Opera at the Edinburgh International Festival: history and repertoire, 1947–1956

Opera was an important feature of the Edinburgh International Festival from its inception.

All the early productions were at the King's Theatre, a variety touring house with a capacity of 1,350 seats, which had hosted the Carl Rosa Opera and the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company. Edinburgh did not have an opera house, and only limited creative resources to originate productions, in a way that was possible at festivals such as Salzburg from the 1960s onwards.

The Glyndebourne Festival Opera was an key partner who brought two productions to the festival each year from 1947 to 1951. In 1952, their place was taken by the Hamburg State Opera who brought six productions that year. However, in 1953, 1954 and 1955 Glyndebourne returned each time with three productions. Hamburg State Opera made their second visit in 1956, this time with five productions.

1947 (two productions) Orchestra, Choir, ConductorDirector, Set DesignerFemale singerMale singer Glyndebourne Opera production of Macbeth by Giuseppe Verdi, August 25, 27, 29, and September 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 1947 (nine performances) at the Kings TheatreThe Scottish OrchestraGlyndebourne Festival ChorusGeorg SzellCarl EbertCaspar Neher settingsMargherita Grandi Lady MacbethFrancesco Valentino MacbethItalo Tajo BanquoOwen Brannigan BanquoWalter Midgley MacduffAndrew McKinley Malcolm Glyndebourne Opera production of Le nozze di Figaro by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 26, 28, 30, September 1, 3, 5, 9, 11, 13 1947 (nine performances) at the Kings TheatreThe Scottish OrchestraGlyndebourne Festival ChorusGeorg SzellCarl EbertHamish Wilson and Ann Litherland settingsEleanor Steber Countess AlmavivaVirginia MacWatters SusanneCatherine Lawson MarcellinaJarmila Novotna CherubinoJohn Brownlee Count AlmavivaItalo Tajo FigaroBruce Flegg BasilioOwen Brannigan Bartolo

1948 (two productions) Orchestra, Choir, ConductorDirector, Set DesignerFemale singerMale singer Glyndebourne Opera production of Don Giovanni by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 23, 25, 27, 31, and September 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 1948 (nine performances) at the Kings TheatreRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraGlyndebourne Festival ChorusRafael KubelikCarl EbertHamish Wilson designHein Heckroth costumesLjuba Welitsch Donna AnnaChristina Carroll Donna ElviraAnn Ayars ZerlinaVito de Taranto LeporelloPaolo Silveri Don GiovanniDavid Franklin CommendatoreRichard Lewis Don OttavioIan Wallace Masetto Glyndebourne Opera production of Così fan tutte by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 24, 26, 28, 30, and September 1, 3, 7, 9, 11 1948 (nine performances) at the Kings TheatreRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraGlyndebourne Festival ChorusVittorio GuiCarl EbertRolf Gérard settingsSuzanne Danco FiordiligiEugenia Zareska DorabellaHilde Güden DespinaPetre Munteanu FerrandoErich Kunz GuglielmoMariano Stabile Don Alfonso

1949 (two productions) Orchestra, Choir, ConductorDirector, Set DesignerFemale singerMale singer Glyndebourne Opera production of Un ballo in maschera by Giuseppe Verdi, August 22, 24, 26, 29, 31 and September 1, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10 1949 (11 performances) at the Kings TheatreRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraGlyndebourne Festival ChorusVittorio GuiCarl EbertCaspar Neher settingsLjuba Welitsch AmeliaMargherita Grandi AmeliaAlda Noni OscarJean Watson UlricaMirto Picchi RiccardoWilliam Horne RiccardoPaolo Silveri RenatoIan Wallace SamueloHervey Allan TommasoFrancis Loring SilvanoGeorge Israel Judge Glyndebourne Opera production of Così fan tutte by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 23, 25, 27, 30, and September 2, 7, 9 1949 (seven performances) at the Kings TheatreRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraGlyndebourne Festival ChorusVittorio GuiCarl EbertRolf Gérard settingsSuzanne Danco FiordiligiSena Jurinac DorabellaIrene Eisinger DespinaPetre Munteanu FerrandoMarko Rothmuller GuglielmoJohn Brownlee Don Alfonso

1950 (two productions) Orchestra, Choir, ConductorDirector, Set DesignerFemale singerMale singer Glyndebourne Opera production of Ariadne auf Naxos by Richard Strauss, preceded by a shortened version of Molière's Le Bourgeois gentilhomme, August 21, 23, 25, 29, 31 and September 2, 4, 6, 8 1950 (nine performances) at the Kings TheatreRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraGlyndebourne Festival ChorusSir Thomas BeechamCarl EbertOliver Messel settingsHilde Zadek AriadneIlse Hollweg ZerbinettaDorothy Bond NajadeMarjorie Thomas DryadeApril Cantelo EchoPeter Anders BacchusDouglas Craig HarlekinMurray Dickie BrighellaAlexander Young ScaramuccioBruce Dargavel Truffaldin Glyndebourne Opera production of Le nozze di Figaro by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 September 1, 5, 7, 9 1950 (nine performances) at the Kings TheatreRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraGlyndebourne Festival ChorusFerenc FricsayCarl EbertRolf Gérard settingsClara Ebers Countess AlmavivaElfride Troetschel SusanneJean Watson MarcellinaSena Jurinac CherubinoApril Cantelo BarbarinaMarko Rothmüller Count AlmavivaGeorge London FigaroMurray Dickie BasilioIan Wallace Bartolo

1951 (two productions)

Orchestra, Choir, ConductorDirector, Set DesignerFemale singerMale singer Glyndebourne Opera production of La forza del destino by Giuseppe Verdi, August 20, 22, 24, 28, 30 and September 1, 3, 5, 7 1951 (nine performances) at the Kings TheatreRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraGlyndebourne Festival ChorusFritz BuschCarl EbertLeslie Hurry settingsWalburga Wegner LeonoraMildred Miller PreziosillaAlda Noni OscarJean Watson UlricaDavid Poleri Don AlvaroMarko Rothmüller Don CarloBruce Dargavel Padre GuardianoOwen Brannigan Fra Melitone Glyndebourne Opera production of Don Giovanni by Lorenzo Da Ponte and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 21, 23, 25, 27, 29, 31 and September 4, 6, 8 1951 (nine performances) at the Kings TheatreRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraGlyndebourne Festival ChorusFritz Busch / John PritchardCarl EbertJohn Piper settingsHilde Zadek Donna AnnaDorothy MacNeil Donna ElviraSuzanne Danco Donna ElviraGenevieve Warner ZerlinaPierrette Alarie ZerlinaRoxane Houston ZerlinaMario Petri Don GiovanniAlois Pernerstorfer / Owen Brannigan LeporelloLéopold Simoneau Don OttavioGeraint Evans Masetto

1952 (six productions)

Orchestra, Choir, ConductorDirector, Set DesignerFemale singerMale singer Hamburg State Opera production of Fidelio by Ludwig van Beethoven, August 18, 20 and September 1, 4 1952 (four performances) at the Kings TheatreHamburg Philharmonic OrchestraHamburg State Opera ChorusLeopold LudwigGünther RennertAlfred Siercke settingsInge Borkh LeonoreMartha Mödl LeonoreLisa della Casa MarzellineCaspar Bröcheler Don FernandoJosef Metternich Don PizarroPeter Anders FlorestanTheo Herrmann RoccoKurt Marschner Jacquino Hamburg State Opera production of Der Freischütz by Carl Maria von Weber, August 22, 25, 27 1952 (three performances) at the Kings TheatreHamburg Philharmonic OrchestraHamburg State Opera ChorusJosef KeilberthGünther RennertCaspar Neher settingsElisabeth Grümmer AgatheClara Ebers AgatheAnneliese Rothenberger AnnchenGeorg Mund OttakarToni Blankenheim KunoGottlob Frick Kaspar / EremitCaspar Bröcheler KasparPeter Anders MaxKurt Marschner KilianTheo Herrmann EremitWolfgang Rottsieper Samiel Hamburg State Opera production of Die Zauberflöte by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, August 19, 21, 23, 26 1952 (four performances) at the Kings TheatreHamburg Philharmonic OrchestraHamburg State Opera ChorusGeorg SoltiGünther RennertAlfred Siercke settingsValerie Bak Queen of the NightElisabeth Grümmer PaminaLisa della Casa PaminaAnneliese Rothenberger PapagenaLisa Jungkind First ladyIlse Koegel Second ladyMaria von Ilosvay Third ladyGottlob Frick SarastroRudolf Schock TaminoJosef Metternich SprecherHorst Günther PapagenoKurt Marschner MonostatosHelmuth Melchert First armed manJean Wilhelm Pfendt Second armed man Hamburg State Opera production of Der Rosenkavalier by Richard Strauss, August 28, 30 and September 5, 1952 (three performances) at the Kings TheatreHamburg Philharmonic OrchestraHamburg State Opera ChorusJoseph Keilberth / Leopold LudwigGünther RennertAlfred Siercke settingsClara Ebers MarschallinMartha Mödl OctavianLisa della Casa SophieHedy Gura AnninaTheo Herrmann OchsCaspar Bröcheler FaninalFritz Göllnitz ValzacchiRudolf Schock SingerFritz Lehnert Singer Hamburg State Opera production of Mathis der Maler by Paul Hindemith, August 29 and September 2, 1952 (two performances) at the Kings TheatreHamburg Philharmonic OrchestraHamburg State Opera ChorusLeopold LudwigGünther RennertHelmuth Jürgens, Alfred Siercke settingsElfriede Wasserthal UrsulaAnneliese Rothenberger ReginaLisa Jungkind Gräfin HelfensteinHelmuth Melchert AlbrechtMathieu Ahlersmeyer MathisToni Blankenheim LorenzFritz Lehnert Wolgang CapitoTheo Herrmann RiedingerHeinrich Bensing Hans SchwalbJean Wilhelm Pfendt Truchsess von WaldburgKurt Marschner Sylvester Hamburg State Opera production of Die Meistersinger by Richard Wagner, September 3, 6 1952 (two performances) at the Kings TheatreHamburg Philharmonic OrchestraHamburg State Opera ChorusLeopold LudwigGünther RennertHelmuth Jürgens, Rosemarie Jakameit settingsElisabeth Grümmer EvaGisela Litz MagdalenaOtto Edelmann Hans SachsGottlob Frick PognerFritz Lehnert VogelsangMartin Schramm NachtigallToni Blankenheim BeckmesserCaspar Bröcheler KothnerErich Zimmermann ZornPeter Konig EisslingerRobert Bodewig MoserKarl Otto OrtelJean Wilhelm Pfendt SchwarzJoseph Vetter FoltzPeter Anders WaltherKurt Marschner DavidHorst Wegner Nightwatchman

1953 (three productions) Orchestra, Choir, ConductorDirector, Set DesignerFemale singerMale singer Glyndebourne Opera production of La Cenerentola by Gioachino Rossini, August 24, 26, 28, 31 and September 8, 10, 12 1953 (seven performances) at the Kings TheatreRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraGlyndebourne Festival ChorusVittorio Gui, John PritchardCarl EbertOliver Messel settingsAlda Noni ClorindaFernanda Cadoni TisbeMarina de Gabarain AngelinaHervey Allan AlidoroIan Wallace Don MagnificoJuan Onchina Don RamiroSesto Bruscantini Dandini Glyndebourne Opera production of The Rake's Progress by Igor Stravinsky, August 25, 27, 29, September 2, 4 1953 (five performances) at the Kings TheatreRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraGlyndebourne Festival ChorusAlfred WallensteinCarl EbertOsbert Lancaster settingsElsie Morison AnnMary Jarred Mother GooseNan Merriman Baba the TurkDavid Lloyd Tom RakewellHervey Allan TrueloveJerome Hines Nick ShadowMurray Dickie SellemDennis Wicks Keeper of the madhouse Glyndebourne Opera production of Idomeneo by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, September 1, 3, 5, 7, 9, 11 1953 (six performances) at the Kings TheatreRoyal Philharmonic OrchestraGlyndebourne Festival ChorusJohn PritchardCarl EbertRolf Gérard settingsSena Jurinac IliaJennifer Vyvyan ElectraHelmut Krebs IdamanteJohn Cameron ArbaceRichard Lewis IdomeneoJohn Carolan High PriestHervey Allan Voice of Neptune

1954 (three productions)