Luisa Miller, a highly attractive and tuneful work, in spite of its tragic subject matter, is a great rarity in Scotland. Although Glasgow Grand did not claim this run as a Scottish premiere, we have not yet found an earlier performance. Sadler's Wells had revived the work a few years previously, and their new translation was made available. So was that company's principal baritone, John Hargreaves, a familiar member of the touring squads. The role of Miller does lie uncomfortably high even for most seasoned Verdi baritones, so Glasgow Grand were lucky to be able to borrow such an accomplished singer.
The translation for some reason avoided using the villain's name, Wurm, but renames him as Franz - an inoffensive, but hardly essential, gesture.
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