themselves under the baton of Mr Goossens.'

 

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.