Bride Gone Mad

Lucia di Lammermoor

Gaetano Donizetti

High Notes

Despite its status as a coloratura soprano vehicle, Lucia was one of Callas' top five roles.  Lucia is overflowing with high notes.  Lucia's cavatina, "Regnava nel silenzio," has a high D.  "Verrano a te sull'aure," the lover's duet, is written in B flat.  In Callas' recording, she and Tagliavini share a high Tonic.  In her recording, Sills interpolated a high F! before the closing.  Lucia has another high D at the end of Act 2 Scene 1.  The famous sextette, "Chi mi frena in tal momento," ends on a high D flat and Act 2 ends on a high D.  The equally famous mad scene has two high E flats.  If you are looking for ornamentation, purchase the Sills recording.

A dramma tragico in three acts, 2 & 1/2 hours

Composed in 1835

Set to a libretto by Salvatore Cammarano after Sir Walter Scott's novel "The Bride of Lammermoor"

First performed in Naples, Italy, Teatro di San Carlo, on 26 September 1835.

The cast at the premiere included Fanny Tacchinardi-Persiani (Lucia), Gilbert Duprez (Edgardo), Domenico Cosselli (Enrico), and Carlo Porto (Raimondo).

Principle Roles

• Lucia di Lammermoor, Enrico's sister.....soprano
• Edgardo Ravenswood, Lucia's beloved.....tenor
• Enrico Ashton, master of Lammermoor.....baritone
• Raimondo Bidebent, Calvinist chaplain at Lammermoor.....bass
• Lord Arturo Bucklaw, Lucia's groom.....tenor
• Alisa, Lucia's companion.....mezzo-soprano
• Normanno, a follower of Enrico Ashton.....tenor

The Story

Lucia needs to marry well in order to secure her family's finances. However, Normanno reveals to Enrico that she has been seeing Edgardo, her brother's sworn enemy. In a garden, Lucia contemplates the division between the two families and imagines the ghost of a Lammermoor girl who was killed by a Ravenswood. Enrico arrives and announces that he must leave Scotland for France to campaign for the Stuarts. Before he leaves, he wishes to mend the relationship between the families. However, at Lucia's urging, he settles for the exchanging of rings. While Edgardo is gone, Enrico forges a letter that suggests Edgardo has been unfaithful. The letter and the insistence of Raimondo convinces Lucia to allow Enrico to arrange her marriage to Arturo. Edgardo bursts into the wedding after Lucia signs the marriage contract. Enrico orders his removal while Edgardo voices his renewed hatred for the Lammermoor name. In a ruined tower of Ravenswood Castle, Enrico challenges Edgardo to a duel. Raimondo interrupts the wedding festivities to announce that Lucia has murdered Arturo and is asking for Edgardo. Lucia, who has gone mad, enters. Enrico feels guilty for her current state. She eventually falls dead. Edgardo, who has been waiting to fight Enrico, learns of Lucia's death from those leaving the wedding. He subsequently stabs himself.

Notable Incipits

• "Cruda, funesta smania" (Enrico)
• "Regnave nel silenzio" (Lucia)
• "Ah! Verrano a te sull'aure" (Lucia & Edgardo)
• "Se tradirmi tu potrai" (Lucia & Enrico)
• "Chi me frena in tal momento" (Lucia, Edgardo, Enrico, Raimondo, Arturo & Alisa)
• "Il dolce suono" (Lucia)
• "Alfin son tua" (Lucia)
• "Fra poco a me ricovero" (Edgardo)
• "Tu che a Dio spiegasti l'ali" (Edgardo)

Recommended Recordings

• Callas (Lucia), Tagliavini (Edgardo), Cappuccilli (Enrico)
• Sills (Lucia), Bergonzi (Edgardo), Cappuccilli (Enrico)
• Sutherland (Lucia), Pavarotti (Edgardo), Ghiaurov (Enrico)

Upcoming Performances

• October 2008-February 2009 - New York (Metropolitan)
• October 2008-May 2009 - Frankfurt (Oper)
• November 2008-March 2009 - Prague (Statni)
• December 2008 - Zurich (Oper)
• December 2008-March 2009 - Berlin (Deutsch)
• January/February 2009 - Florence (Communale)
• March-June 2009 - Vienna (Staatsoper)
• May 2009 - Dijon
• May/June 2009 - Montreal