Lucia_Chicago - Page: 1 of 1

By R. Todd Shuman
OperaOnline.us

Donizetti’s 1835 classic “Lucia di Lammermoor” is one of the key works of Italian bel canto opera. This tragedy, set in Scotland, is the story of the fragile Lucia Ashton who is in love with Edgardo of Ravenswood, an enemy of the Ashton family. She is deceived by her brother and forced into a politically advantageous marriage with the English aristocrat Lord Arturo Bucklaw. On her wedding night, she stabs Arturo in a fit of madness and sinks into a state of delirium before her death. It not only requires four outstanding singers, but four singers who are also excellent actors.

As part of their 2011-2012 Season, Lyric Opera of Chicago is presenting Donizetti’s masterpiece in a new production that is “based on an original concept first presented by Central City Opera.” Directed by the great singer-actress Catherine Malfitano, who has appeared at Lyric Opera in more than twenty roles, hopes were high that she would bring the best out in her cast. Unfortunately, those hopes may have been too high.

The youthful cast, headed by Susanna Phillips (Lucia), Giuseppe Filianoti (Edgardo), Brian Mulligan (Enrico Ashton), and, Christian Van Horn as the Lammermoor chaplain Raimondo, sang their roles well, but lacked the necessary passion to carry the story. Too frequently in the first two acts, Ms. Malfitano seemed to choose to allow her actors to stand center stage and sing their roles rather than interact with each other. For instance, Ms. Phillips’ opening aria, “Regnava nel silenzio,” in which she sings of having seen the ghost of a dead girl in the courtyard fountain, was nicely sung, but failed to capture the mood of the scene. Similarly, the famous second act sextet became a series of interior monologues with the singers scattered around the stage—rarely even looking at one another. To make matters worse, the conductor, Massimo Zanetti, in his Lyric Opera debut, seemed unable to control the orchestra, which frequently overpowered the voices on stage.

Then came the third act, and one had to wonder if another director had taken over. As if a light had finally come on, the principal singers found the passion in the opera and offered up a thrilling climax and denouement. Of course, this act contains Lucia’s famous Mad Scene, and, here, Ms. Phillips gave sublime performance full of all the trills and coloratura fireworks we have come to expect from an outstanding mad scene.

If there was a standout among the principal quartet, it was Mr. Van Horn’s performance as Raimondo. His arias in the second and third acts were stellar, as he, first, convinced Lucia to do what was right for her family and marry Arturo and, in the third act, breathlessly told the wedding guests the ghastly news that Lucia had stabbed Arturo.

Ms. Malfitano and her design team moved the setting of the opera from the late 17th century to the middle of the 19th century. While this is not unheard of, it does give the historically literate in the audience pause when characters mention Jacobite allies in France and King William and Queen Mary in England.

This production had potential. Unfortunately, only about a third of it truly demonstrated all that “Lucia di Lammermoor” could be and properly showed what this cast could do. “Lucia di Lammermoor” continues at Lyric Opera of Chicago through November 5.

Conduction—Massimo Zanetti
Stage Band Conductor—Eric Weimar
Stage Director—Catherine Malfitano
Set Designer—Wilson Chin
Costume Designer—Terese Wadden
Lighting Design—Duane Schuler
Chorus Master—Michael Black