Opera Scotland

Lohengrin 1914Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Lohengrin

Cast details have been taken from reviews in the following morning's  Scotsman (19 February) and that evening's Edinburgh Evening News.

 

Two Edinburgh Opinions

Scotsman:  Thursday, 19 February 1914  (p6)

Carl Rosa Opera Company - Lohengrin

'After the vivid and heated atmosphere of Carmen,  Wagner's Lohengrin, which was performed at the Lyceum Theatre last night,  came as a pleasant contrast.  The legend of the Knight of the Holy Grail - the sore plight of Elsa, the mission of Lohengrin in obedience to the command written in letters of fire on the Grail, the rescue of Elsa, the downfall of Frederick of Telramund and Ortrud, the marriage of Elsa and Lohengrin, and their subsequent parting due to want of faith by the heroine in her husband - is well known to the musical public of Edinburgh.

'This opera, which was the composer's initial success,  was first performed at Wiesbaden sixty years ago, and with the possible exception of Tannhäuser, it still remains the popular favourite.  To its sensuous beauties Wagner owed the notice of King Ludwig of Bavaria,  whose friendship made the famous opera house at Bayreuth possible.

'At last night's performance the title rôle was taken by Mr William Wegener with marked success.  Possessed of a fine tenor voice, excellent dramatic ability, and a good presence, he gave an able representation of the son of Parsifal.  Miss Beatrice Miranda, as the unfortunate Elsa,  made a very favourable impression and along with Lohengrin sang the beautiful love duet in the third act with rare poetic feeling and insight.  In ''Elsa's Prayer,'' in the first act she imparted that touch of the supernatural necessary to the mystic beauty of the story.  The Ortrud of Miss sibyl Conklin was also a good performance, and her malign influence over Frederick and Elsa was well depicted.

'Possibly the weak spot in an otherwise excellent performance was  Mr Hebden Foster, as Frederic.  In the first act, his singing was only moderately good, while his articulation was imperfect, and his acting unconvincing.  Later on, however, he improved, and gave, along with Ortrud, a satisfactory performance of the long scene which forms a large part of the second act.  The part of Henry the Fowler was in the capable hands of Mr Arthur Winckworth, and Mr Frederick clendon made a first-rate herald.

'The entire production was under the baton of Mr Eugene Goossens, who must be congratulated on the excellent work done by the orchestra.  The overture to the firsst act, built up from a single motive, and the stirring prelude to the third act, were excellently worked out.'

 

Edinburgh Evening News:  Thursday, 19 February 1914 

Carl Rosa Opera Company

'Delightful to the eye and ear are the performances this season of serious opera by the Carl Rosa Company.  Freshness not deadened by familiarity characterises all they have yet done, and last night's presentation of Wagner's early opera, Lohengrin was no exception.  Like his last effort in music drama, Parsifal, this earlier work deals with the doings of the Knights of the Grail.  The single silver-armoured knight and the swan of Lohengrin foreshadow the great temple scene of Parsifal and the killing by innocent guilders of one of the sacred birds.

'Lohengrin's address to the swan was last night sung by William Wegener with a peculiarly appropriate purity of tone, almost boylike in character, and his rendering of the whole music of the title role was dignified and beautiful.  Again his perfect rendering of the words also calls for remark.   Miss Beatrice Miranda made a sympathetic Elsa in voice, face and bearing.  She was convincingly the young dreamy heroine.

'Mr Hebden Foster was successful as Telramund, and his voice told well in the court-yard duet scene.  Good work was also done by Frederick Clendon as the herald, and the music of Ortrud was admirably sung by Miss Sybil Conklin.  The most marked success of the performance, however, must be attributed to the conductor, Mr Goossens, who laid out and achieved his climaxes with consummate art.'

 

Carl Rosa in Scotland - 1914

The 1914 season was unusual in that it was restricted to five weeks in total, and all those in the central belt.   One week at Greenock (King's), and two in Edinburgh (Lyceum), were followed by two in Glasgow (Theatre Royal).

The somewhat reduced repertoire consited of twelve operas in all.  These were by Mozart (Marriage of Figaro,  Magic Flute);  Wallace (Maritana);  Wagner (Tannhäuser,  Lohengrin);  Verdi (Trovatore,  Aïda);  Thomas (Mignon);  Gounod (Faust)  Offenbach  (Tales of Hoffmann);  Bizet (Carmen);  Wolf-Ferrari (Jewels of the Madonna).

The five-week tour schedule was as follows:

Greenock:  w/c 9 February:   Mon 9  Magic Flute;  Tue 10  Carmen;  Wed 11  Tales of Hoffmann;  Thu 12  Trovatore;  Fri 13  Jewels of the Madonna;  Sat 14 m  Tannhäuser;   Sat 14 e  Maritana.

Edinburgh:  w/c 16 February:  Mon 16 Tales of Hoffmann;  Tue 17 Carmen;  Wed 18 Lohengrin;  Thu 19 Mignon;  Fri  20 Jewels of the Madonna;  Sat 21 m Tales of Hoffmann;  Sat 21 e Faust.

Edinburgh: w/c 23 February:  Mon 23 Tales of Hoffmann;  Tue 24 Marriage of Figaro;  Wed 25 Tannhäuser;  Thu 26 Magic Flute;  Fri 27 Tales of Hoffmann;  Sat 28 m Jewels of the Madonna;  Sat 28 e Trovatore.

Glasgow:  w/c 2 March;  Mon 2 Tales of Hoffmann;  Tue 3 Mignon;  Wed 4 Tannhäuser;  Thu 5 Jewels of the Madonna;  Fri 6 Magic Flute; Sat 7 m Tales of Hoffmann;  Sat 7 e  Trovatore.

Glasgow:  w/c 9 March:  Mon 9 Carmen;  Tue 10 Marriage of Figaro;  Wed 11 Tales of Hoffmann;  Thu 12 Maritana;  Fri  13 Aïda;  Sat 14 m Faust;  Sat 14 e Tales of Hoffmann.