Donizetti's opera Lucia di Lammermoor. "Lucia di Lammermoor" is a three-act tragedy. Composer - Gaetano Donizetti Premiere of Donizetti's opera "Lucia di Lammermoor"

The original name is Lucia di Lammermoor.

An opera in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti with a libretto (in Italian) by Salvatore Cammarano, based on Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor.

Characters:

LORD ENRICO ASHTON OF LAMMERMOOR (baritone)
LUCIA, his sister (soprano)
ALICE, Lucia's companion (soprano or mezzo-soprano)
EDGARDO, owner of Ravenswood (tenor)
LORD ARTURO BUCKLOW (tenor)
RAIMONDO, chaplain of Lammermoor, tutor of Lucia (bass)
NORMAN, commander of the Ravenswood garrison (tenor)

Time of action: 1669.
Location: Scotland.
First performance: Naples, Teatro San Carlo, September 26, 1835.

Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor is rarely read these days because it is not one of his best works. Nevertheless, it attracted the attention of opera composers as a plot rich in possibilities. And three composers - Bredal, Carafa and Mazzucato - used it even before Donizetti. None of the early operatic versions have survived on the stage, and of all the works of Donizetti himself, this opera turned out to be the most frequently performed.

Donizetti may have been especially drawn to this subject because one of his grandfathers, Donald Isett, was Scottish. However, for the purposes of the opera, the names of the Scottian characters were wisely changed to their more euphonious Italian equivalents. So, Lucy became Lucia, Henry - Enrico, Edgar - Edgardo; but the names of the places where the opera takes place remain the same. Some other changes were made in addition to the necessary cuts. For example, Scott's Edgar ends his life in a highly non-operatic way - he races wildly on his horse in quicksand. No tenor could sing two long arias ending on a high D flat under similar circumstances. Donizetti's Edgardo, therefore, quite wisely stabs himself with a dagger instead of riding a horse. With this outcome, the Italian tenor has a significant advantage. The final aria, by the way, one of the best written by Donizetti, was hastily composed and recorded in just an hour and a half, when the composer was suffering terribly from a headache.

But above all, this opera is an excellent means of demonstrating the talent of a soprano rather than a tenor, and many great singers have chosen it for their New York debut. Among them are Adeline Patti, Marcella Sembrich, Nellie Melba, Maria Barrientos and Lily Pons. Two of them - Pons and Sembrich - also chose this role to celebrate their twenty-fifth anniversary of their debuts at the Metropolitan Opera.

ACT I
DEPARTURE

Scene 1. In the garden of Ravenswood Castle, now captured by Lord Enrico Ashton, a detachment of guards under the command of Norman is looking for a man who has sneaked in here. While this search and inspection of every bush and grotto is going on, Enrico himself tells Norman, as well as Lucia’s teacher, chaplain Raimondo, about the difficult circumstances in which he now finds himself. He hopes to correct them by arranging the marriage of his sister Lucia with the rich and powerful Lord Arturo Bucklow, who is greatly favored by the monarch. Unfortunately, Lucia wants no part of this. Norman, who has a suspicion about the reason for this reluctance of Lucia, mockingly says that it lies in Lucia's love for another. And he tells how one day a stranger saved her from a mad bull and that since then she secretly meets with her savior every morning in this garden. The stranger Norman was talking about is none other than Edgardo of Ravenswood, Enrico's sworn enemy.

At this moment the guard detachment returns. The guards noticed the stranger, but were unable to detain him. However, they definitely confirm that it is Edgardo. Enrico is overwhelmed by a thirst for revenge (“Cruda funesta smania” - “Wild thirst for revenge”). With all his malice, he expresses his hatred for the man who is the sworn enemy of his family, who threatens to ruin his plans for an advantageous marriage to Lucia.

Scene 2 is introduced by an absolutely delightful harp solo - perhaps depicting the park where the scene takes place, or perhaps two lovely women sitting by a fountain, engrossed in candid conversation. Lucia di Lammermoor tells her friend Alice a mysterious story about this fountain, and she, in turn, strongly advises her to stop seeing her lover Edgardo, whom she meets in this garden. But Lucia defends her love for Edgardo and enthusiastically sings of him. The history of the fountain is told in a gently flowing melody (“Regnava nel silenzio” - “Silent night reigned all around”), her love is sung in an aria (“Quando rapita in estasi”).

When Edgardo himself enters to meet his beloved, Alice tactfully leaves. He is obliged, he tells Lucia, to go to France; but before setting off, he would like to make peace with Enrico, tell him about his love for Lucia and ask for her hand. This plan frightens Lucia and she begs her lover not to do it. Edgardo bitterly lists the reasons he has for hating Ashton, but the scene ends with a wonderful farewell love duet (“Verrando a te sull`aure” - “To you on the wings of the wind”), in which first Lucia, then Edgardo and finally together they sing one of the most wonderful melodies in this extraordinarily melodic opera. The lovers exchange rings and part.

ACT II
MARRIAGE CONTRACT

Scene 1. From a conversation between Enrico and Norman, which takes place in the hall of Lammermoor Castle, we learn that all of Edgardo's letters to Lucia have been intercepted. In addition, one letter was falsified to show her that Edgardo had cheated on her and was now married to another woman. When Norman leaves, Enrico uses every argument to convince his sister to marry Lord Arturo Bucklow. He completely breaks her heart when he shows her the fake letter and adds that it is her duty to her family to marry this powerful man who loves her so much. Poor Lucia never consented to this marriage, but now she is so depressed that she does not have the strength to resist.

Scene 2. As a matter of fact, Lord Arturo is already in the castle, and the next scene takes place in the great hall. A festive choir sings, Arturo swears fidelity, and when Lucia appears (she is still in tears), the marriage contract is signed.

It is at this moment that a stranger, tightly wrapped in a cloak, bursts into the hall. This is Edgardo, returned from France. He tries to claim his rights to Lucia, but Raimondo shows him the signed marriage contract. In a rage, he sees nothing but this contract, does not hear any explanations from Lucia. His enemies draw their swords. And only thanks to the intervention of Lucia's devoted old teacher, chaplain Raimondo, is it possible to avoid bloodshed at the wedding celebration. In a fit of rage, Edgardo throws and tramples the ring (“Maledetto sia istante” - “Cursed be that ill-fated day”). In the sextet, all the main characters, not to mention the wedding choir of guests, express their conflicting emotions. This ensemble makes a stunning impression. Eventually, an enraged Edgardo leaves the hall.

ACT III

Scene 1. Immediately after the wedding. Enrico visits Edgardo in his secluded room in the Wolfskrag Tower to denigrate and humiliate him and to deliberately provoke him into a fit of rage by telling him about the details of the wedding ceremony. The two men openly accuse each other and, in the final duet of the scene, agree to a duel, which is scheduled for the cemetery among the gravestones of Ravenswood. When performing opera, this scene is usually omitted.

Scene 2. The wedding guests are still feasting in the main hall of the castle when Raimondo, Lucia's mentor, interrupts the general fun. Lucia, he announces in a voice cracked with horror, having gone mad, stabbed her husband with his own sword (“Dalle stanze ove Lucia” - “From the chambers to where the spouses”).

The next moment Lucia herself appears. The guests, overcome with horror, retreat. She is still in her white wedding robes, deathly pale, almost like a ghost. She has a sword in her hand. The famous “Scene of Madness” follows (“II dolce suono mi colpi di sua voce” - “I heard his dear voice”). Lucia dreams that she is still with Edgardo; she remembers the previous happiest days, imagines that she is marrying him. And at the end of this scene, realizing that death is near, she promises to wait for him.

Scene 3 takes us outside the castle, where Edgardo wanders among the tombstones of his ancestors. He is inconsolable. An approaching funeral procession interrupts his gloomy philosophizing. He asks who is being buried and finds out what terrible events happened. Funeral bells are ringing. This is ringing for Lucia. Only now does he realize that she has always been faithful to him. He sings his final "Goodbye!" (“Tu che a Dio spiegasti l`ali” - “You, flying to the sky”) and then, before Raimondo can stop him, he plunges a dagger into his heart. Together with the cello playing the melody, he sings his last words of farewell with his last breath.

Postscriptum regarding the historical circumstances of this plot. Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor is based on the actual wedding contract that led to the tragedy that occurred in Scotland in 1669. Janet Dalrymple (Lucia) murdered her new husband, David Dunbar (Arturo), to whom she had been forcibly married by her father, Viscount Stare (Enrico), instead of being given to her beloved Lord Rutherford (Edgardo). In real life, the unlucky suitor was the bride's uncle.

Henry W. Simon (translated by A. Maikapara)

It seems that Lucia di Lammermoor (Gaetano Donizetti, 1835) is an opera at which I am doomed to cry. I listened to it for the first time 2 weeks ago on the same stage of the Stanislavsky Theater, and only talked about the first and second acts. Today I saw the final, third one. I understood why fans praise the performer of the title role, Khibla Gerzmava, and shared their delight and admiration for the diva. Khibla's angelic singing touched me to the depths of my soul, to trembling, to tears.

In the first act, we see the tragedy of a girl living in a world of selfish, ambitious and indifferent men who turn out to be her relatives and friends. Lucia Aston fell in love with her family's sworn enemy, Edgardo Ravenswood, and is now confronting the whole world: the previous generations of Astons who dedicated their lives to the extermination of the Ravenswood family, her brother Enrico,

desperately trying to improve his affairs by marrying his sister to an influential man, Count Arturo. Even Lucia’s teacher and friend, Raimondo, and companion Alice do not approve of her choice and urge her to abandon her fatal passion.

Edgardo aggravates the suffering of his beloved - he goes to France, having previously demanded a marital oath from Lucia, in fact blackmailing her, since if Lucia had rejected his love, he would have continued to take revenge for the Ravenswood family, destroying the Astons (“Hark and tremble!”). Thanks to the efforts of her household, Lucia does not receive letters from Edgardo, who left her. Through persuasion, violence and deception, her brother and confessor force her to marry Arturo.

But the next minute after signing the marriage contract, Edgardo bursts in and accuses Lucia of treason. The unfortunate woman loses consciousness, and soon her sanity.

The third act begins with the duet of Edgardo (Chingis Ayusheev) and Enrico (Ilya Pavlov) - they appoint a duel, but not out of revenge for their lover and sister - there is no question of that - but out of long-standing hatred of each other, inherited from their fathers.

Then Lucia (Khibla Gerzmava) floats onto the stage, carrying behind her shoulders the unbearable burden of her own destiny - a white veil. An incredibly poignant picture: quiet, self-absorbed Lucia, with a pale face turned to the sky, silently walks from one curtain to another, and the veil trails behind her like a heavy white hearse. We have not yet heard a word about her madness, but from this silent picture the heart begins to ache with a terrible foreboding.

The director gives us the next hint of a tragic end in the scene of the wedding feast, accompanied by a beautiful ballet (danced by Andrei Alshakov and Timofey Gurin), where the whole story of the Lammermoor bride is briefly shown in pantomime, ending with her death - although Lucia is still alive at this moment.

By the way, a few words about dancing - now there is another theater in Moscow, where the same set of scenographic decorations is used - a live horse and an incendiary ballet - this is “La Traviata” at the Bolshoi. But in Lucia, the horse and two dancers hidden in the shadows do not overshadow the opera itself, and in La Traviata, in my opinion, there are too many of them, they are overly prominent - the horse is brightly lit, there are about 50 people in the ballet.

In the midst of the wedding feast, Lucia's confessor and teacher, Raimondo (Roman Ulybin - a luxurious bass, my favorite at the Stanislavsky Theater) announces that Lucia, in her unconsciousness, has stabbed to death Arturo, her newfound husband.

So, we have reached the apotheosis of the entire opera, the triumph of Khibla Gerzmav - the scene of madness. Lucia begins to sing about how happy she is to be Edgardo's wife, having absolutely no memory of her marriage to Arturo, and we understand that she has lost her mind. The mind has already left Lucia, and the soul is also gradually saying goodbye to the body. Lucia frees herself from the shell of her wedding dress

and remains in a flowing tunic that will soon become a shroud. In the meantime, she looks like an angel - the wave of her hands in weightless clothes turns into a flap of wings, a turn - and it seems that she is taking off. Where is the arrogant representative of the Aston family with the invisible crown on her head, which we saw in the first act, has she really turned into this almost fleshless creature?

How to show madness? Lucia talks to those who are not in the world of her opera on stage: dangling her bare feet into the orchestra pit, she sings for the orchestra, and the orchestra falls silent, leaving her voice alone with the audience. This is the most complex and most beautiful singing I have ever heard, the voice rises to an unimaginable height, flies, shimmers, tumbles and soars again like a lark. For this moment alone it was worth writing the entire opera. Absolutely devoid of any harshness, Khibla’s voice captivates, envelops, penetrates into such depths of the soul, the existence of which you would never guess - especially when you listen to the duet of Khibla and the flute.

“Lucia di Lammermoor” always sells out, so two weeks before the performance I only managed to get a ticket for the back box. But it was precisely because of this that I saw another participant in the performance - a huge choir, of which maybe half could be placed on the stage, and the same number in the boxes above the orchestra pit and even on the balcony, creating an amazing sound.

Almost all reviews of “Lucia” are focused on the completely deserved praise of Khibla Gerzmava’s vocals - including my first story about this performance. But in the duet with her, the tenor singing no less soulfully sings the very complex role of Edgardo - and in both performances it was Chingis Ayusheev. His sonorous voice reminds me of Rolando Villazon in timbre.

Act I Scene one. Grove near Lammermoor Castle

The chief of the guard, Norman, sets up posts. The owner of the castle, Lord Ashton, appears with Pastor Raymond. Norman tells Ashton that his sister is secretly meeting with Edgar Ravenswood, the mortal enemy of their family, in this grove. Henry is furious. He has already promised his sister's hand to the rich Lord Arthur. His sister's profitable marriage will allow him to improve his upset affairs. Raymond tries in vain to calm Ashton down. He is ready to do anything to achieve his sister’s marriage to Lord Arthur.

Picture two. Lammermoor Castle Park

On a bright moonlit night, Lucia left the castle with her friend Alice. She reveals to her friend the secret of her heart. Heavy forebodings darken Lucia's soul - she does not believe in future happiness. Edgar's arrival calms Lucia, but not for long. He came to say goodbye to his beloved. He has been appointed ambassador to France and must leave. Edgar asks Lucia not to forget him in his separation.

Part two. Marriage contract

Act II Scene one. Lord Ashton's office

Henry Ashton discusses Lucia's upcoming wedding with Lord Arthur with his faithful Norman. To convince his sister to give up Edgar, Ashton crafted a fake letter from Edgar to his imaginary new lover. Lucia enters. Henry convinces her to marry Arthur, gives all the arguments, but Lucia is adamant. Then Henry shows her a letter testifying to Edgar's betrayal. Lucia is in despair - she doesn't want to live anymore. Pastor Raymond enters and consoles Lucia and encourages her to humble herself. Lucia agrees to marry Lord Arthur.

Picture two. Great hall in the castle

The day has come to sign the marriage contract. Henry and Arthur are happy. Ashton will improve his financial affairs, and Lord Arthur will receive the first beauty of Lammermoor as his wife. Lucia appears. She is depressed. Ashton explains his sister's sadness as mourning for her recently deceased mother. Arthur and Lucia sign a marriage contract. At this moment Edgar appears. But he arrived too late - the marriage had already been concluded. Edgar accuses Lucia of treason, does not want to listen to any explanations from Lucia and Pastor Raymond, throws the ring she gave her at Lucia’s feet and curses her along with the entire Lammermoor clan.

Act III Scene one. Edgar's office at Ravenswood Castle

Lost in dark thoughts, Edgar sits in his castle. A thunderstorm is raging outside the window. Heinrich appears. He challenges Edgar to a duel. Tomorrow morning one of them must die.

Picture two. Hall at Lammermoor Castle

The wedding feast is in full swing. The newlyweds have just been escorted to the bedchamber, and the guests are having fun. Suddenly Pastor Raymond runs in. He says in horror that Lucia has just killed her husband in a fit of madness. Lucia enters wearing a bloody dress. She's crazy. It seems to her that she is Edgar's fiancée. She doesn't recognize either her brother or her pastor. In front of the shocked guests, Lucia falls to the floor. She is dead.

Picture three. Lammermoor Tomb Park

Early in the morning, Edgar waits for his opponent Heinrich. Suddenly the sounds of a sad choir are heard. A funeral procession appears. Pastor Raymond tells Edgar that Lucia has died. Upon learning of the death of his beloved, Edgar stabs himself to death.

French edition of the libretto

The French libretto was written by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaetz. The French edition of the opera is significantly different from the Italian one. The authors emphasized Lucia's loneliness by completely removing Alice's role and significantly reducing the role of Pastor Raymond. At the same time, Lord Arthur's role was expanded. Based on the role of Norman, a new role was created as the scoundrel Gilbert, who sells Henry's secrets to Edgar, and vice versa, for money. The French version of the opera is practically never performed in modern theater.

Libretto by Salvatore Cammarano.
The premiere took place at the Teatro San Carlo (Naples) on September 26, 1835.
The plot is based on the novel " Bride of Lammermoor» by the world famous British writer Walter Scott. The action takes place in the 18th century in Scotland. Lord Henry Ashton, the owner of Lammermoor Castle, is told the unfortunate news. His sister, Lucia di Lammermoor, secretly meets with the greatest enemy of their entire family - Edgar Raveswood. Henry is furious. He has already arranged his sister's future by promising her hand to one rich man - Lord Arthur. Thus, he hoped to improve his financial situation, but now his plans may be upset by his sister’s love.
One night, Lucia shared her experiences with her friend Alice: she is in love with Edgar, but her heart foretells trouble... Edgar appears. He says goodbye to Lucia - he needs to leave, because he was appointed ambassador to France. The young man asks his beloved to wait for him.
Lucia's brother decides to resort to cruel deception in order to convince his sister to marry “of her own free will” in accordance with his plans. He forges a letter from Edgar, where he allegedly writes to another lover. The trick worked. Struck by betrayal, Lucia agrees to a hated marriage.
The wedding day has arrived. Henry and Arthur rejoice at their successful plans, but Lucia is despondent. She just can’t come to terms with the betrayal; all her thoughts are occupied with Edgar. Despite this, the newlyweds sign a marriage contract. It is done. At this moment Edgar appears in the hall. He curses the entire Lammermoor family, throwing a memorial ring at the girl’s feet. Henry challenges him to a duel. In the morning one of them will die.

Meanwhile, the wedding feast is in full swing, but the pastor runs into the hall and delivers the tragic news - Lucia, in a fit of madness, stabbed her husband to death. The bride appears in a bloody dress. She is not herself - it seems to her that her wedding with Edgar took place. The girl cannot withstand such overexertion and falls dead. The next morning a duel must take place. Edgar awaits his adversary at the Lammermoor tomb, but instead meets a funeral procession. The pastor informs him about the tragedy. Upon learning of the death of his beloved, Edgar takes his own life with a blow of a dagger.

History of creation

Nowadays, the novel The Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott is not “heard” by the general public. At the same time Donizetti the work attracted many composers, but none of the opera versions of the novel survived on the theater stage. When Gaetano Donizetti's opera was released, the previous works were forgotten. The composer mastered the musical accompaniment of the opera quite quickly. It is also worth noting that the final aria, recognized as the best among his other works, was completely written in haste (in less than two hours, with terrible headaches).
Opera "Lucia di Lammermoor" recognized as one of the best representatives of the bel canto style. The work still occupies a fairly strong place in the repertoire of the best opera houses in the world. This is an outstanding creation by Gaetanno Donizetti, where the composer’s talent was fully demonstrated.

Interesting facts

• A few years later, Gaetano Donizetti wrote a French version opera "Lucia di Lammermoor". The premiere took place at the Renaissance Theater in Paris on August 6, 1839. Today, this version of the opera is staged extremely rarely.
• Arias from the opera are successfully used in modern cinema. In the famous film "The Fifth Element", singer Diva Plavalaguna performs Lucia's processed aria. The ending of 22 Bullets: Immortal also features an excerpt from Donizetti's opera.
• The history of opera has many cases when talented singers chose this particular work for their debut: Adelina Patti, Maria Barrientome, Nellie Melba, Lily Pons and Marcella Sembrich.
• Traditionally, Gaetano Donizetti remade all the names of the main characters in the Italian style. In addition, the composer changed the ending, because in the novel the main character says goodbye to life in an absolutely un-operatical way. He rides a horse through quicksand. With this version it is absolutely impossible to sing two arias! Donizetti took pity on the singers and in his version the main character stabs himself with a dagger.
• The plot of The Bride of Lammermoor itself is based on real events. In 1669, in Scotland, Janet Drimple killed her newly-made husband, who was also her uncle. The marriage was concluded at the cruel will of the girl's father, while she dreamed of marrying Lord Rutherford for love.