Donizetti lucia di lammermoor libretto. Opera by Gaetano Donizetti Lucia di Lammermoor. history of creation, interesting facts, wonderful performers. History of creation and productions

Act I Scene one. Grove near Lammermoor Castle

The head of the guard, Norman, sets up posts. The owner of the castle, Lord Ashton, appears with Pastor Raymond. Norman tells Ashton that his sister is secretly meeting with Edgar Ravenswood, the mortal enemy of their kind, in this grove. Heinrich is furious. He had already promised his sister's hand to the wealthy Lord Arthur. The favorable marriage of his sister will allow him to correct his frustrated affairs. Raymond tries in vain to calm Ashton. He is ready for anything to achieve his sister's marriage to Lord Arthur.

Picture two. Lammermoor Castle Park

On a bright moonlit night, Lucia left the castle with her friend Alice. She reveals to her friend the secret of her heart. Heavy forebodings darken the soul of Lucia - she does not believe in future happiness. The arrival of Edgar calms Lucia, but not for long. He came to say goodbye to his beloved. He has been appointed ambassador to France and must leave. Edgar asks Lucia not to forget him in separation.

Part two. marriage contract

Act II Scene one. Lord Ashton's office

Henry Ashton discusses with his faithful Norman Lucia's forthcoming marriage to Lord Arthur. To convince his sister to give up Edgar, Ashton made a fake letter from Edgar to an imaginary new lover. Lucia enters. Heinrich convinces her to marry Arthur, gives all the arguments, but Lucia is adamant. Then Heinrich shows her a letter testifying to Edgar's betrayal. Lucia is in despair - she does not want to live anymore. Entering Pastor Raymond consoles Lucia and encourages her to humble herself. Lucia agrees to marry Lord Arthur.

Picture two. Great hall in the castle

The day of signing the marriage contract has come. Heinrich and Arthur are happy. Ashton will improve his financial affairs, and Lord Arthur will receive the first beauty of Lammermoor as his wife. Lucia appears. She is disheartened. Ashton attributes his sister's sadness to mourning for her recently deceased mother. Arthur and Lucia sign a marriage contract. At that moment, Edgar appears. But he arrived too late - the marriage had already been concluded. Edgar accuses Lucia of treason, does not want to listen to any explanations from Lucia and Pastor Raymond, throws the ring she gave to Lucia at her feet and curses her along with the entire Lammermoor family.

Act III Scene one. Edgar's office at Ravenswood Castle

Immersed in gloomy thoughts, Edgar sits in his castle. A storm is raging outside the window. Heinrich appears. He challenges Edgar to a duel. Tomorrow morning one of them must die.

Picture two. Hall at Lammermoor Castle

The wedding feast is in full swing. The young people have just been escorted to the bedchamber, and the guests are having fun. Suddenly pastor Raymond runs in. He tells in horror that Lucia had just killed her husband in a fit of madness. Lucia enters, dressed in blood. She is insane. It seems to her that she is the bride of Edgar. She doesn't recognize her brother or the pastor. In front of the shocked guests, Lucia falls to the floor. She is dead.

Picture three. Lammermoor Tomb Park

Early in the morning, Edgar is waiting for his opponent Heinrich. Suddenly, the sounds of a sad choir are heard. The funeral procession appears. Pastor Raymond informs Edgar that Lucia has died. Upon learning of the death of his beloved, Edgar stabs himself.

French edition of the libretto

The French libretto was written by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaetz. The French edition of the opera is seriously different from the Italian one. The writers emphasized Lucia's loneliness by completely removing Alice's role and greatly reducing Pastor Raymond's role. At the same time, Lord Arthur's role was expanded. Based on the role of Norman, a new role of the villain Gilbert was created, who sells Heinrich's secrets to Edgar, and vice versa, for money. The French version of the opera is practically not performed in the modern theater.

Opera in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti, libretto (in Italian) by Salvatore Cammarano, based on the novel The Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott.

Characters:

LORD ENRICO ASHTON OF LAMMERMOOR (baritone)
Lucia, his sister (soprano)
ALICE, Lucia's companion (soprano or mezzo-soprano)
EDGARDO, owner of Ravenswood (tenor)
LORD ARTURO BUCKLOW (tenor)
RAIMONDO, Lammermoor's chaplain, Lucia's tutor (bass)
NORMAN, Chief of Ravenswood Garrison (tenor)

Action time: 1669.
Location: Scotland.
First performance: Naples, Teatro San Carlo, September 26, 1835.

Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor is rarely read these days because it is not one of his best works. Nevertheless, it attracted the attention of opera composers as a subject rich in possibilities. And three composers - Bredal, Carafa and Mazzucato - used it even before Donizetti. None of the early opera versions survived on the stage, and of all the works of Donizetti himself, this opera turned out to be the most frequently performed.

Donizetti may have been particularly drawn to this subject, since one of his grandfathers, Donald Isett, was a Scot. However, for the purposes of the opera, the names of Scott's characters have been prudently changed to their more euphonious Italian equivalents. So, Lucy became Lucia, Henry - Enrico, Edgar - Edgardo; but the names of the places where the action of the opera takes place have remained the same. Some other changes were made, in addition to the necessary cuts. For example, Scott's Edgar ends his life in a highly non-opera way - he wildly races on his horse in quicksand. No tenor could sing two long arias ending in an upper D flat under such circumstances. Edgardo at Donizetti, therefore, instead of riding a horse, quite reasonably stabs himself with a dagger. With this outcome, the Italian tenor has a significant advantage. The final aria, by the way, one of the best written by Donizetti, was hastily composed and recorded in just an hour and a half, when the composer suffered terribly from a headache.

But first of all, this opera is an excellent means of demonstrating the talent not so much of a tenor as of a soprano, and many great singers have chosen it for their debut in New York. Among them are Adeline Patti, Marcella Sembrich, Nelly Melba, Maria Barrientos and Lily Pons. Two of them - Pons and Sembrich - also chose this role to celebrate their anniversaries of the twenty-fifth anniversary of their debuts at the Metropolitan Opera.

ACT I
DEPARTURE

Scene 1 In the garden of Ravenswood Castle, now captured by Lord Enrico Ashton, a detachment of guards under the command of Norman is looking for a man who has sneaked here. While this search and inspection of each bush and grotto is going on, Enrico himself tells Norman, as well as Lucia's tutor, chaplain Raimondo, about the difficult circumstances in which he is now. He hopes to set them right by arranging the marriage of his sister Lucia to the wealthy and powerful Lord Arturo Bucklow, who is greatly favored by the monarch. Unfortunately, Lucia does not wish to participate in this. Norman, who has a suspicion about the reason for this reluctance of Lucia, mockingly says that it lies in Lucia's love for another. And he tells how one day a stranger saved her from a mad bull and that since then she has secretly met with her savior every morning in this garden. The stranger Norman spoke of is none other than Edgardo of Ravenswood, Enrico's sworn enemy.

At this moment, the guard detachment returns. The guards noticed the stranger, but could not detain him. However, they confirm with all certainty that it is Edgardo. Enrico is overcome with a thirst for revenge ("Cruda funesta smania" - "Wild thirst for revenge"). With all his malice, he expresses his hatred for a man who is a sworn enemy of his family, who threatens to destroy his plans for an advantageous marriage to Lucia.

Scene 2 is preceded by an absolutely delightful harp solo - perhaps depicting the park where this scene takes place, or perhaps two lovely women sitting by the fountain and absorbed in a frank conversation. Lucia di Lammermoor tells her friend Alice the mysterious story about this fountain, and she, in turn, strongly advises her to stop seeing her beloved Edgardo, whom she meets in this garden. But Lucia defends her love for Edgardo and enthusiastically sings of him. The history of the fountain is told in a gently flowing melody ("Regnava nel silenzio" - "Silent night reigned around"), her love is sung in an aria ("Quando rapita in estasi").

When Edgardo himself enters to meet his beloved, Alice tactfully leaves. He is obliged, he says to Lucia, to go to France; but before setting out he would like to make peace with Enrico, tell him of his love for Lucia, and ask for her hand. This plan frightens Lucia and she begs her lover not to do it. Edgardo bitterly lists the reasons he has for hating Ashton, but the scene ends with a wonderful farewell love duet ("Verrando a te sull "aure" - "To you on the wings of the wind"), in which first Lucia, then Edgardo and finally together they sing one of the most wonderful tunes in this extraordinarily melodic opera.The lovers exchange rings and part.

ACT II
MARRIAGE CONTRACT

Scene 1 From the conversation between Enrico and Norman, which takes place in the hall of Lammermoor Castle, we learn that all of Edgardo's letters to Lucia have been intercepted. In addition, one letter was falsified to show her that Edgardo cheated on her and is now married to another woman. When Norman leaves, Enrico uses every argument to convince his sister to marry Lord Arturo Bucklow. He completely breaks her heart when he shows her the fake letter and adds that it is her duty to her family to marry this powerful man who loves her so much. Poor Lucia never consented to this marriage, but now she is so depressed that she has no strength to resist.

Scene 2 As a matter of fact, Lord Arturo is already in the castle, and the next scene takes place in the great hall. The festive choir sings, Arturo swears allegiance, and when Lucia appears (she is still in tears), the marriage contract is signed.

It was at this moment that a stranger, tightly wrapped in a cloak, bursts into the hall. This is Edgardo, returned from France. He tries to claim Lucia, but Raimondo shows him the signed marriage contract. Furious, he sees nothing but this contract, hears no explanation from Lucia. His enemies draw their swords. And only thanks to the intervention of Lucia's devoted old tutor, Chaplain Raimondo, is it possible to avoid bloodshed on wedding celebration. In a fit of rage, Edgardo throws and tramples on the ring ("Maledetto sia istante" - "Cursed be that ill-fated day"). In the sextet, all the main characters, not to mention the wedding chorus of guests, express their conflicting emotions. This ensemble makes a deafening impression. In the end, an enraged Edgardo leaves the hall.

ACT III

Scene 1 Immediately after marriage. Enrico visits Edgardo in his secluded room in the Wolfskrag tower to denigrate and humiliate him and to deliberately infuriate him by telling him the details. wedding ceremony. The two men openly hurl accusations at each other and, in the final duet of this scene, agree on a duel that is scheduled in the graveyard among the tombstones of Ravenswood. When the opera is performed, this scene is usually omitted.

Scene 2 The guests gathered for the wedding are still feasting in the main hall of the castle, when Raimondo, Lucia's mentor, interrupts the general fun. Lucia, he announces in a voice broken with horror, distraught, stabbed her husband to death with his own sword (“Dalle stanze ove Lucia” - “From the chambers, where are the spouses”).

In the next moment, Lucia herself appears. The terrified guests part. She is still in her white wedding clothes, deathly pale, almost like a ghost. She has a sword in her hand. The famous “Crazy Scene” follows (“II dolce suono mi colpi di sua voce” - “I heard his dear voice”). Lucia dreams that she is still with Edgardo; she remembers the happiest days of the past, imagines that she is marrying him. And at the end of this scene, realizing that death is near, she promises to wait for him.

Scene 3 takes us outside the castle, where Edgardo wanders among the tombstones of his ancestors. He is inconsolable. The approaching funeral procession interrupts his gloomy philosophizing. He asks who is being buried and finds out what terrible events have happened. Funeral bells are ringing. This is a call for Lucia. Only now does he realize that she has always been faithful to him. He sings his final "Goodbye!" (“Tu che a Dio spiegasti l” ali” - “You, flying off to heaven”) and then, before Raimondo can stop him, plunges a dagger into his heart. Together with the cello playing the melody, he sings his last breaths goodbye words.

post scriptum about the historical circumstances of this story. Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor is based on the circumstances of a real wedding contract that led to a tragedy that occurred in Scotland in 1669. Janet Dalrymple (Lucia) murdered her new husband, David Dunbar (Arturo), whom she was forcibly married to by her father, Viscount Star (Enrico), instead of being given to her beloved Lord Rutherford (Edgardo). IN real life the unfortunate suitor was the bride's uncle.

Henry W. Simon (translated by A. Maykapar)

When you think of "Lucia" you think of her age of one hundred and fifty: so much for this fragile girl with long blond hair, probably much grayer after the shock caused by the murder of her husband. Like Ophelia, this is the most vague and unsteady of all the images of heroines given to us by the musical theater before the advent of our century, that is, until the time when the impossibility of love became a frightening mystery. What do these bright visions of early romanticism give us, these barely developed girls, thirsting for death? Who are they? The fruit of idealization or a painful desire for a non-existent ideal? In the case of Donizetti, perhaps one should not bother with symbolic interpretations, remember Dante's Beatrice, the earthly, deadly radiance of her beauty. Perhaps these are only sweet dreams, generated by unsatisfied passion, "ingenuous delirium", in the words of one of the critics. At the same time, there is something so inconsolable, naive and incomprehensible in Lucia's crying that even a modern viewer feels almost guilty and does not find words to atone for his guilt. Lucia herself undertakes this redemption, presenting a lofty, divine image in vocal and dramatic terms. This is a wonderful part for a lyric-dramatic or coloratura soprano: she teaches acrobatic virtuosity, but does not neglect the text either, her melancholy and insistent emphasis on accents give vitality and concreteness to a voice that would otherwise seem ethereal.

Lucia's vocal part contrasts with other parts - realistic, dramatic. Here is Edgar, her partner. His part takes a decisive step towards establishing the courageous part of the tenor, with changes and fluctuations from heroic impulse to tenderness, from passion to elegiacity. He - main character finale of the opera, as if an overshadowing image divine. But her brother, Lord Henry, is also a significant image, in whose party unbridled strength is compensated by the elegance of jewelry, and it is clear that this hero hardly restrains the power raging in him, cannot fully reveal himself due to his position. The vocal characteristics of these characters alternate with small instrumental preludes of rare effectiveness and brevity, with a plastic, full-blooded choir, whether it depicts the insensitivity or the sympathy of the crowd.

The text of Cammarano, ardent and woeful, gives a romantic flavor to the plot, which is already highly romantic. The libretto of the temperamental Neapolitan contributed to the success of Donizetti's music in the homeland of the librettist. The composer himself credited the success to the composition of the troupe, which included soprano Tacchinardi-Persiani, tenor Dupré and baritone Cosselli. The opera quickly gained favor also in other Italian theaters and in Paris (where the tenor part was performed by another luminary - Napoleone Moriani). With the exception of a few years of cooling interest in the opera, it has always been considered the masterpiece of the master from Bergamo in the serious genre, although today his other works in this genre could undoubtedly be staged next to it.

genre

tragic opera

Number of actions Year of creation First production Place of first performance

Subsequently, Donizetti also wrote a French version of this opera, which premiered on August 6 at the Renaissance Theater in Paris.

The opera is considered one of the best examples of the bel canto style and has taken a strong place in the repertoire of almost all opera houses in the world.

Prior to Donizetti, the plot of Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor had already been used several times in operas. The Bride of Lammermoor by the composer M. Carafa de Colobrano appeared on the libretto of Giuseppe Balocchi (1829), I. Bredal on the libretto of H. K. Andersen, A. Mazzucato on the libretto of Pietro Beltram (1834). The new opera ousted all the previous ones from the repertoire.

Subsequently, Donizetti wrote a French version of this opera to a libretto by A. Roger and G. Vaez, which premiered on August 6, 1839 at the Renaissance Theater in Paris.

Characters

The consignment	Voice	Performer at the premiere 26 September 1835 (Conductor: Nicola Festa)
Lord Henry Aston (Scott has Ashton), Lord of Lammermoor	baritone	Domenico Cosselli
Lucia, his sister	soprano	Fanny Tacchinardi-Persiani
Edgar Ravenswood	tenor	Gilbert Dupre
Lord Arthur Becklow	tenor	Achille Balestracci
Alice, Lucia's friend	soprano	Teresa Zapucci
Raymond Bidebend, pastor, Lucia's mentor	bass	Carlo Porto Ottolini
Norman, head of the castle guard	tenor	Anafesto Rossi
Wedding guests, guards

Libretto

The opera takes place in Scotland in the 18th century.

Part one. Departure

Sketch of the scenery for the first production of the opera (1835)

Picture one. Grove near Lammermoor Castle

The head of the guard, Norman, sets up posts. The owner, Lord Ashton, appears with Pastor Raymond. Norman tells Ashton that his sister is secretly meeting with Edgar Ravenswood, the mortal enemy of their kind, in this grove. Heinrich is furious. He had already promised his sister's hand to the wealthy Lord Arthur. The favorable marriage of his sister will allow him to correct his frustrated affairs. Raymond tries in vain to calm Ashton. He is ready for anything to achieve the marriage of his sister with Lord Arthur.

Picture two. Lammermoor Castle Park

Part two. marriage contract

Act one. Picture one. Lord Ashton's office

Henry Ashton discusses with his faithful Norman Lucia's forthcoming marriage to Lord Arthur. To convince his sister to give up Edgar, Ashton made a fake letter from Edgar to an imaginary new lover. Lucia enters. Heinrich convinces her to marry Arthur, gives all the arguments, but Lucia is adamant. Then Heinrich shows her a letter testifying to Edgar's betrayal. Lucia is in despair - she does not want to live anymore. Entering Pastor Raymond comforts Lucia and encourages her to humble herself. Lucia agrees to marry Lord Arthur.

Act one. Picture two. Great hall in the castle

The day of signing the marriage contract has come. Heinrich and Arthur are happy. Ashton will improve his financial affairs, and Lord Arthur will marry the first beauty of Lammermoor. Lucia appears. She is disheartened. Ashton attributes his sister's sadness to mourning for her recently deceased mother. Arthur and Lucia sign a marriage contract. At that moment, Edgar appears. But he arrived too late - the marriage had already been concluded. Edgar accuses Lucia of treason, does not want to listen to any explanations from Lucia and Pastor Raymond, throws the ring she gave to Lucia at her feet and curses her along with the entire Lammermoor family.

Act two. Picture one. Edgar's office at Ravenswood Castle

Immersed in gloomy thoughts, Edgar sits in his castle. A storm is raging outside the window. Heinrich appears. He challenges Edgar to a duel. Tomorrow morning one of them must die.

Act two. Picture two. Hall at Lammermoor Castle

The wedding feast is in full swing. The young people have just been escorted to the bedchamber and the guests are having fun. Suddenly pastor Raymond runs in. He tells in horror that Lucia had just killed her husband in a fit of madness. Lucia enters, dressed in blood. She is insane. She thinks she is Edgar's fiancee. She does not recognize either the brother or the pastor. In front of the shocked guests, Lucia falls to the floor. She is dead.

Act two. Lammermoor Tomb Park

French edition of the libretto

The French libretto was written by Alphonse Royer and Gustave Vaetz. The French edition of the opera is seriously different from the Italian one. The writers emphasized Lucia's loneliness by completely removing Alice's role and greatly reducing Pastor Raymond's role. At the same time, Lord Arthur's role was expanded. Based on the role of Norman, a new role of the villain Gilbert was created, who sells Heinrich's secrets to Edgar and vice versa for money. The French version of the opera is practically not performed in the modern theater.

Discography

M. Callas, G. Di Stefano, T. Gobbi, R. Arie. Conductor T.Serafin / EMI 1953
M, Callas, G. Di Stefano, R. Panerai, N. Zaccaria. Conductor H. von Karajan / Berlin 29.9.1955 Live / EMI
B. Sills, L. Pavarotti, R. Banuelas, D. Portilla. Conductor A. Guadagno / Mexico City 10/28/1969
J. Sutherland, Y. Turango, L. Pavarotti, R. Davis, S. Milnz, N. Gyaurov. Conductor R. Boning / DECCA 1971
B. Sills, D. Curry, J. Carreras, P. Elvira, M. Mazzieri. Conductor Luigi Martelli / NYCO 8/28/1974
M. Caballe, E. Murray, J. Carreras, V. Sardinero, S. Remy. Conductor Jesus Lopez-Cobos / PHILIPS 1977
A. Netrebko, H. Bros, F. Vassallo, V. Kovalev. Conductor Y. Rudel / Los Angeles 20.12.2003
N. Dessay , M. Alvarez, A. Holland. Conductor J. Lopez Cobos / Chicago 16.2.2004

Screen adaptations

Lucia di Lammermoor (USSR, Ukrtelefilm, 1980, directed by Oleg Biyma). Cast: Evgeniya Miroshnichenko, Anatoly Mokrenko, Viktor Evgrafov (sings V. Fedotov), Anna Tveleneva (sings G. Tuftina), Girt Yakovlev (sings V. Kulaga), Yuri Volkov (sings G. Krasulya), Stanislav Pazenko (sings V .Gurov). Conductor O. Ryabov. In Russian.

Productions in Russia

In 2000 and 2009 the opera was staged at the Mariinsky Theatre.
- Musical theater named after Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko. Musical director productions and conductor - Wolf Gorelik. Stage director - Adolf Shapiro). Art director - Andris Freibergs.
- Tatar Academic State Opera and Ballet Theater named after M. Jalil. Musical director and conductor - Renat Salavatov. Stage director - Mikhail Pandzhavidze (Bolshoi Theatre, Moscow). Production designer - Igor Grinevich (Novosibirsk). Lucia - Albina Shagimuratova.

Usage in popular culture

In The Fifth Element movie, Diva Plavalaguna sings a revised version of Lucia's "Il dolce suono" aria.
The end credits of 22 Bullets: Immortal read "Lucia di Lammermoor: Scena V"

Notes

Literature

opera librettos. - M., 1954.

Links

The original name is Lucia di Lammermoor.

Opera in three acts by Gaetano Donizetti, libretto (in Italian) by Salvatore Cammarano, based on the novel The Bride of Lammermoor by Walter Scott.

Characters:

Action time: 1669.
Location: Scotland.
First performance: Naples, Teatro San Carlo, September 26, 1835.

ACT I
DEPARTURE

Scene 1. In the garden of Ravenswood Castle, now captured by Lord Enrico Ashton, a detachment of guards under the command of Norman is looking for a man who has crept in here. While this search and inspection of each bush and grotto is going on, Enrico himself tells Norman, as well as Lucia's tutor, chaplain Raimondo, about the difficult circumstances in which he is now. He hopes to set them right by arranging the marriage of his sister Lucia to the wealthy and powerful Lord Arturo Bucklow, who is greatly favored by the monarch. Unfortunately, Lucia does not wish to participate in this. Norman, who has a suspicion about the reason for this reluctance of Lucia, mockingly says that it lies in Lucia's love for another. And he tells how one day a stranger saved her from a mad bull and that since then she has secretly met with her savior every morning in this garden. The stranger Norman spoke of is none other than Edgardo of Ravenswood, Enrico's sworn enemy.

Scene 2 is preceded by an absolutely delightful harp solo - perhaps depicting the park where this scene takes place, or perhaps two lovely women sitting by a fountain and engrossed in a frank conversation. Lucia di Lammermoor tells her friend Alice the mysterious story about this fountain, and she, in turn, strongly advises her to stop seeing her beloved Edgardo, whom she meets in this garden. But Lucia defends her love for Edgardo and enthusiastically sings of him. The history of the fountain is told in a gently flowing melody ("Regnava nel silenzio" - "Silent night reigned around"), her love is sung in an aria ("Quando rapita in estasi").

When Edgardo himself enters to meet his beloved, Alice tactfully leaves. He is obliged, he says to Lucia, to go to France; but before setting out he would like to make peace with Enrico, tell him of his love for Lucia, and ask for her hand. This plan frightens Lucia and she begs her lover not to do it. Edgardo bitterly lists the reasons he has for hating Ashton, but the scene ends with a wonderful farewell love duet ("Verrando a te sull`aure" - "To you on the wings of the wind"), in which first Lucia, then Edgardo, and finally together they sing one of the most wonderful melodies in this extraordinarily melodic opera. The lovers exchange rings and part.

ACT II
MARRIAGE CONTRACT

Scene 1. From the conversation between Enrico and Norman, which takes place in the hall of Lammermoor Castle, we learn that all of Edgardo's letters to Lucia have been intercepted. In addition, one letter was falsified to show her that Edgardo cheated on her and is now married to another woman. When Norman leaves, Enrico uses every argument to convince his sister to marry Lord Arturo Bucklow. He completely breaks her heart when he shows her the fake letter and adds that it is her duty to her family to marry this powerful man who loves her so much. Poor Lucia never consented to this marriage, but now she is so depressed that she has no strength to resist.

Scene 2 As a matter of fact, Lord Arturo is already in the castle, and the next scene takes place in the great hall. The festive choir sings, Arturo swears allegiance, and when Lucia appears (she is still in tears), the marriage contract is signed.

It was at this moment that a stranger, tightly wrapped in a cloak, bursts into the hall. This is Edgardo, returned from France. He tries to claim Lucia, but Raimondo shows him the signed marriage contract. Furious, he sees nothing but this contract, hears no explanation from Lucia. His enemies draw their swords. And only thanks to the intervention of Lucia's devoted old tutor, chaplain Raimondo, is it possible to avoid bloodshed at the wedding celebration. In a fit of rage, Edgardo throws and tramples on the ring ("Maledetto sia istante" - "Cursed be that ill-fated day"). In the sextet, all the main characters, not to mention the wedding chorus of guests, express their conflicting emotions. This ensemble makes a deafening impression. In the end, an enraged Edgardo leaves the hall.

ACT III

Scene 1. Immediately after the marriage. Enrico visits Edgardo in his secluded room in the Wolfskrag tower to denigrate and humiliate him and to deliberately infuriate him by telling him about the details of the wedding ceremony. The two men openly hurl accusations at each other and, in the final duet of this scene, agree on a duel that is scheduled in the graveyard among the tombstones of Ravenswood. When the opera is performed, this scene is usually omitted.

Scene 2. The guests gathered for the wedding are still feasting in the main hall of the castle, when Raimondo, Lucia's tutor, interrupts the general fun. Lucia, he announces in a voice broken with horror, distraught, stabbed her husband to death with his own sword (“Dalle stanze ove Lucia” - “From the chambers, where are the spouses”).

Scene 3 takes us outside the castle, where Edgardo wanders among the tombstones of his ancestors. He is inconsolable. The approaching funeral procession interrupts his gloomy philosophizing. He asks who is being buried and finds out what terrible events have happened. Funeral bells are ringing. This is a call for Lucia. Only now does he realize that she has always been faithful to him. He sings his final "Goodbye!" (“Tu che a Dio spiegasti l`ali” - “You, flying off into the sky”) and then, before Raimondo can stop him, plunges the dagger into his heart. Together with the cello playing the melody, he sings his last words of farewell with his last breath.

Postscriptum about the historical circumstances of this story. Walter Scott's novel The Bride of Lammermoor is based on the circumstances of a real wedding contract that led to a tragedy that occurred in Scotland in 1669. Janet Dalrymple (Lucia) murdered her new husband, David Dunbar (Arturo), whom she was forcibly married to by her father, Viscount Star (Enrico), instead of being given to her beloved Lord Rutherford (Edgardo). In real life, the unfortunate suitor was the uncle of the bride.

Henry W. Simon (translated by A. Maykapar)

Premiere: 01.01.2009

Duration: 02:22:38

Tragic drama in two parts; libretto by S. Cammarano based on the novel "The Bride of Lammermoor" by W. Scott. The action takes place in Scotland in early XVIII in. Edgar, the last descendant of an old ruined family of Ravenswoods, is secretly engaged to Lucia (Lucy) Aston, the sister of his worst enemy - Lord Enrico (Henry), who wants to improve his shaky affairs by marrying his sister to the wealthy Lord Arthur. Lucia rejects marriage with a hated fiance. Then Enrico resorts to deceit. Taking advantage of Edgar's departure, he shows Lucia a false letter testifying to the imaginary betrayal of her lover. Lucia is shocked by his treachery and agrees to marry Arthur. While she puts her signature under marriage contract Edgar appears. He reproaches Lucia for treason and throws an engagement ring at her feet. Enrico challenges Edgar to a duel. Lucia on her wedding night, having gone mad, kills Arthur. Her strength is waning. She is dying. Edgar stabs himself at Lucia's coffin.