The moment the curtain rises on the Washington National Opera’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” it’s clear that Director David Alden’s concept is unconventional and risky. But the risks pay off and, under Conductor Philippe Auguin, Gaetano Donizetti’s opera is ultimately a success. Based on Sir Walter Scott’s novel “The Bride of Lammermoor,” the opera centers about a feud between two Scottish clans, the Ravenswoods and the Ashtons. It tells the story of Lucia Ashton, who is forced by her brother, Enrico, to abandon her lover, Edgardo Ravenswood, to marry a man she does not love.
The lies Enrico tells Lucy about Edgardo’s infidelity drive her mad. After killing the husband Enrico has chosen for her, Lucia dies. On hearing of her death, Edgardo kills himself.
| Onstage |
| ‘Lucia di Lammermoor’ |
| Where: The Washington National Opera, the Kennedy Center Opera House, 2700 F St. NW. In Italian with English surtitles. |
| When: Through Nov. 19 |
| Info: Tickets start at $55; 202-467-4600; kennedy-center.org |
| *This WNO production is double-cast. Its second cast includes Lyubov Petrova, Alexey Dolgov and Brian Mulligan. |
Alden relocates Scott’s 17th-century tale to the Victorian era, playing up the inherent melodrama in the script. When Lucia’s maid appears, for instance, she clings to a wall, arms outstretched. But since the opera is about idealized, romantic love destroyed, Alden’s highly theatrical choices in terms of movement and gesture seem completely appropriate.
Even though it’s a hyperdramatic production, “Lucia di Lammermoor” is still an opera and its musical aspects cannot be overshadowed by the drama of Alden’s staging.
On opening night, soprano Sarah Coburn created a mesmerizing, exquisite Lucia. It is always a demanding role, but Coburn had the added challenges of having to sing while lying down, moving backward on the floor, even with her wrists tied to a bed. But Coburn is not merely agile of voice and body. She brings a brilliance and opulence of tone to Donizetti’s music.
Saimir Pirgu appeared as the brave Scottish warrior Edgardo, his lush tenor voice impressive throughout but especially at the opera’s end where he delivered his own moving farewell to Lucia. Michael Chioldi convincingly portrayed Lucia’s brother as a cruel and contemptible man, his deep baritone creating an increasingly intricate web of lies in which to catch and destroy Lucia.
Brigitte Reiffenstuel’s costumes make Lucia at first seem young: She wears calf-length hoop skirts until forced into her wedding dress. Adults are dressed in black or gray, except for Edgardo, who wears a kilt.
Ironically, “Lucia” is one of the most tragic operas ever written and it contains some of the world’s most lyrical music. Thanks to the Washington National Opera’s principals, chorus and orchestra, this production realizes both the opera’s tragedy and its extraordinary lyricism.
