By no means a routine revival of the 1974 production by John Copley. There was a superb cast and very dramatic conducting by Henry Lewis. Equally, if not more, important was the respect at last shown to Donizetti and Cammarano, in that the score was performed in its entirety instead of in the abbreviated state that had become the tradition. This may be the first occasion at which the opera was given complete in Scotland.
The huge difference this brought about was the inclusion of the Wolf's Crag scene at the beginning of the last act. In the storm-tossed ruins of Edgar's old home there is a powerfully dramatic argument between Henry and Edgar. The tenor needs a far more powerful delivery here than in the rest of the opera, and Dennis O'Neill was fully a match for Brent Ellis.
The inclusion of the scene also explains why Henry is not present at the following party scenes until well after the entry of Lucia herself. That scene gains enormously when played in full with vital roles for the chorus and Raimondo. The sense of momentum as the opera rushes to its concluding tragedy was quite gripping.
Ashley Putnam was a great singing actress, equally adept at comedy, and her Lucia was a wonderfully detailed performance. The other characters, including Raimondo, were cast from strong local soloists.
Altogether this was a superb revival, showing Lucia to be one of the greatest operas of the bel canto era.
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