Opera Scotland

Amber Witch 1900Moody-Manners Opera Company

Read more about the opera Amber Witch

Vincent Wallace's fourth opera was his grandest, and thought by him to be his best. However, despite a successful launch in London in 1861 it failed to catch on with the public, let alone equal the appeal of his Maritana.

This was the somewhat belated Scottish premiere of Amber Witch. In spite of the Moody-Manners company employing its 'first team' on this occasion the opera has not appeared since.

The cast for Thursday, 22 March, the Scottish premiere, is from a copy of the programme in the OperaScotland collection.

Tour itinerary

The schedule for the two-week long Scottish visit in spring also included a rare revival of Balfe's Puritan's Daughter, another work about to disappear from the repertoire. The programme was as follows:

First w/c 19 March (Edinburgh): Mon 19 Lohengrin;  Tue 20 Carmen;  Wed 21  Faust;  Thu 22 Amber Witch;  Fri 23 Tannhäuser;  Sat 24 mat  Puritan's Daughter;  Sat 24 eve Bohemian Girl.  

Second w/c 26 March (Glasgow): Mon 26 Lohengrin;  Tue 27 Faust;  Wed 28 Carmen;  Thu 29  Amber Witch;  Fri 30  Tannhäuser;  Sat 30 mat -;  Sat 30 eve Maritana.

The company returned for two further weeks in the autumn:-

First w/c 29 October (Glasgow):  Mon 29 Tannhäuser;  Tue 30 Faust;  Wed 31 Lohengrin; Thu 01 Carmen; Fri 02 Jewess;  Sat 03 mat Lohengrin;  Sat 03 eve Bohemian Girl.

Second w/c 5 November (Edinburgh):  Mon 05 Tannhäuser; Tue 06 Faust;  Wed 07 Lohengrin;  Thu 08 Carmen;  Fri 09 Jewess;  Sat 10 mat Lohengrin;  Sat 10 eve Bohemian Girl.