Opera Scotland

Africaine 1965Glasgow Grand Opera Society

Read more about the opera Africaine

Back in 1955 Glasgow Grand had celebrated the centenary of one of the least known of Verdi's operas, The Sicilian Vespers.  Encouraged by the success of that enterprise, they here attempted a repeat, with the first local performance this century of a further rare example of archetypal French grand opera. Meyerbeer's final masterpiece had been launched, after his death, back in 1865.

The opera will always remain famous for Vasco's wonderful tenor aria 'O Paradis', centrepiece of the fourth act.  But from the intriguingly orchestrated overture on, this opera is packed with good things.

Following its centenary, several productions were given around the world,  including Florence (1971 conducted by Muti),  San Francisco (1973  Périsson) and Monte Carlo (1977  Albrecht).  Notable interpreters of Sélika included Jessye Norman, Shirley Verrett and Martina Arroyo, with Veriano Lucchetti, Plácido Domingo and Giorgio Lamberti tackling Vasco.

The Royal Opera Covent Garden took over the Florence staging in 1978.  The director was Franco Enriquez, conducted by Peter Maag.  The starry and highly successful cast included Plácido Domingo (Vasco),  Grace Bumbry (Sélika),  Margherita Rinaldi (Inès),  Silvano Carroli (Nélusko),  David Ward (Grand Inquisitor),  Willard White (Don Diego), Richard Van Allan (Don Pedro) and Raimund Herincx (High Priest).  A second run at the Royal Opera House a couple of seasons later featured Franco Bonisolli (Vasco) and Felicity Lott (Inès), conducted by David Atherton.

For the first time in many years, the Society had to do without the services of the Scottish National Orchestra, who were hard at work on rehearsals of Scottish Opera's formidable new staging of Boris Godunov, along with a new Butterfly and revived Don Giovanni.

As usual the Society alternated this rare work with four performances of a popular favourite, this time Verdi's Il Trovatore.