Opera Scotland

Lucia di Lammermoor 2002Tayside Opera

Read more about the opera Lucia di Lammermoor

The first staging of Lucia by Tayside Opera, back in 1980, had been very successful, and this version was musically as strong, if not so atmospherically designed. Apart from the two lowest voices, all the solo roles were double cast. This worked especially well in the two romantic tenor parts, where the 'night off' involved Edgardo stepping down to the shorter role of Arturo. That character thereby gained greater significance than is often the case.

As before, the complete text was used, and the dramatic elements were beautifully paced by conductor Brian Craib, who built up the tension in an ideal way, both at the end of the first act through the sextet and finale, then through the various climaxes of the second act..