Opera Scotland

Traviata 1971Scottish Opera for All

Read more about the opera Traviata

This Traviata staging had been in the Opera For All repertoire for nearly two years, and had by now undergone some changes of personnel. Two new sopranos had joined the company, so when one sang Violetta, the other sang Annina, and then they swapped. There was also a new Alfredo.

The director and designers had mounted Scottish Opera's first full-scale production of this opera the previous Christmas, with an extensive spring tour, so these singers were usefully available as covers, singing here in English, but also familiar with the Italian text. Indeed Alexander Morrison and Norman White sang their roles in both stagings. Moyra Paterson, singing Flora on the piano tour, sang Annina with the main company. Peter Lyon had sung Douphol in the early months of the piano tour, before switching to Marquis D'Obigny for the main company. He now completed the set of baritone characters by taking on Alfredo's father.

By this stage, while Martha still maintained its popular place in the repertoire, the Don Pasquale production had been laid to rest, to be replaced by the same team's view of Rossini's Cinderella (with the two Violettas as the sisters). In a few months, when the autumn tour started, Cinderella would be joined by Lucia di Lammermoor and The Fair Maid of Perth, in celebration of Sir Walter Scott's bicentenary.

The Ledlanet summer season included a week-long residency by Scottish Opera for All - piano-accompanied stagings of La traviata, Martha and Cinderella, as well as Ledlanet's own production of Telemann's Pimpinone coupled with Monteverdi's Ballo delle Ingrate. There was also an oratorio performance - Haydn's Creation. The Autumn schedule included another double bill - Pergolesi's Serva Padrona paired with Dido and Aeneas.

Further tour dates to be confirmed.