Opera "Lucia di Lammermoor": content, video, interesting facts, history

G. Donizetti opera "Lucia di Lammermoor"

Over twenty-seven years of creativity Gaetano Donizetti wrote more than 70 operas. Their fate was different - some were forgotten immediately after the premiere performances, and some secured their lives for centuries. Among the latter - "Lucia di Lammermoor", which has become the benchmark of the bel canto era and is included in the top thirty most performed operas in the world.

Summary of the opera Donizetti "Lucia di Lammermoor" and a lot of interesting facts about this work, read on our page.

Summary of Lucia di Lammermoor

Scotland, the end of the 17th century.

Ravenswood Castle, which belonged to the Edgardo family for centuries, is now captured by Lord Ashton. Norman had found out that a stranger had sneaked into the garden, and started looking for him. Ashton complains to Bidebent that his financial affairs are very bad now, and he plans to correct them through his marriage with Lord Barclow, but the girl stubbornly resists marriage. The guards report that the stranger fled, but they recognized him - that was Edgardo, who, as Norman adds, comes on a date every morning to Lucia. Ashton understands the reason for the disobedience of her sister and is determined to harshly stop this relationship.

Lucia goes with Alice for a walk and tells her the legend that in this garden one of the Ravenswoods had once killed his beloved. Lucia saw the ghost of this girl and the bloody water in the fountain. Alice believes that this is a bad omen. Edgardo appears, he is forced to leave, so he says goodbye to Lucia, assuring her of his love. A couple exchanges rings in loyalty to each other.

Ashton organized a celebration for the wedding of Lucia and Lord Bucklow. The guests are already on the threshold, but the girl has still not agreed to the marriage. Then her brother shows her a fake letter, in which Edgardo is accused of treason. Shocked by the betrayal of his beloved, Lucia agrees to marry. At the time of signing the marriage contract Edgardo bursts. He accuses the girl of breaking the oath and returns the ring to her.

The wedding audience has not yet parted when the shocked Bidebent came to them. He said that Lucia went mad and stabbed her husband. Soon she appears herself - in a bloody shirt with a dagger in her hand. She raves and talks to the imaginary Edgardo, then dreaming that she married him, then calling her brother his name, then asking him for forgiveness for having forced her to become another's wife. Edgardo has not had time to leave the castle. Upon learning of what happened, he rushes to his beloved, but she dies in the hands of Bidebent. In desperation, Edgardo thrusts a dagger into himself.

A photo

Interesting Facts

• Donizetti worked very quickly, he completely finished some operas in 10 days. From the previous work, "Marino Faliero", "Lucia de Lammermoor" separated only six months.
• Salvatore Cammarano wrote a libretto to seven more operas. DonizettiRoberto Devereaux (1837) and Polievkt (1840), among others, was also one of the permanent co-authors Giuseppe Verdi, they created 4 operas: "Alzira" (1845), "The Battle of Legnano" (1849), "Louise Miller"(1849) andTroubadour"(1853). Cammarano also wrote for King Verdi a libretto" King Lear ", the music for which was never written. A. Royer and G. Vaez, who worked on the French version of" Lucia di Lammermur ", subsequently created the texts" Favorite " (1840) and Don Pasquale (1843). They also managed to work with Verdi on his debut Parisian opera Jerusalem (1847), which was a remake of the Lombards in the First Crusade issued to La Scala four years earlier.
• The novel by V. Scott is based on real events.
• In the 19th century, Walter Scott's novels were very popular as plots for operas - they contained historical plots full of excitement, adventure, and love intrigue. Before Donizetti, the Lammermoor Bride, written in 1819, was used to create at least 6 operas.
• It was Lucia de Lammermoor who confirmed Donizetti as the lead composer of the Italian opera - D. Rossini by the time moved away from musical activity, and V. Bellini died shortly before the premiere. Despite the fact that during the years of his triumph (1835-1844) the maestro lived mainly in Paris, he did not cede his leadership to anyone, and only with his departure from music did Verdi take on the creative power.
• In the scene of the madness of Lucia, Donizetti's original score provides for the accompaniment of such a rare instrument as a glass harmonica. Due to the fact that not every orchestra can ensure its presence, the harmonica is most often performed by the flute.

• In January 2009, Anna Netrebko returned to the stage with the part of Lucia, performed at the Mariinsky Theater, after a break associated with the birth of her son. A few weeks later, the return took place at a performance in the Metropolitan Opera. But the sensation of that evening was not so much the premiere of Netrebko (which, by the way, the critics and the public appreciated very restrained), but problems with the voice of her partner, Rolando Villazón. It was also his first opera season after a year and a half of silence due to illness. And now, on the first "Lucia", the voice let him down again - the singer broke off the aria, started coughing and with difficulty brought the scene to the end. Despite his condition, after the intermission, Villazón did not use the help of a backup, but adequately finished his party, which attracted everyone gathered in the hall.
• Today, Lucia di Lammermoor is Donizetti's second performance after "Love drink". On world scenes, it sounds twice as often as"Queen of spades"Tchaikovsky or"Lohengrin"Wagner.
• Maria Callas performed the scene of the madness of Lucia as it was written - in the key of F major, adding minimal ornamentation to the interpretation. While many sopranos are trying to show all their vocal abilities in this part, as was customary in the Bel Canto era.

The best numbers from the opera Lucia di Lammermoor

"Il dolce suono ... Spargi d'amaro pianto" - scene of the madness of Lucia (listen)

"Tu che a Dio spiegasti l'ali" - Edgardo's aria (listen)

"Regnava nel silenzio ... Quando rapito in estasi" - Lucia aria (listen)

History of creation and productions of "Lucia di Lammermoor"

The beginning of the 1830s was a successful period for Donizetti - he wrote the best operas: "Anne Boleyn" (1830), "Love Drink" (1832), "Lucrezia Borgia" (1833), "Mary Stuart" (1934). Their fame was intended to strengthen the new work of the master - "Lucia di Lammermoor." It was based on the plot of W. Scott's novel Lammermoor Bride, popular at the time. The composer trusted the Neapolitan Salvatore Cammarano to write the text. He significantly reworked the original source, rejecting many plot details - the focus of attention focused exclusively on the love line.

Heroes of the opera are typical for the work of the belcanto romantic era. In the center there is an innocently suffering heroine whose part is written for masterly performance by a coloratura soprano, next is her ardent lover, certainly a lyric tenor. As well as baritone and bass, acting in the roles of the detractor and senior ally.

The premiere took place on September 26, 1835 at the main theater of Naples - San Carlo. Incredible success was due not only to the magnificent musical material and exciting plot, but also to the brilliant cast of performers - the famous diva Fanny Takinardi-Persiani, the famous tenor and friend of the composer Gilbert Dupré, and the baritone Domenico Koscelli.

The first performer of the role of Lucia introduced into her changes, which in subsequent productions began to be used everywhere. For example, thanks to the transposition of the vocal part in the madness scene a tone lower, Takkinardi-Persiani achieved a greater effect in the performance of high notes, thereby turning not only this dramatic episode, but the entire role into the emotional center of the opera, which pressed Edgardo's suicide. In part, this is justified by the fact that the conditions of the Belkanto opera dictate just such an ending - the grandiose scene of madness and the death of the title character. Donizetti decided to avoid following this tradition, thanks to which the character Edgardo acquired new qualities. The passionate and impetuous young hero in his final aria grows out of a romantic pattern, experiencing true tragedy, anticipating the pathos and dignity of the best heroes of Verdi.

In 1839, the opera was staged in Paris with a new libretto in French. It was not just a translation, but a different edition created by playwrights A. Royer and G. Vaez. Lucia became even more lonely - Alice was withdrawn from the plot, Bidebent became a not so sympathetic character to the girl. Bucklow's role, on the contrary, increased, a new hero appeared, Gilbert, selling other people's secrets for money - to Ashton and Ravenswood. French "Lucia" is not forgotten in our days. Audio recording of the 2002 Lyon play with N. Dessay and R. Alaine spread throughout the world

In 1838 the London premiere took place. In 1841, Lucia di Lammermoor went to conquer the United States. In Russia, the opera was first performed by the Italian troupe in 1838. Petersburg Bolshoi Theater put it in 1840.

Music of "Lucia di Lammermoor" in the cinema

Undoubtedly, the most famous film where the music from the opera is played is Luc Besson’s The Fifth Element (1995). In one of the scenes, the intergalactic Diva Plalavaguna performs the aria of Lucia "Il dolce suono". The vocal image of the character created by the Albanian soprano Inva Mula. Thanks to the computer processing of the singer's voice, Plalavaguna demonstrates truly outstanding singing abilities. Donizetti was engaged in processing music by composer E. Serra.

Among other paintings in which you can hear excerpts from the opera:

• "Guardians of the galaxy" D. Gunn, 2014;
• "The Departed" M. Scorsese, 2006;
• "Madame Bovary" K. Chabrol, 1991;
• "Where Angels Fear to Step" by Charles Sturridge, 1991;
• "May Days" by Z. Leonard, 1937.

"Lucia di Lammermoor" withstood many screenings, which were attended by leading masters of the opera stage:

• Performance Metropolitan Opera, 2009, director G. Halvorson, in the main roles: A. Netrebko, P. Bechala, M. Kvechen;
• Performance of the Opera San Francisco, 2009, directed by F. Zamacon, in the main roles: N. Dessay, D. Filianoti, G. Vivani;
• The performance of the Metropolitan Opera, 1983, directed by C. Browning, in the main parts: D. Sutherland, A. Kraus, P. Elvira;
• Film M. Lanfranki, 1971, starring: A. Moffo, L. Kozma, D. Fioravanti;
• Film P. Ballerini, 1946, starring: N. Corradi, M. Filippischi, A. Poli.

The bel canto era has remained far behind, and nowadays only a small number of operas of that time sound. "Lucia di Lammermoor"- one of the best examples of this. Its dramatic plot and impressive, memorable music has been gaining new admirers for nearly two centuries, both in both Italian and French versions.