Cast details are drawn from the review in the Scotsman (27 March).
"Produced as long ago as 1851, Rigoletto is the earliest of Verdi's operas of which there is now any public knowledge in this country, and even on the continent its fifteen or sixteen predecessors are now nearly all practically forgotten."
"There was good work in last night's rendering of the opera, and there were also things which were capable of improvement. It might be said that there was, as a general rule, a tendency to force the note somewhat unduly. A little more reserve all round would have resulted in a greatly increased effectiveness. Mr Edward Davies was the Duke, and while he made a gallant and energetic figure, his too frequent indulgence in vibrato hidered him from doing himself full justice. There was also a great deal too much of the same pernicious device in the singing of Mr Hebden Foster as the Jester. Otherwise he was excellent.
"As in her Madam Butterfly last week there was room for nothing but praise in the Gilda of Miss Beatrice Miranda. She is an admirable artist with a really good sense of the dramatic, and her singing throughout was true and musical. The Sparafulile of Mr Arthur Winckworth and the Count Monterone of Mr Frederick Clendon were alike very satisfying, and they were examples of how much better singing is with the vibrato held strictly in check. Special praise is due to the delightful Maddalena of Miss Gladys Parr. Her acting was graceful, and the rich smoothness of her voice and the artistic intelligence of her singing generally were among the most enjoyable feautures of the opera. As at other performances of Rigoletto by the Carl Rosa Company, the Giovanna of Miss Jean D. Wilson was a fine little character study."
"The orchestra was good, and under Mr de la Fuente gave a commendably well-balanced rendering of the music which holds out a ready invitation to mere noisiness, and the chorus was also deserving of praise. The staging was handsome and appropriate,, and the palace scenes made satisfactorily brillian pictures."
Performances by Carl Rosa Opera in Scotland during 1917 consisted of four weeks at Glasgow’s Theatre Royal then two at Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum. The full schedule was as follows:-
w/c Mon 19 Feb Tales of Hoffmann; Tue Madam Butterfly; Wed Lily of Killarney; Thu Faust; Fri Magic Flute; Sat m Madam Butterfly; Sat e Maritana.
w/c Mon 26 Feb Aida; Tue Tales of Hoffmann; Wed Madam Butterfly; Thu Trovatore; Fri Marriage of Figaro; Sat m Cav and Pag; Sat e Bohemian Girl.
w/c Mon 5 Mar Carmen; Tue Trovatore; Wed Magic Flute; Thu Aida; Fri Madam Butterfly; Sat m Tales of Hoffmann; Sat e Faust.
w/c Mon 12 Mar Cav and Pag; Tue Marriage of Figaro; Wed Rigoletto; Thu Madam Butterfly; Fri Carmen; Sat m Faust; Sat e Trovatore.
w/c Mon 19 Mar Tales of Hoffmann; Tue Faust; Wed Madam Butterfly; Thu Carmen; Fri Marriage of Figaro; Sat m Tales of Hoffmann; Sat e Trovatore
w/c Mon 26 Mar Rigoletto; Tue Lily of Killarney; Wed Aida; Thu Tales of Hoffmann; Fri Attack on the Mill; Sat m Carmen; Sat e Maritana.
Six Tales of Hoffmann; Madam Butterfly
Four Faust; Trovatore; Carmen
Three Aida; Marriage of Figaro
Two Cav and Pag; Lily of Killarney; Magic Flute; Maritana; Rigoletto.
One Attack on the Mill
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