▁Scotland . ▁This ▁held ▁back ▁the ▁development ▁of ▁a ▁Scottish ▁theatre ▁tradition ▁which ▁could ▁have ▁supported ▁opera . ▁Johnson ▁pointed ▁to ▁other ▁possible ▁reasons ▁including ▁the ▁relative ▁pover ty ▁of ▁Scotland . ▁The ▁tradition ally ▁Cal vin istic ▁out look ▁of ▁the ▁Scottish ▁middle ▁class ▁in ▁the ▁Victor ian ▁era , ▁which ▁f rown ed ▁upon ▁public ▁entertain ments ▁in ▁purs uit ▁of ▁pleasure ▁and ▁promoted ▁thr ift , ▁not ▁ost entation , ▁may ▁also ▁have ▁in hib ited ▁the ▁kind ▁of ▁municipal ▁patron age ▁which ▁enabled ▁opera ' s ▁transition ▁from ▁a ▁pre domin antly ▁arist ocr atic ▁art ▁form ▁to ▁one ▁increasing ly ▁patron ised ▁by ▁the ▁b our ge ois ie ▁in ▁ 1 9 th - century ▁Europe . ▁ ▁Two ▁main ▁compos ers ▁stand ▁out ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century , ▁and ▁early ▁tw enti eth ▁– ▁the ▁first ▁being ▁Ham ish ▁Mac C unn ▁who ▁wrote ▁Jean ie ▁De ans ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 4 , ▁commission ed ▁by ▁Carl ▁Rosa . ▁This ▁he ▁followed ▁by ▁Di arm id ▁ 1 8 9 7 , ▁Pr ue , ▁( un fin ished ) ▁ 1 9 0 4 , ▁The ▁Golden ▁Girl , ▁ 1 9 0 5 , ▁and ▁Bre ast ▁of ▁Light ▁( un fin ished ). ▁Like ▁many ▁tal ented ▁Sc ots ▁he ▁was ▁soon ▁drawn ▁to ▁study ▁and ▁develop ▁his ▁cre ative ▁career ▁south ▁of ▁the ▁border . ▁McC unn ▁is ▁best ▁known ▁for ▁his ▁non - oper atic ▁piece