Lucia di Lammermoor, Royal Opera House
Katie Mitchell directs a new production of Donizetti's great tragedy, starring two great bel canto sopranos
Lucia di Lammermoor, Royal Opera House
Sir
Walter Scott (Ivanhoe)
has a lot to answer for. The most
popular novelist of his time, he did much to create the Scottish stereotypes
that have been passed down to this day. And nowhere is this more noticeable
than The Bride of Lammermoor, his
tale of a pure maiden driven to despair by a bloody family feud.
Scott’s novel forms the basis for one of Donizetti’s greatest operas. Lucia di Lammermoor (1835), written in the height of Caledonia-mania, follows Lucia’s descent into madness after her brother Enrico prevents her from marrying his nemesis Edgardo. Riven with passages of sublime coloratura beauty – including the famous ‘mad’ aria, Il dolce suono – it is a tragedy that seldom fails to clench the heart. As part of the Royal Opera’s spring season 2016, Katie Mitchell will present a new production.
Excited for the Royal Opera's Spring 2016 season?
click here to view our essential guide
Mitchell, a National Theatre Associate Director, is one of the most distinctive voices in British theatre. Her work, ceaselessly daring and uncompromising, experiments with multimedia elements and highly-wrought acting, often transforming the text into something unexpected. Although her productions have often divided London critics, Mitchell’s reputation in Europe is unrivaled by her compatriots. Whatever she concocts for Covent Garden, it is bound to confound expectations.
The role of Lucia will be shared by two luminous sopranos. Diana Damrau, a Queen of the Night for the ages, will appear for the first seven dates; she is feted for her personality and mastery of the bel canto. The last four performances will star Aleksandra Kurzak (Rigoletto), whose heavenward peal should be a perfect fit for the fragile heroine. They will be respectively joined by American tenors Charles Castronovo and Stephen Costello in the role of Edgardo, while baritones Ludovic Tézier and Artur Rucinski split the part of Enrico. Daniel Oren (Carmen) conducts.
Scott’s novel forms the basis for one of Donizetti’s greatest operas. Lucia di Lammermoor (1835), written in the height of Caledonia-mania, follows Lucia’s descent into madness after her brother Enrico prevents her from marrying his nemesis Edgardo. Riven with passages of sublime coloratura beauty – including the famous ‘mad’ aria, Il dolce suono – it is a tragedy that seldom fails to clench the heart. As part of the Royal Opera’s spring season 2016, Katie Mitchell will present a new production.
Excited for the Royal Opera's Spring 2016 season?
click here to view our essential guide
Mitchell, a National Theatre Associate Director, is one of the most distinctive voices in British theatre. Her work, ceaselessly daring and uncompromising, experiments with multimedia elements and highly-wrought acting, often transforming the text into something unexpected. Although her productions have often divided London critics, Mitchell’s reputation in Europe is unrivaled by her compatriots. Whatever she concocts for Covent Garden, it is bound to confound expectations.
The role of Lucia will be shared by two luminous sopranos. Diana Damrau, a Queen of the Night for the ages, will appear for the first seven dates; she is feted for her personality and mastery of the bel canto. The last four performances will star Aleksandra Kurzak (Rigoletto), whose heavenward peal should be a perfect fit for the fragile heroine. They will be respectively joined by American tenors Charles Castronovo and Stephen Costello in the role of Edgardo, while baritones Ludovic Tézier and Artur Rucinski split the part of Enrico. Daniel Oren (Carmen) conducts.
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| What | Lucia di Lammermoor, Royal Opera House |
| Where | Royal Opera House, Bow Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2E 9DD | MAP |
| Nearest tube | Covent Garden (underground) |
| When |
07 Apr 16 – 19 May 16, 7:30 PM – 10:30 PM |
| Price | £10-190 |
| Website |