Opera fans go mad for Donizetti’s Italian opera ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’

Lucia di Lammermoor is an Italian tragic opera by Gaetano Donizetti. It’s about a fragile young woman who is forced into marriage, but goes mad and kills her husband on their wedding night.

The extended mad scene in Act III is the most famous scene of madness in the entire opera repertoire.

The Met Opera draws the point that Lucia is not mad as in insane. She reaches a point of fullness in which she will be true to herself. Refusing to submit to social convention is the only madness she is guilty of.

Gaetano Donizetti

Donizetti (1797 – 1848) was a composer of bel canto (beautiful singing) operas. He is best known for L’Elisir d’Amore, Don Pasquale, and Lucia di Lammermoor.

Like many creative artists, Donizetti himself suffered from mental illness. When you are too straight, it is hard to create. When you are too wild, it is hard to maintain your life. That is the balance that all artists must walk.

Lucia di Lammermoor

Lucia di Lammermoor tells the story of Lucia, an emotionally fragile woman who is caught in a family feud and loses her mind.

Donizetti wrote Lucia di Lammermoor in 1835 when he was at the height of his popularity.

Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto. It is based on The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott. Cammarano also wrote libretti for Verdi’s Luisa Miller and Il Trovatore.

The opera premiered at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples Italy in 1835. It premiered at The Met in 1903.

Lucia di Lammermoor Setting

Licia di Lammermoor is set in 17th-century Scotland.

Lucia di Lammermoor Roles

Lord Enrico Ashton is Lord of Lammermoor, a house whose fortune is at risk. He plans to save the family by marrying his sister to another house.

Lucia Ashton is Lord Enrico’s sister. She is in love with Sir Edgardo di Ravenswood.

Lord Arturo is the man who Lord Enrico intends his sister to marry.

Sir Edgardo di Ravenswood is the leader of the Ashton’s political enemies. He is in love with Lucia.

Raimondo Bidebent is a Calvinist priest.

Metropolitan Opera’s Lucia di Lammermoor 2018

This is Tony Award-winning director Mary Zimmerman’s production. It is still set in Scotland, but in the mid-19th century.

Lucia di Lammermoor Cast

Roberto Abbado (Milan, Italy) conducts.

Lucia

• Soprano Olga Peretyatko-Mariotti (St. Petersburg, Russia) is Lucia from opening night through April 7.
• Soprano Jessica Pratt (Bristol, England) is Lucia April 11 and 14.
• Soprano Pretty Yende (Piet Retief, South Africa) is Lucia from April 25 on.

Edgardo

• Tenor Vittorio Grigolo (Arezzo, Italy) is Edgardo through April 14.
• Tenor Michael Fabiano (Montclair, New Jersey) is Edgardo from April 25 on.

Enrico

• Baritone Massimo Cavalletti (Lucca, Italy) is Enrico through April 14.
• Baritone Luca Salsi (Parma, Italy) is Enrico March 30 and April 11.
• Baritone Quinn Kelsey (Honolulu, Hawaii) is Enrico from April 25 on.

Raimondo

• Bass Vitalij Kowaljow (Kiev, Ukraine) is Raimondo through April 14.
• Bass Alexander Vinogradov (Moscow, Russia) is Raimondo from April 25 on.

Lucia di Lammermoor Performances

The Metropolitan Opera performs Lucia di Lammermoor twelve times between March 22 and May 10, 2018.

March 2018

Thursday, March 22 at 7:30 pm

Monday, March 26 at 7:30 pm
Friday, March 30 at 8 pm

April 2018

Tuesday, April 3 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, April 7 at 12:30 pm

Wednesday, April 11 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, April 14 at 8 pm

Wednesday, April 25 at 7:30 pm ~ main cast change
Saturday, April 28 at 8 pm

May 2018

Wednesday, May 2 at 7:30 pm
Saturday, May 5 at 8 pm

Thursday, May 10 at 7:30 pm

Lucia di Lammermoor Tickets

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