Opera Scotland

Fledermaus 1989Scottish Opera

Read more about the opera Fledermaus

The revival did seem very tired compared to the original run. Mauceri conducted with style, and several of the first-cast singers returned. Not enough rehearsal? Not enough performances? Reasons why something in opera doesn’t work can be intangible. Only five performances were given in not much more than a week - two before New Year, a further three afterwards.

Kit Hesketh-Harvey had made a lot of changes to his English version, so Alfred bacame Fred B Caruso, Dr Blind was Marcus Blynde QC, a Glasgow lawyer, Frank became Farquhar 'late of Nissan UK, prison governor' and so on. Orlofsky was simply the Prince, a young and very successful entrepreneur, while Ros was editor of a glossy mag.

 

Scottish Opera's Season -1989/90

The 1989/90 season of Scottish Opera included new productions of Salome,  La forza del destino, Così fan tutte,  The Merry Widow, The Threepenny Opera and Duke Bluebeard's Castle.  The revivals were Oedipux Rex (partnering Bluebeard),  Madam Butterfly,  Die Fledermaus and Jenůfa.  There was an Opera-Go-Round tour of Pagliacci and Cavalleria Rusticana (in that order).