Historic opera to be staged at the Manoel

The Bergamasque composer Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848) wrote 64 operas and left an unfinished one (Le Duc d’Albe) before ill-health immobilised him for the last five years of his life. He wrote operas in every genre and Lucia di Lammermoor was his 46th opera and is the most popular of his serious stage works. Together with his comic operas L’elisir d’amore (1832) and Don Pasquale (1842), they are his most frequently performed operas.

Set in 17th-century Scotland, it is a beautiful and a superbly crafted work, a tale of love, political ambition and expedience, duplicity, madness and tragedy.

Lucia di Lammermoor recounts the story of a feud between two families, the Ashtons and the Ravenswoods.

When the opera begins, the Ashtons are in the ascendant and have taken possession of Ravenswood Castle, the ancestral home of their rivals. Edgardo (Sir Edgar), Master of Ravenswood and last surviving member of his family, has been forced to live in a lonely tower by the sea, known as the Wolf's Crag. The Ashtons, despite their success, are threatened by changing political and religious forces. Enrico (Lord Henry Ashton) hopes to gain the protection of the important Arturo (Lord Arthur Bucklaw) to whom he intends to marry his sister Lucia.

An essential part of its success is thanks to the libretto by Salvatore Cammarano (1801-52) who provided Donizetti with many libretti for the latter’s operas. He also collaborated, on a smaller scale, with Verdi and Mercadante.

This opera is typical of the bel canto era of Italian opera, epitomised by the works of Rossini, Bellini and Donizetti. In post-Napoleonic Europe, the Romantic movement in drama and literature was often reflected in opera. Many composers sought suitable material for their operas in the novels penned by some of the greatest names in the field.

Donizetti’s three-act work triumphed, survived and flourishes because of many factors. It affords a spectacular opportunity for a singing-actress to display her worth, most notably in the famous Mad Scene and it also requires an equally convincing singing-acting tenor.

Both performances start at 20:00, and tickets at €60, €55 and €20 can be booked by emailing [email protected] or by calling 2124 6389.