Romantic musical melodrama can be comic or tragic - and both blossom with bel canto. Donizetti proved it, and his gems are screening at the Met this week. Starting of course with tragedy in Lucia di Lammermoor.
Lucia in three worlds
If you have three lots of three hours to spare, it’s a week to look seriously at Lucia via three productions! A classic production one of Joan Sutherland's last, and a new and thoughtful modern one screen all week. And then, there’s the Met’s.
But if you don’t want a full Lucia study, it’s worth dropping in on these productions to get a vivid picture of the power of production to restate an opera.
In the summaries of each production below, I’ve put a link to the mad scene.
First, of course, there was Dame Joan. The opera shot to top billing after Sutherland’s 1959 performance at Covent Garden. She finally came with it to the Met in 1982.
Fast forward to 1986, when Opera Australia filmed her in a Sydney production directed by John Copley - Richard Greager is Edgardo. Conducted by Richard Bonynge.
This performance is streaming from Opera Australia all week: Click here .
Also available all week (and till 28th Oct): OperaVision is screening a performance of Lucia di Lammermoor from Madrid (this modern-interpretation production originated at the ENO).
Cuban-American soprano Lisette Oropesa is Lucia, giving a very different and brilliant portrayal of the heroine as a very young product of and sacrifice to a harsh male world.
Mexican tenor Javier Camarena makes a stunning debut as Edgardo. Both made it to the top of Operawire’s annual singers of the year list. Click here for an interesting read!
Reviews are generally very positive – click for reviews here and here. Criticisms here.
For the full mad scene go to the video and listen from 2.00 to 2.25 on the tape.
And thus to the Met’s Donizetti week.
(Note: access to the current live streaming opera is less direct on the Met's website now. Go to https://www.metopera.org/ - then scroll down to "Nightly Opera Stream". The box shows the current opera with a picture. You just click WATCH NOW.)
Our seven days of very impressive Donizetti performances start with their 2009 version of Lucia.
Tuesday, October 13 Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor
This production from way back in 2009 is a lineup of the stars to come. Anna Netrebko, Piotr Beczała, Mariusz Kwiecień, and Ildar Abdrazakov. The production is by Mary Zimmerman updating to the 19th century. Piotr Beczała is Edgardo and Mariusz Kwiecien is Lucia’s brother Enrico, with the hapless Raimondo played by the then up and coming bass, Ildar Abdrazakov.
Wednesday, October 14
Starring Natalie Dessay, at her most hilarious comedienne, and Juan Diego Flórez, another Mexican, with brilliant high C's.
Not to mention the redoubtable Alessandro Corbelli. Conducted by Marco Armiliato. From April 26, 2008.
Thursday, October 15 Donizetti’s L’Elisir d’Amore Starring Pretty Yende, Matthew Polenzani, Davide Luciano, and Ildebrando D'Arcangelo, conducted by Domingo Hindoyan. From February 10, 2018.
Enter the Tudor Queens
A long weekend follows, dominated by Donizetti's Tudor Queens, a trilogy of his most magnificent works. Click here for detailed account of these operas, and the productions screening, in our earlier blog post.
Friday, October 16 Donizetti’s Anna Bolena Starring Anna Netrebko, Ekaterina Gubanova, Tamara Mumford, Stephen Costello, and Ildar Abdrazakov, conducted by Marco Armiliato. From October 15, 2011.
Saturday, October 17 Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda Starring Elza van den Heever, Joyce DiDonato, a magnificent partnering of voices as Elizabeth and Mary. Matthew Polenzani, Joshua Hopkins, and Matthew Rose are the various competing men. Conducted by Maurizio Benini. From January 19, 2013.
Sunday, October 18
Donizetti’s Roberto Devereux Starring Sondra Radvanovsky, Elīna Garanča, Matthew Polenzani, and Mariusz Kwiecień, conducted by Maurizio Benini. From April 16, 2016.
And finally, (we'll need it!) some more comedy. The classic production of Don Pasquale with Anna Netrebko screened recently – for details and reviews click here. Watch it for the lightness of touch of Anna, and the delicious wickedness of Mariusz Kwiecień, whose retirement from opera through back injury was announced last week.
Monday, October 19 Donizetti’s Don Pasquale Starring Anna Netrebko, Matthew Polenzani, Mariusz Kwiecień, and John Del Carlo, conducted by James Levine. From November 13, 2010. This witty, wonderful production screened a few weeks back in the bel canto showings - click here for notes. If you missed it, here's your second chance.
Lyn, 8 October, 2020.