Opera Scotland

Tannhäuser 1915Carl Rosa Opera Company

Read more about the opera Tannhäuser

While still a fixture in the repertoire, the fact that the most popular Wagner work only received a single performance in each city may be taken to reflect a certain feeling against German music that was evident in the early part of the war, which had started only the previous August.

The cast is drawn from a copy of the programme for 15 & 16 March in the OperaScotland collection.

 

The View from Edinburgh

Scotsman:  Wednesday, 17 March 1915 (p8)

Carl Rosa Opera Company - Wagner's Tannhäuser

'Since the days of theearly successes of the Carl Rosa Opera Company - the days when Marie Roze, Julia Gaylord, Georgina Burns, Leslie Crotty, Barton M'Guckin, and Aynsley Cook, were the bright particular stars in the firmament of English-spoken opera - Wagner's Tannhäuser, once introduced,  has held a permanent place in the affections of opera lovers.

Last night it drew to the Lyceum Theatre an audience that, in view of the quality of the performance, might well have been larger, but which made up in enthusiasm what was wanting in numbers.  The production was one of great distinction.

'The story of the Thuringian Knight is not personal.  Like all Wagner's work it takes on the aspect of being the illustration of a great moral struggle.  In this case it is almost the world, the flesh, and the devil; or, more nearly, the power of pure love, and the church, to redeem a fallen mortal.  Yet still the note of personal distinction is called for in the actual rpresentations of Elizabeth, Tannhäuser, the Landgrave and Wolfram.  With Miss Dora Gibson, Mr Haigh Jackson, Mr Arthur Winckworth, and Mr Frank Clarke in these parts, success was assured.

'The second scene, the Hall of Song, gave opportunity, apart from the magnificent scenario, for the test of the separate and combined voices.  Here, as in the Prayer at the Shrine in the third act Miss Dora Gibson fully proved her title to be regarded as a finished, artistic, and dramatic soprano.  Mr Jackson, as Tannhäuser, brought in certain acceptable touches which hisGerman experience has taught him, and both in the Hall of Song, and in his declamatory outburst gainst the Pope at the close  one of the most dramatic episodes in opera - he sang with great force and feeling, and with an enjoyable clarity of diction.

'Miss Lawson Taylor (the Shepherd Boy), Mr Frederick Clendon (Biterolf), Mr Archibald Hill (Walther), and Miss Winifred Geverding (Venus), shared the honours of a most successful production of Tannhäuser.  As conductor, Mr Eugene Goossens got the best out of the orchestra, and the great overture received its customary meed of applause.'

 

The Carl Rosa Scottish tour - 1915

The Carl Rosa Scottish tour in spring 1915 consisted of three weeks in Glasgow (Theatre Royal), followed by two weeks in Edinburgh (Lyceum).

The fifteen operas performed were by Mozart (Don Giovanni, Magic Flute);  Wagner (Tannhäuser);  Verdi (Trovatore,  Aïda); Balfe (Bohemian Girl);  Wallace (Maritana);  Nicolai (Merry Wives of Windsor);  Gounod (Faust);  Thomas (Mignon);  Offenbach (Tales of Hoffmann);  Bizet (Carmen);  Leoncavallo (Pagliacci);  Mascagni (Cavalleria Rusticana);  Wolf-Ferrari (Jewels of the Madonna).

The performance schedule was as follows:

Glasgow, w/c 22 February: Mon 22 Tales of Hoffmann; Tue 23 Faust;  Wed 24 Aïda;  Thu 25 Jewels of the Madonna;  Fri 26 Carmen;  Sat 27 m Tales of Hoffmann;  Sat 27 e Bohemian Girl.

Glasgow, w/c  1 March: Mon 1 Mar Cav & Pag; Tue 2 Magic Flute;  Wed 3 Tannhäuser;  Thu 4 Mignon;  Fri 5 Tales of Hoffmann;  Sat 6 m Aïda;  Sat 6 e Maritana.

Glasgow, w/c 8 March: Mon 8 Mar Don Giovanni;  Tue 9 Faust;  Wed 10 Trovatore;  Thu 11 Merry Wives of Windsor;  Fri 12 Aïda;  Sat 13 m Carmen;  Sat 13 e Tales of Hoffmann.

Edinburgh, w/c 15 March: Mon 15 Tales of Hoffmann;  Tue 16 Tannhäuser;  Wed 17 Faust;  Thu 18  Magic Flute;  Fri 19 Aïda;  Sat 20 m Carmen;  Sat 20 e Trovatore.

Edinburgh, w/c 22 March: Mon 22 Cav & Pag;  Tue 23 Tales of Hoffmann;  Wed 24 Mignon;  Thu 25 Merry Wives of Windsor;  Fri 26 Don Giovanni;  Sat 27 m Aïda;  Sat 27 e Tales of Hoffmann.