AVA Opera Blog

Lucia di Lammermoor in Pop Culture

Donizetti’s tragedy Lucia di Lammermoor is one of the best-known bel canto operas. The 21st most performed in the world (per Operabase), Lucia is a staple of the repertoire, with its star-crossed-lovers storyline, a stunning sextet, and one of opera’s most famous “mad scenes.” AVA's most recent production of the Donizetti opera was in 2009. Future Tucker and Sills award winner Angela Meade sang the title role opposite Tucker and Sills award winner Michael Fabiano’s Edgardo with Taylor Stayton singing the role of the unfortunate Arturo Bucklaw. Mr. Fabiano reprised his Edgardo for Opera National de Paris in 2013 and famously performed on seven hours’ notice as a last-minute fill in at the Metropolitan Opera in 2015. Mr. Stayton - last seen in Philadelphia as Count Almaviva in Opera Philadelphia’s Il barbiere di Siviglia - reprised his Arturo at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden last season.

Despite all this, many are still unfamiliar with Lucia, yet they will notice that its music strikes familiar notes, thanks to the many occasions on which pop culture has referenced it. From the slapstick comedy of the Three Stooges to the ripped-from-the-headlines drama of Law and Order, Lucia di Lammermoor is everywhere-even in outer space!

Perhaps the most recognizable bars of Lucia are “Chi mi frena in tal momento,” the beautiful sextet that fills the scene in which Edgardo discovers his beloved Lucia is marrying another.

In stark contrast to the lyrics of grief, guilt, and worry, the sextet sounds surprisingly light-hearted, which is what made it a recurring bit of orchestration in Warner Brothers cartoons, like the Bugs Bunny classic Long-Haired Hare, where Bugs (as "Leopold" Stokowski) and an opera singer battle it out, and the Jazz Singer homage I Love to Singa.

Disney also had the sextet play an integral part in one of their shorts: 1946’s adorable The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met. The cartoon’s song-happy whale impresses his audiences by performing three of the Sextet’s parts—all at once.

Use of the Lucia sextet wasn’t restricted to cartoons. The Three Stooges incorporated it a number of times, first in the 1945 short Micro-Phonies and again in 1948’s Squareheads of the Round Table. In Squareheads, the Stooges are a trio of medieval troubadours, serenading the lovely Elaine from beneath her window, adapting the libretto for their own purposes. “Oh Elaine, Elaine come out, babe, take a look who's standing here, right here!”

Though many movies and shows have included Lucia’s sextet, the most remembered references to the opera are those that play on its bloodthirsty themes. In the original 1932 version of Scarface, the titular mobster whistles the “Chi mi frena” aria prior to killing his enemies. Scarface’s unsettling violent bloodshed and carefree whistling actually opens the movie:

 

We can’t forget Lucia’s compelling mad scene, in which Lucia sings “Il dolce suono” after killing her new husband. TV show Law and Order: Criminal Intent provided a particularly fitting setting for the famed aria in a 2006 opera-themed episode. After a diva performing the role of Lucia murders her violinist daughter between acts, she returns to the stage—in Lucia’s iconic blood-stained dress—for the mad scene:

These are just a few of many examples because you never know where Donizetti will pop up. It could be in a Bruce Willis film or in the nutty world of Tim Burton.  Or it could be at AVA, where Donzetti’s Lucia Di Lammermoor will open February 25th. Get your tickets by calling 215-735-1685 or going to www.avaopera.org.

Gabriella Rose Balsam is a senior advertising major at Temple University, and an intern in AVA's Marketing Department.

 

Lucia di Lammermoor goes MAD: A history of the operatic mad scene

Il dolce suono, which roughly translates as "the sweet sound", is the beginning of the syllabic portion of what is known as a scena ed aria in Act III scene 2 of Lucia di Lammermoor by Gaetano Donizetti. It is also commonly known as the most famous mad scene in opera, which is sung by the leading soprano in the role of Lucia. During the scene, Lucia descends into madness, and on her wedding night, while the festivities are still being held in the Great Hall, she stabs her new husband, Arturo, in the bridal chamber. Disheveled, unaware of what she has done, she wanders in the Great Hall, recalling her meetings with Edgardo and imagining herself married to him. Donizetti intended the aria to be accompanied by the sound of the glass harmonica for an eerie effect, though this instrument is often replaced by the more common flute. While Lucia's mad scene is perhaps the most famous, it was not the first or only one.

A mad scene is generally designed as a vocally intense showcase of insanity in an opera or play. A popular convention of the bel canto era; it figured prominently in Italian and French opera in the early nineteenth century, though examples may also be found in earlier works, such as in Handel's Orlando or Mozart's Idomeneo. Almost all mad scenes were composed for either opere serie or opere semiserie; with Donizetti eventually becoming known as the master of the form.  Often created as a way to offer star vocalists a chance to show off their abilities, the arias are typically exciting and highly demanding, requiring immense skill. Most mad scenes were composed for the soprano voice, though there are some exceptional pieces written for tenors and baritones.

The mad scene had a long and rich history in the arts, starting with Greek tragedy and continuing on to influence classic English literature. Eventually, mad scenes gained great popularity on the operatic stage, reflecting a new audience appeal for melancholy, mental illness, and the workings of the inner self. Other mad scenes to that point famously focused on tenors, such as in Semiramide

or Peter Grimes.

While the Lucia di Lammermoor story has gone through a number of evolutions over the years, one of the constants has remained that Lucia goes mad at the end and commits murder. Thus, when the story was transposed into arias, the trope reached new heights, so much so that after Lucia Donizetti would go on to write Linda di Chamounix, an opera that offered its star an equally spectacular aria which becomes a much more ‘sane’ love duet under the guise that love can and does cure all. (The equal and opposite reaction to Lucia!) Shortly thereafter, Donizetti himself spiraled into madness, and by 1846 he was unable to speak or communicate. He died in his hometown of Bergamo, on April 8, 1848.

The convention of writing mad scenes largely died out after the bel canto era, as composers sought to inject more realism into their operas. More recently, some composers have returned to the form for dramatic effect, and the mad scene has seen resurgence in other areas of the performing arts: similar mad scene techniques have also appeared in ballets, such as Giselle. The modern musical theatre has also been influenced by the operatic mad scene, as seen in Sweeney Todd and Sunset Boulevard.

Come see our take on a classic of the genre at AVA this winter-get your tickets now by calling 215-735-1685 or going to www.avaopera.org.

 

Gabriella Rose Balsam is a senior advertising major at Temple University, and an intern in AVA's Marketing Department.

Lucia di Lammermoor: A history

Lucia di Lammermoor was and is one of the great showcase pieces for sopranos due in large part to the famous mad scene (Il dolce suono), as well as the classic forbidden love story that provides a fantastic template for opera performers not only to sing some wonderful music, but also to act. AVA's resident artists will explore this nearly 400-year-old story this winter on stage in the Helen Corning Warden Theater (opening February 25 in Center City) -but first, let's take a look back at how a 17th century family feud came to be a beloved opera. 

The origins of the story of Lucia di Lammermoor date back to the 1600’s, to the Dalrymple & Rutherford families, and a spat over politics. That story’s ‘Edgardo’ was forbidden to marry his “Lucia’ because their families supported different political parties in a strong way. Sir Walter Scott fictionalized their real-life story in his novel The Bride of Lammermoor. While the libretto retains much of Scott's concept, it also contains a number of significant alterations. In Scott's novel, it is her mother, Lady Ashton, who serves as the antagonist. Also, Bucklaw is only wounded by Lucy after their unfortunate wedding, and he later recovers and goes abroad. In the opera, Lucia's descent into insanity is not only clear but largely dramatic, while in the book, it is left uncertain and open to suggestion. Also, in the novel, Edgar and Lucy's last talk and farewell is supervised by her mother, and generally is considered far less melodramatic and more calming, though the final effect is equally devastating for both of them. At the end of the novel, Edgar disappears (his body never found) and is presumably killed in some sort of an accident on his way to have his duel with Lucy's older brother (a mere minor character in the novel); therefore, he does not commit a spectacular suicide on learning of Lucy's death. Salvadore Cammarano would transpose it all into a libretto worthy of Donizetti's score in 1835. 

Donizetti himself was riding high at the time, as Gioachino Rossini had recently retired and Vincenzo Bellini had died shortly before the premiere of Lucia leaving Donizetti as "the sole reigning genius of Italian opera". There was also an interest among Europeans in Scottish history & culture. The perceived romance of its violent wars and feuds, as well as its folklore and mythology, intrigued 19th century readers and audiences. Audiences of that time seemed to be fascinated by the Tudor period of 16th century English history, revolving not infrequently around the lives of King Henry VIII (and his many wives), Mary I of England (better known as Bloody Mary), and Queen Elizabeth I, as well as the ill-fated Mary Stuart, known in England as Mary, Queen of Scots. Many of these historical characters appear in Donizetti's operas, and these themes would influence many of his non-historical works, including Lucia.

The opera premiered in September 1835 at the Teatro San Carlo in Naples. However, while there were 18 performances in the rest of 1835, there were only four in 1836, 16 in 1837, two in 1838, and only two in each of 1847 and 1848. The opera would go on to make its London debut in April 1838 and, for Paris, Donizetti revised the score for a French version which debuted in August 1839 at the Théâtre de la Renaissance in Paris. It reached the United States with a production in New Orleans on December 1841. The opera was never absent from the repertory of the Metropolitan Opera for more than one season at a time from 1903 to 1972. After World War II, a number of sopranos were instrumental in giving new life to the opera, including Maria Callas (with performances from 1952 at La Scala and Berlin in 1954 and 1955 under Herbert von Karajan) and Dame Joan Sutherland (with 1959 and 1960 performances at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden). It has remained a staple of the operatic repertoire and ranks 21st on the Operabase list of the most-performed operas worldwide from the 2008 to 2009 season until the 2012 to 2013 season. 

Here it is at the Metropolitan Opera, with Natalie Dessay as Lucia...

And here is a insightful look at a full production done last year at the Royal Opera House.

AVA mostly recently mounted the Donizetti opera in 2009. Future Tucker and Sills award winner Angela Meade sang the title role opposite Tucker and Sills award winner Michael Fabiano’s Edgardo with Taylor Stayton singing the role of the unfortunate Arturo Bucklaw. Mr. Fabiano would go on to reprise his Edgardo for Opera National de Paris in 2013 and famously performed on seven hours’ notice as a last-minute fill in at the Metropolitan Opera in 2015. Mr. Stayton - last seen in Philadelphia as Count Almaviva in Opera Philadelphia’s Il barbiere di Siviglia - reprised his Arturo at the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden last season.

Lucia di Lammermoor opens February 25 with performances from February 25, 28, March 2 & 4 at AVA's Helen Corning Warden Theater and at Haverford's Centennial Hall on March 14.  Kick off the new year in a grand way and get tickets now by calling 215-735-1685 or going to www.avaopera.org.

Gabriella Rose Balsam is a senior advertising major at Temple University, and an intern in AVA's Marketing Department.

AVAround Town February 2017

Winter is here in Philadelphia and AVA's Resident Artists are busy with their many outside engagements, recitals and concerts. Find out below how our talented Resident Artists are filling their days outside of AVA.

Bass Andre Courville, Tenor Jonas Hacker, and Soprano Vanessa Vasquez will perform  Bach's Cantata 150 as a quartet with the Philadelphia Orchestra under the baton of acclaimed conductor Maestro Nézet-Séguin. (AVA alum Mezzo Soprano Chrystal E Williams rounds out the quartet.) Performances are Thursday, Feb 23, 2017 to Saturday, Feb 25, 2017. Get tickets here.

Tenor Marco Cammarota performs in Madama Butterfly at Arizona Opera through February 4.

Bass-baritone Andre Courville sings a recital as part of the Promenade Concert Series. The concert will be at The First Presbyterian Church of Myrtle Beach, SC on February 16, 2017.

If you notice any discrepancies, please contact [email protected].

Gabriella Rose Balsam is a senior advertising major at Temple University, and an intern in AVA's Marketing Department.

AVAround The World - Febuary 2017 Edition

AVAround the World - February 2017

Welcome to another installment of AVAround the World - February 2017 Edition. In this post, we continue to chronicle the upcoming monthly engagements of AVAlumni spanning the globe. From role debuts, concerts and festivals, February is proving to be a busy month for our talented AVAlumni. Check out the updates below!

Tenor Michele Angelini ('06) will perform the role of Argirio alongside Mezzo-Soprano Allegra de Vita (‘16)  as Isaura and Daniel Mobbs ('93) as Orbazzano in Opera Philadelphia’s Tancredi.  Performances are February 10-19, 2017 at the Academy of Music.

@

Bass Burak Bilgili ('04) is set to play Enrico VIII in Teatro Nacional de Sao Carlos’ Anna Bolena, running from February 4- 14, 2017.

Baritone Christan Bowers (‘13) is scheduled to perform the role of Il conte Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro at Teatru Manoel. The production opens February 28 and runs through  March 6.

Tenor Stephen Costello (‘07) continues as the Duke in Rigoletto at the Metropolitan Opera through February 4.

Soprano Colleen Daly (‘09) will play the title role in Susannah at the Baltimore Concert Opera on February 24 & 26, 2017.

Soprano Ellie Dehn ('06) is set to sing the role of Alice Ford in the San Diego Opera’s production of Falstaff. The production runs February 18-26, 2017.

Mezzo-Soprano Joyce DiDonato ('95) performs the title role in Semiramide at Bayerische Staatsoper from February 12-26, 2017.

Soprano Joyce El-Khoury ('08) continues as Violetta in La traviata at the Royal Opera House through February 1, 2017.

Tenor Michael Fabiano will perform the role of Alfredo in La traviata at the Metropolitan Opera starting February 24; performances continue through March 24, 2017.  A solo recital is also scheduled for Michael through Palm Beach Opera on February 2, 2017.

Soprano Othalie Graham ('04) will perform in concert at the Springfield Symphony Orchestra this month. She will also take on the title role in Turandot for the Knoxville Opera.

Tenor Bryan Hymel ('08) will give a recital at Tulane University on February 8, 2017.

Bass-Baritone Kristopher Irmiter ('86) is set to perform the  role of Bishop in  Riders of the Purple Sage for Arizona Opera this month.

Soprano Shelley Jackson ('14) will perform as Mimí in La bohéme  at Haus Fur Mozart starting February 26 and continuing to March 22, 2017.

Steven LaBrie ('12) begins a run as Il conte Almaviva in Le nozze di Figaro at North Carolina Opera this month. The role is expected to continue through March.

Tenor Alex Lawrence ('11) is set to perform the role of Mann mit Helm in Juliette at Opernhaus Zurich starting this month and continuing through March 2017.

Soprano Sydney Mancasola ('14) will take on the role of Gilda in Rigoletto for English National Opera this month.

Baritone Wes Mason (‘13) will play Curly in  Oklahoma! At the Annapolis Chorale from February 10 - 12, 2017.

Tenor Shawn Mathey ('01) is set to sing Tamino in Die Zauberflöte at Teatro de la Mestranza this month. AVA's next production of Die Zauberflöte opens April 29 in Center City and plays in Haverford and Bucks County.

Soprano Angela Meade (‘09) will sing Verdi's Requiem at Houston Grand Opera February 10-18, 2017.

Baritone Zachary Nelson ('13) continues as Escamillo in Carmen at Den Norske Opera through April 2017.

Soprano Ailyn Perez begins a run as Violetta in La traviata at Teatro alla Scala on February 28 and continues through March 14.

Tenor Richard Troxell (‘82) plays Rodolfo in La bohéme at Knoxville Opera February 10-12, 2017.

Baritone Todd Thomas (‘87) takes on the title role in Rigoletto at Syracuse Opera this month.

Soprano Melinda Whittington covers Tatyana in Eugene Onegin for Lyric Opera of Chicago starting this month and continuing into March 2017.

Soprano Corinne Winters (‘11) sings Katya in Katya Kabanova with Seattle  Opera starting February 26 and continuing to March 10, 2017.

Soprano Indra Thomas ('00) will perform as part of the benefit concert Mahler for Vision at Carnegie Hall on February 13, 2017.

Tenor William Davenport ('15) is set to sing Nemorino with the Orlando Philharmonic February 2-5, 2017.

Tenor Jack LiVigni has recently been invited to be a voice instructor for the Jette Parker Young Artists at Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London, conducting lessons in Philadelphia, NYC, London and at Mediterranean Opera Studio and Festival (a Summer intensive program in Italy of which he is the founder and which is run in collaboration with Nelly Miricioiu - legendary soprano, Kamal Khan, music director, and David Gowland - the head of JPYAP at ROH Covent Garden).

Jane Jennings ('85) recently directed a production of Sarah Ruhl's Melancholy Play with the Old Academy Players. The show closed Jan. 29.

It is never our intention to omit any AVAlumni. If you notice any discrepancies, please contact [email protected].

Gabriella Rose Balsam is a senior advertising major at Temple University, and an intern in AVA's Marketing Department.