Born - Hamburg, March 22nd 1842
Died - Paris, April 30th 1889
Carl August Nicolas Rosa, the founder of the institution bearing his name, was originally a violinist.
He was educated at the Conservatorium at Leipsig and afterwards in Paris. In 1863 he was appointed
Konzertmeister at Hamburg. Three years later he visited England, appearing as a soloist at the Crystal
Palace. After a brief stay Rosa joined Bateman in a concert tour in America, where he met a famous
singer, Madame Parepa, whom he married in 1867. It was his wife’s success that encouraged Rosa to form
the opera company which has done so much for opera in English. Rosa conducted and directed the policy
of the company.
His name, by the way, was Rose, but being so often mispronounced, he spelt it Rosa on the formation of
his opera company. In 1871 Rosa returned to England with his wife, and for reasons of health proceeded
to Egypt. He came back to London in 1872 where his wife died soon after arrival. Rosa then threw his
whole energies into operatic management, and opened in London at the Princess’s Theatre in 1873.
He gathered together the finest operatic material available, and immediate success rewarded his efforts.
His season lasted six weeks, during which time his repertoire included: Figaro, Faust, The Porter of Havre
(Cagnoni), Fra Diavolo, Bohemian Girl, Trovatore, The Water Carrier (Cherubini) and Siege of Rochelle.
Rosa Hersee and Santley were among the singers.
Encouraged by his success Rosa returned to London the following year and opened at the Lyceum
(September 11th to December 2nd). This season was even more successful than the last, and from that
the Carl Rosa season became an important annual event. Rosa not only gave the first performances in
English of such famous continental works as Flying Dutchman, Rienzi, Carmen, Mignon, Lohengrin and
Aida, but commissioned a number of English composers to write operas for his company.
In 1880 Sir George Grove wrote: “The careful way in which the pieces are put on the stage, the number of
rehearsals, the eminence of the performers and the excellence of the performers have begun to bear
their legitimate fruit, and the Carl Rosa Opera Company bids fair to become a permanent English
institution”. How far that prediction has been fulfilled is evident by the high standard which has
been maintained in the productions by the present management, whose single ambition, firm purpose and
constant endeavour, has ever been to preserve in their fullest vigour the noble traditions of the founder
of the Carl Rose Opera Company.
The Carl Rosa Opera is happily still a national institution.
Its activities have influenced the musical life of every town in the British isles. Some of the great epoch making
events in the world of music for which the public are indebted to the Carl Rosa Opera. It was the organisation
which first produced in England or in the English tongue, Lohengrin, Aida, Carmen, La Boheme, Cavalleria Rusticana,
Hansel and Gretel, Mignon, Manon, Tannhauser, Rienzi, Andrea Chenier, Othello and The Flying Dutchman. The latter
great work was given by the company as long ago as 1876 at the Lyceum Theatre, London, where the company regularly
appeared until this famous theatre closed.
Carl Rosa Opera Limited was formed in 1998. The aim was and continues to be, to offer the highest quality productions
of music theatre and opera at affordable prices. The company has built firm foundations for its work in the North East
of England, offering a wide range of diverse presentations which have included: community operas, education workshops for
schools and colleges (that includes signed performances for the deaf, and children and adults with special needs); also,
full professional productions of grand opera like La Boheme, sung in Italian, to lighter works, such as the first professional
staging for over 117 years of the 1879 The Pirates of Penzance, in celebration of 125 years of Britain’s oldest opera company,
the Carl Rosa Opera, and its launch as a registered charity.
THE CARL ROSA TRUST was created in 1957. The Trust was able to continue to award scholarships that will enable the support, study
and education of notable young singers and instrumentalists and maintain his historic music library and costume collection dating
back to 1873. The new productions provide invaluable opportunities to students at the beginning of their careers, to learn and
develop their crafts and skills along some of Britain’s most established artists.
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Mr Rutland Barrington as Pooh-Bah and
Miss Jessie Bond as Pitti Sing
Ms Valerie Masterson as
Yum Yum in the Mikado
Carl Rosa Opera
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