Classical Music

Lucia di Lammermoor (ENO)

The English National Opera has been through some unfortunate times of late. Aside from The Turn of the Screw which was brilliant, they've served up mostly rubbish. (Aida wasn't all bad, mostly glitz though) Lucia di Lammermoor is a triumph. Remarkably, I didn't hate the English translation, although some lines I'd rather have said in a language I don't understand. This new production from David Alden is bleak, but visually interesting. He doesn't shy away from controversy with a particularly charged brother/sister relationship, but if unsubtle it's certainly visceral.

Anna Christy (who sent an apology in advance stating that she was suffering from throat problems, which I'm going to ignore because I can't abide wet singers) looks perfect for the role of Lucia (why not Lucy? since everything else is in English). Her tiny frame childlike inside the Alice in Wonderland style dresses. Her portrayal is strong on naivety but somewhat weaker on sadness. Whilst her distress is great at the moments of major suffering, being groped by her brother being an obvious example, she lacked the overall world weariness, a girl isolated by the rules of society. By "Il dolce suono" however, she had the audience on tender hooks. In a tiny white night dress, dripping in blood, she navigated this difficult aria with skill. It wasn't a showy, coloratura laden, candenza ridden performance, but a dramatically effective rendition that in context was extremely powerful. The appearance of the stabbed Arturo (no blood spared here either)...

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