RIGOLETTO – VERDI
Presented on Dec 6, 8, 11m at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin as part of the Dublin Grand Opera Society’s Winter Season
Edmond Donlevy – Rigoletto
Audrey Bowman – Gilda
Ken Neate – Duke
Jack Harte – Sparafucile
Betty Sagon – Maddalena
Sam Mooney – Monterone
Jack O’Connor – Marullo
Joseph Flood – Borsa
Lt-Col J M Doyle – Conductor
Sydney Russell – Producer
CARMEN – BIZET
Presented on Dec 7, 10, 14, 18 at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin as part of the Dublin Grand Opera Society’s Winter Season
Patricia Black – Carmen
Frans Vroons – Don José
Margery Field – Micaëla
Bruce Dargaval – Escamillo
Josephine O’Hagan – Frasquita
Betty Sagon – Mercédès
Sam Mooney – Dancaïre
Joseph Flood – Remendado
Jack O’Connor – Zuniga
John Pearce – Moralès
Vilem Tausky / Lt-Col J M Doyle[Dec 10] – Conductor
H A Powell-Lloyd – Producer
TOSCA – PUCCINI
Presented on Dec 9, 11 at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin as part of the Dublin Grand Opera Society’s Winter Season
Joan Hammond – Tosca
Frans Vroons – Cavaradossi
Stanley Pope – Scarpia
Jack Harte – Angelotti
Joseph Flood – Sacristan / Spoletta
Sam Mooney – Sciarrone
Lt-Col J M Doyle – Conductor
H A Powell-Lloyd – Producer
IL TROVATORE – VERDI
Presented on Dec 13, 15, 17 at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin as part of the Dublin Grand Opera Society’s Winter Season
John Myrrdin – Manrico
Audrey Bowman – Leonora
Bruce Dargaval – Di Luna
Patricia Black – Azucena
Jack Harte – Ferrando
C J Byrom – Ruiz
Pauline Nolan – Inez
Vilem Tausky – Conductor
Sydney Russell – Producer
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO – MOZART
Presented on Dec 16, 18m at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin as part of the Dublin Grand Opera Society’s Winter Season
Edmond Donlevy – Figaro
Joan Walker – Susanna
Barbara Lane – Countess
Denis Dowling – Count
Josephine O’Hagan – Cherubino
Jack Harte – Bartolo
Betty Sagon – Marcellina
Joseph Flood – Basilio / Curzio
Sam Mooney – Antonio
Monica Condron – Barbarina
Lt-Col J M Doyle – Conductor
H A Powell-Lloyd – Producer
JOAN HAMMOND SONG RECITAL
Presented at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin on December 12th 1948 at 7.45pm as part of the Dublin Grand Opera Society’s Winter Season
If the spring season had been dominated by the visit of the Opera-Comique principals, the winter season was notable for a splendid production of “Tosca”, Joan Hammond sang the title in a manner that underlined her steady progress as a Puccini exponent. It was a big year for her, for besides appearing with the DGOS she was making her Covent Garden debut as the “Trovatore” Leonora, and her record of “0 My Beloved Father” was still selling thousands of copies. The Cavaradossi on this occasion was the Dutch tenor Franz Vroons who quickly endeared himself to Gaiety audiences by his assured singing. His voice had an exciting ring to it, was rich in timbre and very expressive; his acting was convincing and never forced. Together on stage, Vroons and Hammond made a formidable duo as well as credible lovers. Stanley Pope’s Scarpia did not measure up to their standard and his act two confrontation with Tosca was adjudged dramatically weak. Harry Powell Lloyd directed with assurance and undoubtedly would be invited back again by Comdt. O’Kelly. There was an enjoyable “Rigoletto” with Edmond Dunlevy in the title role acting and singing with panache and being well supported by Audrey Bowman (Gilda) and the promising Canadian tenor Kenneth Neate as the Duke. This was followed by a tepid performance of “The Marriage of Figaro”, described by the Evening Mail as lacking in sparkle and visually having a faded look. The production of “Carmen” compensated, with Franz Vroons proving an exciting Don Jose. ‘His singing of the “Flower Song” was magnificent’, commented the Evening Mail, ‘and this was reflected in the enthusiastic reception accorded to him.’ Indeed, to this day there are DGOS oldtimers who love to recall his performances in the Bizet opera. He was helped by the incisive conducting of a newcomer to Dublin, Vilem Tausky; he was to prove a valuable acquisition by the society.
(Extracted from “Love and Music: The Glorious History of the Dublin Grand Opera Society” by Gus Smith, 1998)
Opera in Ireland 