Nozze di Figaro 1950Covent Garden Opera
Read more about the opera Marriage of Figaro
There are several notable features of this Figaro. Firstly Sir Geraint Evans is playing the title role in Scotland for the first time. He continued to keep the part in his repertoire until near the end of his career, and directed himself in the Edinburgh Festival production in 1975 and '76.
The production side of the enterprise is also important with the whole directed by an embryonic genius, the great Peter Brook. The dances were arranged by John Cranko. Conductor Peter Gellhorn worked for several years at Covent Garden and then at Glyndebourne. In Scotland his contribution to the Ledlanet Nights festivals is also of importance.
The cast for Saturday evening, 22 April, is from a programme in the OperaScotland collection. Two changes of cast are hand-written. Ernest Davies replaced Rhydderch Davies as Antonio. Dennis Stephenson played Don Basilio in place of the famous Scottish character tenor Murray Dickie.
Performance Cast
- Figaro the Count's valet
- Susanna the Countess's maid
- Bartolo a doctor, the Countess's former guardian
- Cherubino the Count's page
- Marcellina Bartolo's housekeeper
- Count Almaviva a Spanish grandee
- Don Basilio a priest and music master
- Countess Almaviva
- Antonio a gardener, Susanna's uncle
- Don Curzio a lawyer
- Barbarina daugher of Antonio
- First Peasant Girl
- Second Peasant Girl
- Dancer