Lucia Di Lammermoor


In three acts by GAETANO DONIZETTI.



Text from Scott's romance by SALVATORE CAMMERANO.





This opera is Donizetti's master-piece and except his "Figlia del

reggimento" and "Lucrezia Borgia" is the only one of his fifty operas,

which is still given on all stages abroad. The chief parts, those of

Lucia and Edgardo, offer plenty of scope for the display of brilliant

talent and Lucia
n particular is a tragic heroine of the first rank.



In the libretto there is not much left of Scott's fine romance.

Edgardo, the noble lover is most sentimental, and generally English

characteristics have had to give place to Italian coloring.



Henry Ashton, Lord of Lammermoor has discovered that his sister Lucia

loves his mortal enemy, Sir Edgardo of Ravenswood. He confides

to Lucia's tutor, Raymond, that he is lost, if Lucia does not marry

another suitor of his (her brother's) choice.



Lucia and Edgardo meet in the park. Edgardo tells her, that he is

about to leave Scotland for France in the service of his country. He

wishes to be reconciled to his enemy, Lord Ashton, for though the

latter has done him all kinds of evil, though he has slain his father

and burnt his castle, Edgardo is willing to sacrifice his oath of

vengeance to his love for Lucia. But the lady, full of evil

forebodings, entreats him to wait and swears eternal fidelity to him.

After having bound himself by a solemn oath, he leaves her

half-distracted with grief.



In the second act Lord Ashton shows a forged letter to his sister,

which goes to prove that her lover is false. Her brother now presses

her more and more to wed his friend Arthur, Lord Bucklaw, declaring,

that he and his party are lost and that Arthur alone can save him from

the executioner's axe. At last when even her tutor Raymond beseeches

her to forget Edgardo and, like the others, believes him to be

faithless, Lucia consents to the sacrifice. The wedding takes place in

great haste, but just as Lucia has finished signing the

marriage-contract, Edgardo enters to claim her as his own.



With grief and unbounded passion he now sees in his bride a traitress,

and tearing his ring of betrothal from her finger, he throws it at her

feet.



Henry, Arthur and Raymond order the raving lover to leave the

castle and the act closes in the midst of confusion and despair.



The third act opens with Raymond's announcement that Lucia has lost her

reason and has killed her husband in the bridal room. Lucia herself

enters to confirm his awful news; she is still in bridal attire and in

her demented condition believes that Arthur will presently appear for

the nuptial ceremony. Everybody is full of pity for her, and her

brother repents his harshness, too late, alas!--Lucia is fast dying and

Eliza leads her away amid the lamentations of all present.



Edgardo, hearing of these things, while wandering amid the tombs of his

ancestors, resolves to see Lucia once more. When dying she asks for

him, but he comes too late. The funeral-bells toll, and he stabs

himself, praying to be united to his bride in heaven.



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