Opera Scotland

Mignon 1915Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Mignon

Mignon was one of the first operas to be included in the Carl Rosa repertoire under the guidance of the founder.  Since then it had been frequently revived, but this period of popularity did not extend much beyond the war.  However the principal roles still attracted leading company members including Doris Woodall and Beatrice Miranda.

 

The Edinburgh Perspective

Scotsman, Thursday 25 March 1915 (p7)

Ambroise Thomas's Mignon

'A finished, and in all respects a beautiful performance of Mignon was given by the Carl Rosa company in the Lyceum Theatre last night.  The opera is essentially of the romantic type that prevailed in the middle of last century.  The story, cleverly adapted from an episode in Goethe's Wilhelm Meister, tells of how a well-born child,  stolen by gipsies in her youth,  and trained as a circus performer, gains by her innate honesty and nobility of character the friendship and protection of an old wandering harper, who is really an Italian nobleman, and her father.

'It was produced in Paris in the end of 1866, and the variety of the characters, the tenderness of the sentiment, and the attraction of certain striking numbers - take for instance ''Knowest Thou the Land'' (Kennst du das Land), the tenor solo ''She is Charming,'' the Gavotte, ''Here am I in Beauty's Room'' - has helped to keep upon the stage an opera which for its scenery draws upon Germany and Italy, but which in its spirit is essentially French.

'The best talent in the Carl Rosa company was put forward for the occasion.  Since the days when Julia Gaylord played the title-rôle, Mignon has from time to time tended to fall out of the list.  But with Miss Doris Woodall as the heart-broken Mignon;  Miss Beatrice Miranda as the actress-flirt Filina;  Mr Hughes Macklin, a tenor of rare voice, who sings better than he acts, as Wilhelm, but who is clearly on the road to distinction;  Mr Frederick Clendon as the actor, Laertes;  Miss Phyllis Davies as the boy lover of Filina, who made the usual hit in the Gavotte; and, Mr Einckworth as the aged harper and the father of Mignon in the dénouement, the opera was an assured success.

'A special word of praise may be accorded to Mr Walter Underwood, who had only two minor entrances, but made the best of them.  His appearance as the King in Aïda last Friday night  marked him out as one of the coming singers by whom Mr Van Noorden is surrounding himself, and strengthening the talent of a company which has a great record in the development of operatic music in this country.'

 

The Carl Rosa Scottish tour - 1915

The Carl Rosa Scottish tour in spring 1915 consisted of three weeks in Glasgow (Theatre Royal), followed by two weeks in Edinburgh (Lyceum).

The fifteen operas performed were by Mozart (Don Giovanni, Magic Flute);  Wagner (Tannhäuser);  Verdi (Trovatore,  Aïda); Balfe (Bohemian Girl);  Wallace (Maritana);  Nicolai (Merry Wives of Windsor);  Gounod (Faust);  Thomas (Mignon);  Offenbach (Tales of Hoffmann);  Bizet (Carmen);  Leoncavallo (Pagliacci);  Mascagni (Cavalleria Rusticana);  Wolf-Ferrari (Jewels of the Madonna).

The performance schedule was as follows:

Glasgow, w/c 22 February: Mon 22 Tales of Hoffmann; Tue 23 Faust;  Wed 24 Aïda;  Thu 25 Jewels of the Madonna;  Fri 26 Carmen;  Sat 27 m Tales of Hoffmann;  Sat 27 e Bohemian Girl.

Glasgow, w/c  1 March: Mon 1 Mar Cav & Pag; Tue 2 Magic Flute;  Wed 3 Tannhäuser;  Thu 4 Mignon;  Fri 5 Tales of Hoffmann;  Sat 6 m Aïda;  Sat 6 e Maritana.

Glasgow, w/c 8 March: Mon 8 Mar Don Giovanni;  Tue 9 Faust;  Wed 10 Trovatore;  Thu 11 Merry Wives of Windsor;  Fri 12 Aïda;  Sat 13 m Carmen;  Sat 13 e Tales of Hoffmann.

Edinburgh, w/c 15 March: Mon 15 Tales of Hoffmann;  Tue 16 Tannhäuser;  Wed 17 Faust;  Thu 18  Magic Flute;  Fri 19 Aïda;  Sat 20 m Carmen;  Sat 20 e Trovatore.

Edinburgh, w/c 22 March: Mon 22 Cav & Pag;  Tue 23 Tales of Hoffmann;  Wed 24 Mignon;  Thu 25 Merry Wives of Windsor;  Fri 26 Don Giovanni;  Sat 27 m Aïda;  Sat 27 e Tales of Hoffmann.