▁the ▁detail ▁of ▁early ▁performances ▁and ▁cast s ▁using ▁mainly ▁newspaper ▁reviews , ▁program mes ▁and ▁play b ills . ▁An ▁am bit ious ▁attempt ▁to ▁purs ue ▁this ▁online , ▁and ▁unique ▁in ▁trying ▁to ▁work ▁nation ally ▁rather ▁than ▁in ▁relation ▁to ▁a ▁single ▁company , ▁is ▁that ▁of ▁Opera Sc ot land , ▁a ▁website ▁for ▁list ings ▁and ▁performance ▁history . ▁Current ▁content ▁runs ▁from ▁ 1 7 5 5 ▁to ▁the ▁present ▁day , ▁includes ▁ 6 5 0 ▁oper as ▁and ▁the ▁names ▁of ▁over ▁ 1 1 , 0 0 0 ▁perform ers . ▁Much ▁remains ▁to ▁be ▁found , ▁however . ▁ ▁Oper as ▁on ▁Scottish ▁them es ▁or ▁subjects ▁Professor ▁Alexander ▁We ath erson , ▁writing ▁in ▁the ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 9 ▁Don iz etti ▁Society ▁News letter , ▁notes ▁the ▁following ▁( with ▁the ▁addition ▁of ▁relevant ▁opera ▁titles ▁associated ▁with ▁the ▁named ▁compos ers ): ▁Scotland ' s ▁soil ▁was ▁about ▁to ▁be ▁prof an ed ▁by ▁a ▁stream ▁of ▁oper as ▁that ▁bore ▁the ▁foot print ▁of ▁[ ▁Elizabeth ' s ▁] ▁rival .... .. without ▁Mary ▁Stuart , ▁Scotland ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁left ▁in ▁peace .... In ▁Italy ▁alone ▁in ▁the ▁earliest ▁dec ades ▁of ▁the ▁nin ete enth ▁century ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁Scot ch ▁bro th ▁of ▁oper as ▁by ▁As ap ; ▁Cape cel atro ▁[ D av ide ▁R izz io ] ▁; ▁Car af a ▁[ I ▁solit ari ▁di ▁S co zia ,