Opera Scotland

Lohengrin 1912Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Lohengrin

By 1912, Wagner operas were in frequent performance by the Denhof company, who gave Edinburgh and Glasgow audiences the Ring, Tristan, Mastersingers and The Flying Dutchman.  They left the more obviously popular Tannhäuser and Lohengrin to the companies that had performed them regularly over the years - Carl Rosa and Moody-Manners.

While the latter organisation had just ceased touring, then Carl Rosa had still given Tannhäuser in each of the four Scottish cities.  Lohengrin, however, was restricted to two performances in the central belt.

Cast details (principals only) are from a review in the Scotsman on 16 February.

 

An Edinburgh Report

Scotsman:  Friday, 16 February 1912  (p7)

Lohengrin at the King's Theatre

'Although Wagner's Lohengrin is perhaps a little less popular than Tannhäuser the conception of the story, and the delineation of the characters, by means of music, are so definite, that the opera, or music-drama, may be regarded as one of the accepted masterpieces of the modern musical stage.  At the King's Theatre last night there was presented, under the conductorship of Mr Eugene Goossens, a really excellent performance.

'The orchestra was good;  the chorus, and especially the male choir, commonly a weak link, fell in with an ensemble that was as a whole admirable.  Wagner demands a broad stage;  and the King's Theatre, if it has not its sunk and hidden orchestra, is well adapted for the adequate production of works in which the interest of the story, the capacity of the singers, and the spectacular display of scenery and dressing have all to be reckoned with.  The audience was not so large as the quality of the production called for.

'Mr Hedmondt sang with great artistry in the difficult part of Lohengrin.  He was always a singer who understood the emotional aspects of his parts;  he has recovered the main measure of a great voice;  and though he is no longer the tenore robusto of his earlier years, he now uses the ''head voice'' with equivalent effect.  His rendering of the ''Swan song'' and his declamatory delivery of the moving passages in the marriage and bridal scenes were most impressive.

'The part of Ortrud is one of Wagner's experiments in music drama.  For one whole act she sits silent on the stage;  in the next she has cast upon her the dramatic passion of a revengeful woman.  Miss Phyllis Archibald, who appeared on Monday in a character of simplicity in Mignon, rose to the occasion, and, next to Mr Hedmondt she was the most distinctive figure in the music-drama. 

Miss Ina Hill was quite equal to the vocal demands of her part as Elsa.  She was probably right in playing her part quietly, and, therefore, deserves the praise due to artists who make no show on the stage beyond what the writer or composer requires.

'In the second act, Mr Hebden Foster, as Telramund,  sang with great force and dramatic intensity;  and he gave out his words with a praiseworthy degree of clearness that is characteristic of the whole of the leading artists of the Carl Rosa Company.

'Mr Arthur Winckworth, as Henry the Fowler, gave the audience a taste of that real basso quality which seems to be going out of fashion;   and the presentation of the Herald by Mr Frederick Clendon was excellent in delivery and intonation.

'The intervals between the acts were quite unnecessarily extended, and protracted the duration of an opera, which, even in its abridged form, calls for a long sitting.'

 

The Carl Rosa Scottish Tour - 1912

The tour lasted seven weeks:  Aberdeen 1 week (His Majesty's);  Dundee 1 week (Her Majesty's); Edinburgh 2 weeks (King's);  Greenock 1 week (King's);  Glasgow 2 weeks (Theatre Royal).

The thirteen operas performed were: Benedict (Lily of Killarney);  Nicolai (Merry Wives of Windsor); Thomas (Mignon);  Wallace (Maritana); Wagner (Tannhäuser,  Lohengrin);  Verdi (Trovatore); Gounod (Faust);  Goldmark (Queen of Sheba);  Bizet (Carmen);  Boito (Mefistofele); Leoncavallo (Pagliacci);  Mascagni (Cavalleria Rusticana).

The performance schedule was as follows

Aberdeen, w/c 29 January:  Mon 29 Mignon;  Tue 30 Tannhäuser; Wed 31 The Merry Wives of Windsor; Thu 1 Feb Faust; Fri 2 The Queen of Sheba; Sat 3 m Carmen;  Sat 3 e Il trovatore.

Dundee, w/c  5 February:  Mon 5 Mignon;  Tue 6 Faust;  Wed 7 Carmen;  Thu 8 Cav & Pag;  Fri 9 Queen of Sheba;  Sat 10 m Tannhäuser;  Sat 10 e Trovatore. 

Edinburgh, w/c 12 February:  Mon 12 Mignon;  Tue 13 Carmen;  Wed 14 Trovatore;  Thu 15 Lohengrin;  Fri 16 Queen of Sheba;  Sat 17 m Tannhäuser;  Sat 17 e Faust.

Edinburgh, w/c 19 February:  Mon 19 Cav & Pag;  Tue 20 Mefistofele;  Wed 21 Lily of Killarney;  Thu 22 Merry Wives of Windsor;  Fri 23 Mignon;  Sat 24 m Mefistofele;  Sat 24 e Maritana.

Greenock, w/c 26 February: Mon 26 tbc; Tue 27 tbc;  Wed 28 Trovatore;  Thu 29 Mignon;  Fri 1 March Mefistofele;  Sat 2 m tbc;  Sat 2 e Carmen.

Glasgow, w/c 4 March:  Mon 4 Tannhäuser;  Tue 5 Mefistofele;  Wed 6 Mignon;  Thu 7 Merry Wives of Windsor;  Fri 8 Lohengrin;  Sat 9 m Mefistofele;  Say 9 e Maritana.

Glasgow, w/c 11 March:  Mon 11 Cav & Pag;  Tue 12 Faust;  Wed 13  Queen of Sheba;  Thu 14 Mignon;  Fri 15 Mefistofele;  Sat 16 m Carmen;  Sat 16 e  Trovatore.