Opera Scotland

Cavalleria Rusticana 1925British National Opera Company

Read more about the opera Cavalleria Rusticana

May Blyth takes on another part that seems to attract mezzos just as much as sopranos, though with Mimì also under her belt she was clearly heading towards the second category.

 

An Edinburgh View

During the final week of the Scottish visit, the Scotsman covered the mid-week programme succinctly, with brief notices of the matinee Cav & Pag as well as the evening Rigoletto.

'Italian opera of the older and more recent schools was well represented in yesterday's programme at the King's Theatre.  In the afternoon there were excellent performances of Cavalleria Rusticana and I Pagliacci.  There was a large element of novelty in the casting of both operas.

'It was interesting to hear Miss May Blyth as Santuzza in Mascagni's opera. a role in which she has not before appeared in Edinburgh.  Both vocally and dramatically it was a sound interpretation.  The Lola of Miss Elsy Treweek displayed a beautiful quality of tone, while the character was made much more dramatically significant than is commonly the case.

'Mr Barrington Hooper's Turiddu was effective - the serenade was well done - although it lacked somewhat in dramatic force.  That experienced artist, Mr Frederic Collier, made a fine Alfio, and Miss Constance Taylor's Lucia worthily completed the cast.  Chorus and orchestra were both good.'

 

BNOC in Scotland - 1925

The 1925 tour consisted of two weeks in Glasgow (Theatre Royal) followed by two weeks in Edinburgh (King's).

The 19 operas performed during the tour were:

Bach (Coffee Cantata);  Mozart (Magic Flute); Wagner (Tannhäuser, Tristan and Isolde;  Mastersingers); Verdi (Rigoletto, Aïda, Otello); Offenbach (Tales of Hoffmann);  Bizet (Carmen);  Rimsky-Korsakov (Golden Cockerel);  Leoncavallo (Pagliacci);  Mascagni (Cavalleria Rusticana); Puccini (Bohème, Tosca, Madam Butterfly, Gianni Schicchi); Holst (At the Boar's Head);  Vaughan Williams (Hugh the Drover).

The tour schedule was:

Glasgow, w/c 28 September: Mon 28 Rigoletto;  Tue 29 Tannhäuser;  Wed 30 mat Cav & Pag;  Wed 30 eve Hugh the Drover;  Thu 1 Oct Otello;  Fri 2 Madam Butterfly; Sat 3 mat Magic Flute;  Sat 3 eve Bohème.

Glasgow, w/c 5 October: Mon 5 Carmen; Tue 6 Coffee Cantata & Golden Cockerel; Wed 7 mat Rigoletto;  Wed 7 eve Mastersingers;  Thu 8 Otello;  Fri 9 Tristan and Isolde;  Sat 10 mat Tales of Hoffmann;  Sat 10 eve Aïda.

Edinburgh, w/c 12 October: Mon 12 Mastersingers;  Tue 13 Tannhäuser;  Wed 14  mat Bohème; Wed 14 eve Aïda;  Thu 15 Magic Flute;  Fri 16 Coffee Cantata & Hugh the Drover;  Sat 17 mat Golden Cockerel;  Sat 17 eve Carmen.

Edinburgh, w/c 19 October: Mon 19 Otello;  Tue 20 At the Boar's Head & Gianni Schicchi;  Wed 21 mat Cav & Pag;  Wed 21 eve Rigoletto;  Thu 22 Bohème;  Fri 23 Tosca;  Sat 24 mat Carmen;  Sat 24 eve Tales of Hoffmann.