Opera Scotland

Bohemian Girl 1911Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Bohemian Girl

Balfe's most enduringly popular opera is still appearing regularly, here receiving a solitary performance at each of the three tour venues.  It is worth noting that the cast includes several of the company's leading principals - no second division players, as might have been expected, with the possible exception of young Rita Wallace, just beginning to take on leading roles.  It is a pity that the critic does not specify which conductor presided over the performance.

 

Edinburgh Opinion

Scotsman: Thursday, 16 March 1911  (p6)

The Bohemian Girl at the King's Theatre

'In spite of changes in form and fashion, Balfe's Bohemian Girl remains, and is likely to remain, one of the most popular of the more familiar operas.  Its tuneful lyrics, its dramatic episodes, its melodious choruses, and its picturesque life and colour readily acount for the hold it has upon the public taste.  Last night the Carl Rosa Company's rendering of the well-known opera attracted a large and highly appreciative audience to the King's Theatre.  The performance throughout was characterised by a briskness and spontaneity that from the first ensured its success.

'Miss Rita Wallace undertook the leading part of Arline, acting gracefully, and singing her solos in a pleasing soprano voice.  Her rendering of the familiar air, ''I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls,'' was encored.  Miss Doris Woodall acted in the part of the Gipsy Queen with admirable vivacity and convincing effect, and her full, rich voice, and power of emotional expression were heard to advantage in her solo numbers.

'Mr Walter Wheatley sang the tenor solos attractively in a suave, robust tone,  Mr Dudley Marcus was satisfactory as Count Arnheim,  and Mr Frederick Clendon sustained the part of Devilshoof with the requisite abandon.  Mr William O'Connor impersonated Florestein in appropriate vein, and the other principal parts were capably filled.

'The performance was followed by the audience with close interest.  To-night The Queen of Sheba will be repeated.'

 

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.