Lucia di Lammermoor () is a (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor.The plot of Walter Scott's original novel is based on an actual incident that took place in 1669 in Galloway, although Scott transposed the location to the Lammermuir Hills area of Lowland Scotland. The real family involved were the Dalrymples.
While the libretto retains much of Scott's basic intrigue, it also contains very substantial changes in terms of characters and events. In Scott's novel, it is her mother, Lady Ashton, not Enrico, who is the villain and evil perpetrator of the whole intrigue. Also, Bucklaw was only wounded by Lucy after their unfortunate wedding, and he later recovered, went abroad, and survived them all. In the opera, Lucia's descent into insanity is more speedy and dramatic and very spectacular, while, in the book, it is more mysterious and ambiguous. Also, in the novel, Edgar and Lucy's last talk and farewell (supervised by her mother) is far less melodramatic and more calm, though the final effect is equally devastating for both of them. At the end of the novel, Edgar disappears (his body never found) and is presumably killed in some sort of an accident on his way to have his duel with Lucy's older brother; therefore, he does not commit a spectacular, operatic style suicide with a stiletto on learning of Lucy's death.
Donizetti wrote Lucia di Lammermoor in 1835, when he was reaching the peak of his reputation as an opera composer. Gioachino Rossini had recently retired and Vincenzo Bellini had died shortly before the premiere of Lucia leaving Donizetti as "the sole reigning genius of Italian opera".Mackerras, p. 29 Not only were conditions ripe for Donizetti's success as a composer, but there was also a widespread interest in the history and culture of Scotland. The perceived romance of its violent wars and feuds, as well as its folklore and mythology, intrigued 19th century readers and audiences. Walter Scott dramatized these elements in his novel The Bride of Lammermoor, which inspired several musical works including Lucia.Mackerras, p. 30
The story concerns the emotionally fragile Lucy Ashton (Lucia) who is caught in a feud between her own family and that of the Ravenswoods. The setting is the Lammermuir Hills of Scotland (Lammermoor) in the 17th century.
Performance history 19th century
The opera premiered on 26 September 1835 at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples. However, John Black notes that "the surprising feature of its subsequent performance history is that it established so slowly in the Neapolitan repertoire", noting that while there were 18 performances in the rest of 1835, there were only four in 1836, 16 in 1837, two in 1838, and continuing in this manner with only two in each of 1847 and 1848.Black, pp. 34—35
London saw the opera on 5 April 1838 and, for Paris, Donizetti revised the score for a French version which debuted on 6 August 1839 at the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris. It reached the United States with a production in New Orleans on 28 May 1841.New Orleans Picayune, May 28, 1841, p. 2, col. 1
20th century and beyond
The opera was never absent from the repertory of the Metropolitan Opera for more than one season at a time from 1903 until 1972. After World War II, a number of sopranos were instrumental in giving new life to the opera, including Maria Callas (with performances from 1954 at La Scala and Berlin in 1955 under Herbert von Karajan) and Joan Sutherland (with 1959 and 1960 performances at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden).
It has remained a staple of the operatic repertoire.Performance statistics. Accessed 13 November 2013
An aria from the opera, "Il dolce suono", is mentioned in E.M. Forster's Where Angels Fear to Tread. It is also featured in Luc Besson's film The Fifth Element. The Act 2 sextet features prominently in Scorsese's film The Departed.
Roles RoleVoice typePremiere castMiss Lucia sopranoFanny Tacchinardi PersianiLord Enrico Asthon, Lord of Lammermoor; Lucia's brotherbaritoneDomenico CosselliSir Edgardo di RavenswoodtenorGilbert DuprezLord Arturo BucklawtenorBalestrieriRaimondo Bidebent, a Calvinist chaplainbassCarlo Ottolini PortoAlisa, Lucia's handmaidmezzo-sopranoTeresa ZappucciNormanno, a huntsman; a retainer of EnricotenorAnafesto Rossi
Instrumentation
The instrumentation is: Woodwinds: piccolo, 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets and 2 bassoons Brass: 4 horns, 2 trumpets, and 3 trombones Percussion: timpani, triangle, bass drum, cymbals and campana (tubular bells) Strings: harp, first violins, second violins, violas, violoncellos and double basses.
Additionally an off-stage wind band is used; Donizetti did not provide instrumentation. Also, occasionally the glass harmonica is substituted for solo flute in Lucia's mad scene, per Donizetti's original score.
Synopsis Time: 17th century Place: ScotlandOsborne, p. 240
Act 1 Scene 1: The gardens of Lammermoor Castleoriginal stage direction from the Ricordi score
Normanno, captain of the castle guard, and other retainers are searching for an intruder. He tells Enrico that he believes that the man is Edgardo of Ravenswood, and that he comes to the castle to meet Enrico's sister, Lucia. It is confirmed that Edgardo is indeed the intruder. Enrico reaffirms his hatred for the Ravenswood family and his determination to end the relationship.
Scene 2: By a fountain at the entrance to the park, beside the castle
Lucia waits for Edgardo. In her famous aria "", Lucia tells her maid Alisa that she has seen the ghost of a girl killed on the very same spot by a jealous Ravenswood ancestor. Alisa tells Lucia that the apparition is a warning and that she must give up her love for Edgardo. Edgardo enters; for political reasons, he must leave immediately for France. He hopes to make his peace with Enrico and marry Lucia. Lucia tells him this is impossible, and instead they take a sworn vow of marriage and exchange rings. Edgardo leaves.
Act 2 Scene 1: Lord Ashton's apartments
Preparations have been made for the imminent wedding of Lucia to Arturo. Enrico worries about whether Lucia will really submit to the wedding. He shows his sister a forged letter seemingly proving that Edgardo has forgotten her and taken a new lover. Enrico leaves Lucia to further persuasion, this time by Raimondo, Lucia's chaplain and tutor, that she should renounce her vow to Edgardo, for the good of the family, and marry Arturo.
Scene 2: A hall in the castle
Arturo arrives for the marriage. Lucia seems distressed, but Enrico explains that this is due to the death of her mother. Arturo signs the marriage contract, followed reluctantly by Lucia. At that point Edgardo suddenly appears in the hall, which leads to the celebrated sextet Chi mi frena in tal momento. Raimondo prevents a fight, and he shows Edgardo Lucia's signature on the marriage contract. Edgardo curses her, demanding that they return their rings to each other. He tramples his ring on the ground, before being forced out of the castle.
Act 3 Scene 1: Wolfcrag
Enrico visits Edgardo to challenge him to a duel. He tells him that Lucia is already enjoying her bridal bed. Edgardo agrees to fight him. They will meet later by the graveyard of the Ravenswoods, near the Wolf's Crag.
Scene 2: A Halloriginal stage direction in the Ricordi score
Raimondo interrupts the marriage celebrations to tell the guests that Lucia has gone mad and killed her bridegroom Arturo. Lucia enters. In the aria "" she imagines being with Edgardo, soon to be happily married. Enrico enters and at first threatens Lucia but later softens when he realizes her condition. Lucia collapses. Raimondo blames Normanno for precipitating the whole tragedy.
Scene 3: The graveyard of the Ravenswood family
Edgardo is resolved to kill himself on Enrico's sword. He learns that Lucia is dying and then Raimondo comes to tell him that she has already died. Edgardo stabs himself with a dagger, hoping to be reunited with Lucia in heaven.This synopsis by Simon Holledge was first published on Opera japonica (www.operajaponica.org) and appears here by permission.
Music
The "mad scene" The cabaletta "" following the more lyrical "" from the "mad scene" (Act 3, Scene 2), has historically been a vehicle for several coloratura sopranos (providing a breakthrough for Dame Joan Sutherland) and is a technically and expressively demanding piece. Donizetti originally wrote it in F major, but it is often transposed down a tone (two half-steps) into E-flat. Some sopranos, including Ruth Welting,Forbes, Elizabeth, Obituary: Ruth Welting, The Independent, 23 December 1999. Accessed 6 February 2009. Mariella Devia, Mady Mesplé, and Lily Pons have sung the "mad scene" in Donizetti's original F major key, although E-flat is more commonly heard.
Other sopranos, such as Katia Ricciarelli and Montserrat Caballé, have performed the scene in a ("as written") fashion, adding minimal ornamentation to their interpretations (in the case of Caballé even performing the mad scene in its original F major). Most sopranos, however, add ornamentation to demonstrate their technical ability, as was the tradition in the bel canto period. This involves the addition and interpolation of trills, mordents, turns, runs and cadenzas. Almost all sopranos append cadenzas to the end of the "mad scene", sometimes ending them on a high keynote (E-flat or F, depending on the key in which they are singing, though Mado Robin takes an even higher B-flat).
The original scoring of this scene was for glass harmonica and soprano. However, an adaptation for flute and the soprano soloist has been more commonly performed since, mostly for practical reasons. Glass harmonica players Sascha Reckert and Philipp Alexander Marguerre resuscitated Gaetano Donizetti's vision in 2006 at the Opera La Scala in Milan, accompanying Mariella Devia, and have since brought Donizetti's original score back to all major opera houses, including the venue of its premiere, Teatro di San Carlo. Friedrich Heinrich Kern, who has been collaborating with Reckert and Marguerre as Ensemble Sinfonia di Vetro, started to revive the original performance practice in the United States, recently featured in Lucia di Lammermoor productions at the Metropolitan Opera, Santa Fe Opera, and Opera Philadelphia.
The popular soprano and flute duet cadenza was composed in 1888 by Mathilde Marchesi for her student Nellie Melba's performance of the role, requiring ten weeks of rehearsal for the new addition and causing a critical reevaluation and surge of new interest in the opera.
List of arias and musical numbers The index of Bonynge's edition lists the following numbers.
1. "Preludio" Act 1 2. "Percorrete le spiaggie vicine" 3. "Tu sei turbato!" 4. "Cruda, funesta smania" (Enrico) 5. "La pietade in suo favore" (Enrico) 6. "Ancor non giunse!" (Lucia) 7. "Regnava nel silenzio" (Lucia) 8. "Quando rapito in estasi" (Lucia) 9. "Egli s'avanza" (Alisa, Edgardo, Lucia) 10. "Sulla tomba che rinserra" (Edgardo, Lucia) 11. "Qui di sposa eterna fede... Ah! Verranno a te sull'aure" (Edgardo, Lucia)
Act 2 12. "Lucia, fra poco a te verrà" 13. "Appressati, Lucia" 14. "Il pallor funesto, orrendo" 15. "Soffriva nel pianto" 16. "Che fia" 17. "Se tradirmi tu potrai" 18. "Ebben? – Di tua speranza" 19. "Ah! cedi, cedi" (Raimondo) 20. "Al ben de' tuoi qual vittima" (Raimondo) 21. "Per te d'immenso giubilo" 22. "Dov'è Lucia?" 23. "Chi mi frena in tal momento" (sextet) 24. "T'allontana sciagurato"
Act 3 25. "Orrida è questa notte" 26. "Qui del padre ancor respira" 27. "D'immenso giubilo" 28. "Ah! cessate quel contento" 29. "Oh! qual funesto avvenimento!" 30. "Oh, giusto cielo!... Il dolce suono" (Lucia, "Mad Scene") 31. "Ohimè! sorge il tremendo fantasma" 32. "S'avanza Enrico" 33. "Spargi d'amaro pianto" 34. "Si tragga altrove"