I PAGLIACCI – LEONCAVALLO
Presented on Dec 5, 14, 16m at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin as part of the Dublin Grand Opera Society’s Winter Season
Arthur Servant / James Johnston[Dec 5] – Canio
Minnia Bower – Nedda
Roderick Jones – Tonio
Arthur Copley – Silvio
Brendan Cavanagh – Beppe
Lt-Col J M Doyle – Conductor
Joseph Flood – Producer
Serafina di Leo, who had made such an immediate impression in “Don Carlo”, was equally outstanding as Santuzza in “Cavalleria Rusticana”, dominating the stage by her convincing acting and singing. Young Irish tenor James McKenna was making his debut with the society and, from all accounts, it wasn’t altogether auspicious. Josephine O’Hagan’s Lola impressed most of the critics, but the chorus came in for some harsh criticism for sounding ‘thin’ in the famous “Easter Hymn”. The season was not without drama. James Johnston missed out on performances of “Cav” & “Pag” when he contracted a severe sore throat. James McKenna replaced him in “Cav” but the society was obliged to ask Sadler’s Wells Company to release Arthur Servant for the role of Canio in “I Pagliacci”. ‘There was more drama when he made his way to Northolt Airport to catch a plane for Dublin. ‘Sorry,’ he was told, ‘there are no seats available on the afternoon flight.’ Getting rather desperate, the singer explained his position to a passenger waiting to join the 3.30 plane from London and he agreed to surrender his seat on the flight, the last out of London for the day.
(Extracted from “Love and Music: The Glorious History of the Dublin Grand Opera Society” by Gus Smith, 1998)
Opera in Ireland 