LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN – OFFENBACH
Presented on Nov 25, 30, Dec 9, 14 at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin as part of the Dublin Grand Opera Society’s Winter Season
James Johnston / Edgar Evans[Nov 25] / Brychan Powell[Nov 30] – Hoffmann
Margaret Nisbett – Olympia
Joyce Barker – Giulietta
Bruce Dargaval – Coppélius / Miracle / Dapertutto / Lindorf
Barbara Howitt – Nicklausse
Veronica Dunne – Antonia
Niven Miller – Spalanzani
Othmar Rémy Arthur – Crespel / Schlemil
Kevin Miller – Cochenille / Pitichinaccio / Frantz
Monica Sinclair – Mother
Peter Gellhorn – Conductor
Ande Anderson – Producer
TURANDOT – PUCCINI
Presented on Nov 26, 28, Dec 2, 12 at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin as part of the Dublin Grand Opera Society’s Winter Season
Sylvia Fisher / Maria Kinces[Dec 2, 12] – Turandot
Walter Midgley – Calaf
Eizabeth Rust – Liù
Marian Nowakowski – Timur
Niven Miller – Ping
Kevin Miller – Pang
Brychan Powell – Pong
Brendan Cavanagh – Altoum
Ronald Evans – Mandarin
Peter Gellhorn – Conductor
Ande Anderson – Producer
FAUST – GOUNOD
Presented on Nov 27, 29, Dec 4, 13 at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin as part of the Dublin Grand Opera Society’s Winter Season
Walter Midgley – Faust
Patricia Bartlett / Anne Bollinger[Dec 13] – Marguerite
Marian Nowakowski – Méphistophélès
Ronald Evans – Valentin
Margaret Nisbett – Siébel
Vera Power-Fardy – Martha
P J Tobin – Wagner
Lt-Col J M Doyle – Conductor
John Copley – Producer
LA BOHÈME – PUCCINI
Presented on Dec 3, 6, 11 at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin as part of the Dublin Grand Opera Society’s Winter Season
Adèle Leigh – Mimi
William McAlpine – Rodolfo
Elizabeth Rust – Musetta
John Hauxvell – Marcello
James Pease – Colline
Niven Miller – Schaunard
Brendan Cavanagh – Benoit / Alcindoro
Warwick Braithwaite – Conductor
Christopher West – Producer
LE NOZZE DI FIGARO – MOZART
Presented on Dec 5, 7, 10 at the Gaiety Theatre Dublin as part of the Dublin Grand Opera Society’s Winter Season
James Pease – Figaro
Adèle Leigh – Susanna
Anne Bollinger – Countess
Geraint Evans / Bruce Boyce[Dec 10] – Count
Patricia Kern – Cherubino
Howell Glynne – Bartolo
Barbara Howitt – Marcellina
Kevin Miller – Basilio
Martin Dempsey – Antonio
Margaret Nisbett – Barbarina
Niven Miller – Curzio
Bryan Balkwill – Conductor
Christopher West – Producer
ANNUAL CELEBRITY CONCERT
Presented by the present season’s principals of the Dublin Grand Opera Society in aid of the Missions of the Holy Ghost Fathers at the Gaiety Theatre on Sunday 8th December 1957
They were living through an economic depression in Ireland and felt that opera enlivened people’s lives, bringing much needed colour and excitement… the social side of the scene was important also and foreign artists loved to be entertained with true Irish hospitality. Most of them came on their own and apart from their Gaiety engagements, did not know the Irish. After a while, though they were being invited to supper parties and enjoying themselves, Mary McCullough said people were being introduced to Italian cuisine and some Italian restaurants came into their own, especially Nico’s in Dame Street. ‘I think that opera-going and enjoyment became synonymous and we all had a good time. Different people gave post-opera parties and suppers and if you were lucky star singers sang for the love of it. They were wonderful times.’ Dr Dermot O’Kelly had been invited to become a patron member by James J O’Connor and soon he was being asked to act as steward in the Gaiety, showing people to their seats. As a medical man, he noted that dampness tended to affect some of the guest singers’ voices but otherwise he regarded them as a healthy bunch, though he had concluded privately they were all hypocondriacs. He remembered once being called to an Italian tenor’s dressing room when he complained of a small lump on his right side and anxiously wanted to know the treatment for it. ‘I could see immediately it was nothing but a lump of fat and I advised the fellow to go easy on pasta in future.’ Like the McCulloughs, the O’Kellys also enjoyed the social side, whether this was entertaining friends at post-opera suppers or accompanying them to city restaurants. Lovatt-Dolans, John and Elizabeth, were also patrons and friends of the McCulloughs and they too enjoyed the social side of the scene. ‘I remember that Italian cuisine began to get really popular,’ recalls Elizabeth, ‘and indeed some people also learned the Italian language so that their party-going would be even more enjoyable.’
(Extracted from “Love and Music: The Glorious History of the Dublin Grand Opera Society” by Gus Smith, 1998)
Whilst not strictly a DGOS presentation, a Verdi Requiem preceded the Winter Season in 1957 at the Theatre Royal in Dublin on Sunday 2nd September 1957 with singers who had appeared (or were to appear) during the prestigious spring seasons with the DGOS: Gloria Davy, Ebe Stignani, Antonio Galie and Plinio Clabassi with Alberto Erede conducting. A concert with these soloists was also held in Limerick on the following night.
Opera in Ireland 