Opera Tickets Italy

Gaetano Donizetti's tragic opera in three acts, Lucia di Lammermoor, was written when the maestro was reaching the height of his fame and creative powers. Based on the 1819 historical novel by Sir Walter Scott, The Bride of Lammermoor, this production of the dramma tragico at the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma brings out the darkness and haunting beauty of an opera famed for its emotional intensity and virtuosic vocal writing. The libretto was provided by Salvatore Cammarano, a writer who also worked with Donizetti on L'assedio di Calais (1836) and Maria de Rudenz (1838), later collaborating with Giuseppe Verdi for operas such as Alzira (1845) and Luisa Miller (1849).

Lucia di Lammermoor premiered on 26 September 1835 at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, where Donizetti had already enjoyed considerable success. The opera was very well received after its initial run, with its so-called ‘mad scene’ rapidly establishing itself as a benchmark in opera writing that other composers would try to match. The Scottish setting for the opera is no coincidence, with its wild, romantic beauty creating a backdrop from which the story, with its themes of forbidden love and family conflict, is established with an almost mythic quality.

The plot of Lucia di Lammermoor centres on two characters, Lucia Ashton and Sir Edgardo di Ravenswood, and the love they share. Ravenswood is the heir to a family that is a rival of the Ashtons, a fact that seemingly makes their affection for one another impossible. Despite their difficulties, the couple exchange vows, declaring their love for one another in secret. However, Lucia’s brother, Lord Enrico Ashton, has other plans. He has arranged for Lucia to marry Sir Arturo, a nobleman she has no interest in. Pressured by Enrico into marrying Arturo against her wishes, Lucia is eventually separated from Ravenswood. Will her forced marriage end in tragedy? As events unfold, there is a descent into madness brought on by sorrow, with potentially fatal consequences.

Donizetti's compositional skill is on display throughout Lucia di Lammermoor. The stirring Il dolce suono is a hopeful section of vocal music in the third act's famous mad scene in which Lucia imagines being happily married to Edgardo. Later in the same scene, Lucia sings Spargi d'amaro pianto, a cabaletta - the fast, energetic concluding section of an aria or extended vocal sequence - which brings the scene towards its emotionally charged climax in stark contrast to the atmosphere created earlier. Featuring the Teatro dell’Opera di Roma Orchestra and Choir, this production of Donizetti's epic Lucia di Lammermoor at Rome's Teatro Costanzi provides astonishingly intense music that reveals the full dramatic power of the composer.