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| | Arts Calendar / July 14 / Opera |
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19:00 | Lucia di Lammermoor |
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 Ballet to music by Gaetano Donizetti. 160 min (with one intermission). Libretto by Salvatore Cammarano. Music Director: Wolf Gorelik. Conductor: Vyacheslav Volich, Felix Korobov. Stage Director: Adolf Shapiro. Sung in Italian. "Lucia de Lammermoor" premiered in 1835 at the San Carlo Theatre of Naples. The composer, Gaetano Donizetti, was not only fascinated with the novel "The Bride of Lammermoor" by Walter Scott, which by then had more than once been adjusted to opera, but also had a personal fascination with the plot: one of his ancestors, Donald Izett (whose name was easily metamorphosed into Donizetti) was a Scott. Despite the giddy difficulties for performers (or perhaps because of them) this work of Donizetti’s is one of the most popular ones in the world. The first Lucia was the beautiful Fanny Tacchinardi Persiani. During the 19th and 20th centuries all the legendary opera divas have shined out in the part: Adelina Patti, Lily Ponce, Joan Sutherland, Maria Callas, Beverly Sills, Renata Scotto, Edita Gruberova. The 21st century’s prima donnas keep conquering the main character’s cloud-piercing heights of coloratura. Tenors too aspire to their glory; they too have in stock extremely high notes that the composer reserved for them towards the end of the opera. Lucia di Lammermoor has everything that can be expected of an opera classic: wonderful melodies that instantly stick in mind; passionate love and as passionate hatred against the background of an ancient Scottish castle; a magnificent opera prima donna and a tenor in love with her.
Stanislavsky and Nemirovich-Danchenko Moscow Music Theater  |
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