Lucia di Lammermoor is one of the masterpieces of bel canto opera and the title role, with its challenging combination of exquisite, stylised singing and intense, realistic drama, is among the most prized in the repertoire.
In Musica Viva’s new production, Lucrezia Drei’s gorgeous voice, flawless bel canto technique and vivid stage presence showed that this young Italian soprano is a worthy successor to such legendary Lucias as Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland and Natalie Dessay.
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti in 1835, the opera is based on Walter Scott’s 1819 novel The Bride of Lammermoor. Set in Scotland in the late 17th century, the story features a family feud, murder, madness and suicide, and while the plot may seem impossibly lurid, it was in fact inspired by a real-life cause célèbre.
