Opera Scotland

Lohengrin 1908Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Lohengrin

The Scotsman (2 April) reviewed Lohengrin.

The reviewer went on to say "A bigger audience than any that has yet assembled during this opera week at the King's Theatre testified anew to the abiding popularity of Wagner's music, and an appreciative response was given to the efforts of the company.  It was not greater than they deserved.  Exacting though the music is, principals and chorus alikeproved equal to the demands made upon them, and gave an artistic and finished performance. With one exception, the principals had been heard earlier in the week.  The exception was Mr Julius Walther, who was in the name part, and around whose appearance interest largely centred.  Mr Walther performed his task with great credit. He has a cultured and robust tenor voice, which he uses with good effect, and, if slightly lacking in fervour, his dramatic abilities are of by no means an inferior order.  Except in the last act, when the pressure of a hard evening's work was beginning to tell upon him, his singing was excellent.  Miss Grace Nicoll's Elsa was a creditable piece of work, in which the duet with the Knight of the Swan in the last act stood out conspicuously."

"Equally successful was the Ortrud of Miss Doris Woodall, whose method of articulation might, with benefit to the audience, have been copied by some of the other members of the company.  Her strong, ringing voice was admirably suited to the music of the opening of the second act, in which her acting also reached a high level."

"Mr Dillon Shallard as Telramund, Mr Arthur Winckworth as Henry, and Mr Frederick Clendon as the Herald also sang well.  A word of praise is due to Mr Eugene Goossens for the able manner in which he conducted."

The company's 1908 tour included two weeks at the Glasgow Grand, one at the Alexandra, Greenock and finally two at Edinburgh King’s Theatre.

The full schedule was:-

Glasgow w/c 9 Mar: Mon Carmen; Tue Cav & Pag; Wed Trovatore; Thu Lohengrin; Fri Esmeralda; Sat m Fidelio; Sat e Rigoletto.

Glasgow w/c 16 Mar: Mon Don Giovanni; Tue Otello; Wed Bohemian Girl; Thu Faust; Fri Carmen; Sat m Tannhäuser; Sat e Trovatore.

Greenock w/c 23 Mar: Mon Carmen; Tue Tannhäuser; Wed Bohemian Girl; Thu Cav & Pag; Fri Esmeralda; Sat m Faust; Sat e Trovatore.

Edinburgh w/c 30 Mar: Mon Carmen; Tue Faust; Wed Lohengrin; Thu Don Giovanni; Fri Esmeralda; Sat m Tannhauser; Sat e Rigoletto.

Edinburgh w/c 6 Apr: Mon Cav & Pag; Tue Trovatore; Wed Bohemian Girl; Thu Marriage of Figaro; Fri Otello; Sat m Carmen; Sat e Maritana.

In summary: Carmen (5); Trovatore (4); Cav & Pag, Esmeralda, Bohemian Girl, Faust, Tannhäuser (3); Lohengrin, Rigoletto, Don Giovanni, Otello (2) and Fidelio, Marriage of Figaro, Maritana (1).

Thirty-five performances of thirteen operas plus the double bill of Cav and Pag.

Performance Cast

Elsa von Brabant sister of the missing Count Gottfried

Grace Nicoll

Friedrich von Telramund Count of Brabant

Dillon Shallard

Heerufer Royal Herald

Frederick Clendon

Heinrich Henry the Fowler, King of Germany

Arthur Winckworth

Lohengrin a knight

Julius Walther

Ortrud Friedrich's wife

Doris Woodall

Performance DatesLohengrin 1908

Map List

Grand Theatre, Glasgow | Glasgow

12 Mar, 19.30

King's Theatre, Edinburgh | Edinburgh

1 Apr, 19.30

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