LUCIA DI LAMMERMOOR

“When great emotions cannot be truthfully expressed, they explode with the power of an atom bomb” (Barbara Wysocka). Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor - the Romeo and Juliet of the Scottish Lowlands so to speak - is far from being a private tragic love story. Rather, it is above all a political tale, which shows how a totalitarian system distorts human relationships at their very core and finally consumes them. The development and extinguishing of unrequited love has provided Donizetti with his most haunting music. Revenge is bloody; madness deadly. And the agony of emotions - according to the Director - “destroys everything and everyone.”

The two noble families of Ravenswood and Ashton have been sworn enemies for a long time. The last of the Ravenswoods, Edgardo, has vowed to have his revenge on Enrico Ashton, whom he holds responsible for the death of his father and the loss of the family home. Meanwhile, however, the Ashtons’ fortunes have also taken a turn for the worse. Enrico can see only one way to retain the family’s political power and wealth and save the Ashton dynasty from ruin: his sister Lucia must marry Lord Arturo Bucklaw. Lucia herself, however, will have nothing to do with this plan. She has fallen in love with Edgardo of all people, who saved her life when she was attacked by a wild bull. Before Edgardo, who returns Lucia’s love, leaves on a mission abroad, the two of them swear they will be eternally faithful.

Lucia’s continued refusal to marry Arturo puts Enrico in a difficult position. He therefore orders Normanno to intercept the letters which Lucia and Edgardo write to each other and to forge a document which would seem to suggest that Edgardo had been unfaithful. Lucia is filled with consternation at the sight of this letter. But only when her tutor, Raimondo, urges her to consent and persuades her that her oath of fidelity to Edgardo is not valid any way as it was not confirmed by a priest does she agree, with resignation, to marry Arturo. Shortly after she has signed the marriage contract, Edgardo returns, to everyone’s surprise. Lucia’s signature is for him such a strong proof of her unfaithfulness that he curses Lucia and the whole of the Ashton family. Lucia collapses.

In order to destroy his deadly enemy at last, Enrico calls on Edgardo the same evening to challenge him to a duel the next morning. Lucia kills Arturo on her wedding night and in her hallucination believes that she and her beloved Edgardo are to be married. The shattered state of her mind weakens her vitality. When Edgardo learns of Lucia’s madness and hears her death knell he kills himself.