Opera Scotland

Tannhäuser 1911Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Tannhäuser

Tannhäuser was, in 1911, one of the operas toured simultaneously by Carl Rosa and Moody-Manners.  The Carl Rosa performance in Glasgow was on 31 March.  The rival company had given their Glasgow performance on the 22nd.

 

A Glasgow Opinion

Glasgow Herald:  Saturday, 1 April 1911  (p10)

Carl Rosa Opera Company

'Wagner has hardly had his fair share of performance during the past fortnight of opera.  Two performances of Tannhäuser is a small record for a composer so much admired.  Perhaps, however, the managements of the Carl Rosa and Moody-Manners Companies felt themselves under the shadow of the great coming event - the production of The Ring - and feared that musical amateurs with such Wagnerian delights in store would not care for too much of such diluted Wagner as is provided by the travelling opera company.  The Carl Rosa people, however, have no cause to be ashamed of their Tannhäuser.

'Last night, before a crowded audience, Mr E C Hedmondt appeared once more in the title role, and was as convincing as ever as the cunning, suffering, minstrel knight.   A great number of Glasgow music-lovers made their first acquaintance with Tannhäuser through Mr Hedmondt, and they probably see him as a kind of standard to measure all  others who attempt the part.  Miss Emma Loeffler, who has made a good impression this week in several parts, sang with much effect as Elizabeth, and was at her best in the Hall of Song.  For the rest,  there were a fine Landgrave in Mr Arthur Winckworth,  a dignified Wolfram in Mr Hebden Foster,  and an attractive Venus in Miss Tilly Addington.

'The performance, conducted by Mr Goossens, owed not a little of its effect to the fine singing and playing of chorus and orchestra.'

 

The Carl Rosa Scottish Tour - 1911

The tour consisted of five weeks at three locations, two at Edinburgh (King's), two Glasgow (Grand), and one Greenock (King's).

The thirteen operas in the repertoire were: Mozart (Marriage of Figaro);  Benedict (Lily of Killarney);  Balfe (Bohemian Girl);  Thomas (Mignon);  Wallace (Maritana);  Wagner (Tannhäuser,  Lohengrin);  Verdi (Trovatore);  Gounod (Faust);  Goldmark (Queen of Sheba);  Bizet (Carmen);  Leoncavallo (Pagliacci);  Mascagni (Cavalleria Rusticana).

The schedule was:

Edinburgh, w/c 6 March:  Mon 6 Tannhäuser;  Tue 7  Carmen;  Wed 8  Lily of Killarney;  Thu 9 Marriage of Figaro;  Fri 10  Queen of Sheba;  Sat 11 m Cav & Pag;  Sat 11 e Trovatore.

Edinburgh, w/c 13 March:  Mon 13 Lohengrin;  Tue 14 Mignon;  Wed 15 Bohemian Girl;  Thu 16 Queen of Sheba;  Fri 17 Faust;  Sat 18 m Mignon; Sat 18 e Lily of Killarney.

Glasgow, w/c 20 March:  Mon 20 Mignon;  Tue 21 Faust;  Wed 22 Lily of Killarney;  Thu 23 Queen of Sheba;  Fri 24 Trovatore;  Sat 25 m Mignon; Sat 25 e Bohemian Girl.

Glasgow, w/c 27 March:  Mon 27 Carmen;  Tue 28 Cav & Pag;  Wed 29 Queen of Sheba;  Thu 30 Mignon;  Fri 31 Tannhäuser;  Sat 1 Apr m Queen of Sheba;  Sat 1 Apr e Lly of Killarney.

Greenock, w/c 3 April:  Mon 3 Carmen;  Tue 4 Faust;  Wed 5 Maritana:  Thu 6 Queen of Sheba;  Fri 7 Tannhäuser;  Sat 8 m Mignon;  Sat 8 e Bohemian Girl.