Opera Scotland

Princess Ida 1906D'Oyly Carte Principal Repertoire Company

Read more about the opera Princess Ida

he works performed, all by Gilbert and Sullivan, were:  Trial By Jury;  H M S Pinafore;  Pirates of Penzance;  Patience;  Iolanthe;  Princess Ida;  Mikado;  Yeomen of the Guard;  and Gondoliers.

The Dundee schedule was as follows:

W/c 17 December:  Mon 17 Mikado;  Tue 18 Iolanthe;  Wed 19 Gondoliers;  Thu 20 Yeomen of the Guard;  Fri 21 Pirates of Penzance & Trial By Jury;  Sat 22 m Patience;  Sat 22 e Mikado;  Sun 23 Charity Concert.

W/c 24 December:  Mon 24 Gondoliers;  Tue 25 Patience;  Wed 26 Mikado;  Thu 27 HMS Pinafore & Trial By Jury;  Fri 28 Princess Ida;  Sat 29 m Yeomen of the Guard;  Sat 29 e Yeomen of the Guard.

Further Scottish dates to be confirmed.

The weather was unusually vile, blizzards of snow affecting audiences and causing challenges for the singers.  The lead contralto, Theresa Russam, missed the first week due to cold.  No sooner had she returned to performing than the lead soprano, Hope Hastings, and mezzo, Lulu Evans, succumbed in turn.  The understudies were certainly kept busy, though only one performance (Pinafore) seems to have attracted critical wrath.

 

 

A Dundee Review

Dundee Courier & Argus: Saturday, December 28 1906

Her Majesty’s Theatre - The D’Oyly Carte Opera Company - Princess Ida

 'Last night the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company produced Princess Ida before a fairly large audience, but one which would no doubt have been better but for the storm.  Mr Leon, the stage manager, and Mr Bellamy, the business manager, have this week had their hands unduly full of trouble, for the weather has caused considerable havoc in the ranks of the company, but has at the same time displayed its latent power.

'Last night Miss Hastings and Miss Evans were both off duty from cold, and Miss Burnege was also not available.  Miss Mabel Graham, who has already this week done excellent service, made a charming Princess Ida, and Miss Elsie Carey was a most graceful and refined Melissa.  Miss Rassam sang with her wonted vigour, and acted with her usual forcefulness as Lady Blanche, and Misses Marie Carveth, Ethel Gledhill, Lilias Engholm, and Godwyn Swaine were all delightful in smaller parts.

'Mr Billington made much of the role of King Hildebrand, imparting his usual character and grip to a finely dramatic part.  His singing was, as it ever is, wonderfully pointed and telling.  Mr Charles R Walenn, who was, we think, new to the part of King Gama, played it with the requisite touch of sardonic humour, and Mr Hugh Carveth displayed a pretty tenor voice  in the role of Hilarion.  Mr Leicester Tunks, as Florian, and Mr Strafford Moss, as Cyril, both sang delightfully, the famous “Kiss” song being splendidly given.  King Gama’s stalwart and warlike sons were impersonated with great vigour by Mr Albert Kavanagh, Mr J Lewis Campion, and Mr George Sinclair.

'The concerted music, in which Princess Ida is so rich, notably in the second act, was all smartly and effectively sung, and encores were numerous.

'To-day The Yeomen of the Guard will be given both at the matinee and at the evening performance.'