Opera Scotland

Pagliacci 1915Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Pagliacci

The popular double bill of Cav & Pag was now an important element of the Carl Rosa repertoire, and put remain so for as long as the company lasted.  On that basis it perhaps seems slightly odd that each city only saw one performance.

 

The Edinburgh View

Scotsman, Tuesday 23 March 1915 (p9)

Carl Rosa Opera Company - Cavalleria Rusticana and Pagliacci

'A double bill was proffered by the Carl Rosa Opera Company last evening in the Lyceum Theatre, when Mascagni's Cavalleria Rusticana and Leoncavallo's Pagliacci were put upon the stage.  To be successful imposed the necessity of good artists; and Mr Van Noorden gave of his best.

'In the Cavalleria Rusticana the women were better than the men.  Mr Hughes Macklin sang with great passion and fervour; his farewell interview with his mother was marked by much pathos.  But neither he nor Mr Frank Clarke (Alfio) quite rose to the dramatic potentialities of their parts, though vocally efficient.

'The Lola of Miss Dorothy Lawson-Taylor was a part distinguished by good singing and dramatic art.  The pathetic music of Lucia was given with appropriate spirit by Miss Jean Wilson.  The Santuzza of Miss Dora Gibson, if a clearer delivery of the words could have been assured, was quite impressive.  She is undoubtedly on the list of coming dramatic sopranos.

'Pagliacci brought out a different set of singers.  Mr Edward Davies (Canio), Mr Hebden Foster (Tonio), Mr Frank Clarke, whose appearance as Silvio after having played Alfio in the first piece, was notably successful, and was heartily appreciated by the audience.  Miss Beatrce Mirand, who owing to a passing illness had not previously played during the present visit of the Carl Rosa Company, gave the part of Nedda and Columbine with delightful finish both of vocal method and personal manner.  Mr Archibald Hill sang the music of the minor part of Beppo with excellent finish.

'But the great things in the opera, the Prologue, the Clown's appeal, the love duet, ''On With the Motley,'' after the rendering of which Mr Edward Davies, who was in magnificent voice, was recalled four or five times to bow his acknowledgments - these things provide the explanation of the popularity of Pagliacci.'

 

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.