Opera review: Lucia di Lammermoor
Good direction, strong individual performances, and a fitting nod to Dame Joan Sutherland all combine to make State Opera’s production of Lucia di Lammermoor a wonderfully insightful study of madness.
The sight of a blood-soaked Lucia descending the staircase in a fit of lunacy might be something the opera stage can finally do without. Playing into the worst stereotypes of its age, it just may be time to retire this opera. Yet strangely, Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor can rise above itself if given a good production.
State Opera South Australia’s version, though not without some drawbacks, more than qualifies as that.
The staging is thoroughly traditional, and with that comes the first surprise: there is no attempt to hide this opera’s ancientness under some distractingly modern reinterpretation. And it is executed with the kind of intelligent insight that one might normally witness in a Shakespearean tragedy. John Copley, the original director in 1986, and Laura Hansford, the revival director for this production, respect Lucia di Lammermoor well enough to keep it intact.
The set and lighting are intriguing. With Romanesque columns and balustrades shrouded in half light, it’s like stepping into a Hubert Robert oil painting. Conjuring some mythical gothic past, the costumes are highly elaborate and artistic. There are minimal splashes of colour in what is a largely sombre look, but the whole thing is visually well done.
Some of opera’s biggest names have built their reputation on this opera. Maria Callas and Joan Sutherland are two, of course, and it turns out that Copley’s design was directly inspired by the Covent Garden production that launched Dame Joan’s career in 1959. It is also interesting to learn that the costumes being used, designed by Michael Stennett, are the same ones that appeared in Copley’s production 44 years ago. So there’s a lot of history in this production, and it all adds up as a fitting nod to Sutherland.
You might like
Soprano Emma Pearson gives a strong performance. Photo: Andrew Beveridge
But Lucia di Lammermoor cannot be a museum piece. In this opera, we want to witness the fabulous bel canto style of singing that put Donizetti on the map and makes this work the most celebrated Italian opera before Verdi. Fortunately, the cast State Opera has assembled comes up with the goods. None is truly jaw-dropping, but they have excellent all-round vocal and acting abilities that combine to give an aliveness to this production. It feels as punchy as theatre, and it needs to: Lucia is an ensemble piece.
In the role of Lucia herself, Perth-born soprano Emma Pearson is strong. She has a way of navigating Donizetti’s heavily decorative coloratura with unfussed confidence and naturalness. All those trailing notes occur in a gestural flow and just feel right. Pearson refrains from making a showpiece out of each aria, and that’s a good thing: her integration as a singer and actor actually makes her better than Sutherland. Yet no one on earth can match La stupenda vocally. One did notice how Pearson consistently cut short her high notes as if wanting to catch them before faltering. But it was probably for the good: in the final Mad Scene, she showed all the care of a tightrope walker to ensure its top Ds and beyond came out cleanly.
The thing about the Mad Scene, though – and what ultimately redeems this opera – is that it is counterbalanced by equal madness from the male characters. Early on, Enrico fumes with visions that his sister Lucia is seeing a man from a rival clan; and later, Lucia tells that other man, Edgardo, to curb his jealous rage. “Calm your anger, control yourself,” she urges him.
Subscribe for updates
We have in this State Opera production a wonderful depiction of this mess. We see clearly that Lucia is sandwiched between not only two feuding families but two badly misbehaving males. Baritone Morgan Pearse is terrific as Enrico of the Ashton clan. Strutting the stage and spitting venom with Trumpian arrogance in the first two acts, he is a perfect study in narcissism. His voice is inexplicably hard and forced to begin with, but it all starts to create sense soon enough.
Tenor Alok Kumar is an interesting Edgardo. Mild and emotionally more distant, he is no heartthrob, but his contribution is an effective counterbalance to the Ashton family’s thrusting power.
The chaplain, Raimondo, who forever tries to mediate between the opposing forces, is well taken by Pelham Andrews. He wears a philosophical air and plumbs his bass notes with deep resonance.
The costuming for Lucia di Lammermoor conjures up a mythical gothic past. Photo: Andrew Beveridge
Good contrast builds between the characters, and ensemble singing is highly skilled.
All of which makes Lucia di Lammermoor a more potent work than one might realise. Coloratura display is perhaps not what it is about, and Lucia’s voice is fundamentally one of protest as opposed to victimhood. One comes away with much more regard for this opera for the thinking that has gone into this production.
The orchestral score does tend to take a secondary role, but Spanish conductor Lucía Marín directs the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra with superbly judged tempos and authority. Their playing is precise and polished. The magical harp solo in Act One is a particular highlight.
Crowd scenes lift the production greatly as well. Keenly honed as ever, State Opera Chorus are top-notch in delivering these.
The whole show feels experienced, professional and well put together.
Lucia di Lammermoor, presented by State Opera South Australia, plays again on November 14 and 16 at Her Majesty’s Theatre. This is a review of opening night on November 8.