Lucia di Lammermoor

A dramma tragico (tragic opera) in three acts

Performed in Italian with Russian surtitles

Libretto by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the novel The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott

The opera was written in 1835. This version was first performed in Perm in 2019.

SYNOPSIS

Characters:

Lord Enrico (Henry) Ashton, Lord of Lammermoor
Lucia, his sister
Sir Edgardo (Edgar) di Ravenswood
Lord Arturo (Arthur) Bucklaw, Lucia’s bridegroom
Raimondo (Raymond) Bidebent, Lucia’s mentor
Alisa, Lucia’s handmaid
Normanno (Norman), the castle guard
Retainers and servants, wedding guests

Place Scotland, a couple of centuries ago

The two noble families of Ravenswood and Ashton have been at odds for a long time. Edgardo, the last of the Ravenswoods, has vowed revenge on Enrico Ashton, whom he accuses of the death of his father and the loss of the ancestral castle. However, the Ashtons’ fortunes have not been all plain sailing. Trying to keep the political power and wealth of the dynasty, Enrico wants his sister Lucia to marry Arturo Bucklaw.

But Lucia has already fallen in love. The choice of her heart is Edgardo di Ravenswood, who saved her life when she was attacked by a wild bull.

Edgardo loves Lucia too. Alas, he has to leave on a mission abroad. Before he leaves lovers swear to stay true to each other.

Enrico tells Lucia that her bridegroom Arturo is coming soon. She replies that her heart belongs to another man. Meanwhile, however, her brother accounted for everything. He ordered Normanno to intercept the letters which Lucia and Edgardo write to each other and to forge one of them. Enrico shows his sister a document, which suggests that Edgardo has been unfaithful.

Lucia is desperate, but she is still disgusted at the thought of a marriage without love. But only when her mentor, Raimondo tells her that he also tried to contact Edgardo on her behalf but the latter didn’t respond she agrees to marry Arturo.

The wedding of Lucia and Arturo is soon arranged and takes place in Lord Ashton’s castle. The moment Lucia has signed the marriage contract Edgardo bursts into the ceremony completely unexpectedly and accuses Lucia of breaking their vows cursing her and her family.

In order to end this deadly animosity for good, Enrico calls on Edgardo to challenge him to a duel: in the morning one of them will die. Edgardo is thrown out of the ceremony in rage.

Meanwhile, the guests continue to celebrate the wedding. Suddenly, Raimondo brings terrible news: Lucia killed Arturo on her wedding night, and now in her hallucination she believes that she and her beloved Edgardo reunite. Lucia enters the wedding banquet. She is insane and barely stays on her feet, the shattered state of her mind weakens her. In front of the shocked guests, she falls on the floor and dies.

Early in the morning, Edgardo awaits his enemy at the duel site. Sounds of a funeral procession are heard. When Edgardo learns of Lucia’s death he kills himself.