After a 29-year absence, Donizetti’s masterpiece Lucia di Lammermoor made it back to Gozo’s Astra Opera House. This opera is one of my all-time favourites for the sheer beauty of its music and well-etched characters and one which makes one rather irate at the way poor Lucia is simply reduced to a mere pawn, unscrupulously used by her brother to concoct a marriage for his own benefit.
Deceit, ambition and the complicity of the family chaplain, who should have known better, lead to frustrated love, madness, murder and untimely death and suicide. It is high drama projected via beautiful music, which could be as truly lyrical and romantic as it could be powerful and menacing; heady ingredients which make one look forward to an enjoyable evening. This production was part of the Mediterranea Festival that was then running in Gozo .
Basically, Lucia needs three fine principals: soprano, tenor and baritone. To my mind these were found in Serenad Uyar in the title role, tenor Giulio Pelligra as Edgardo and baritone Boris Pinkhasovich as Enrico Ashton.
The soprano and baritone were on top form all the way, while Giulio Pelligra seemed to take some time to really get into the role. Uyar’s clear vocal agility made a great initial impact in Act 1’s Regnava nel silenzio, and continued going from phase to phase. This moved along with the great love duet with Edgardo later in the same act, continued in the highly dramatic confrontation with her brother.
High drama projected via beautiful music
The long-awaited show-stopping moment was the famous mad scene. It was an amazing delivery, being not just vocal, effortless pyrotechnics but also deeply tragic and moving.
I think the horror of the situation is more effective when it is off-stage and hinted at in Lucia’s mad wandering of mind, rather than having a sort of graphic rendering of the deed.
Pinkhasovich’s Enrico was a formidable and authoritative one, and his dogged relentlessness, whether in enforcing his will on his hapless sister or facing his mortal enemy Edgardo, were admirably sung and acted. Giulio Pelligra got better as the plot developed and his peak was reached at the last act in his poignant rendering of Tombe degli avi miei, and later in Tu che a Dio spiegasti le ali, which was full of pathos and indeed very moving.
The secondary, yet important, role of Raimondo Bidebent was interpreted by Dario Russo, whose beautiful bass voice could not easily be forgotten. The unfortunate Lord Bucklaw, who ends up murdered in his marriage bed, was very ably taken by tenor Cliff Zammit Stevens. Another very beautiful voice which one day one hopes will be heard in bigger roles is that of mezzo-soprano Marvic Monreal, who was very good as Alisa, Lucia’s lady-in-waiting. Rich and mellow like golden honey, is her voice. Tenor Bernard Busuttil made a creditable Normanno, Enrico’s chief henchman.
The Teatru Astra Opera Chorus, in collaboration with the Coro Lirico Siciliano, were very well-trained and on cue. The mis-en-scene was fine, as were the costumes. The stage set was practical and effective, with a basic outer shell easily adaptable to different mood-setting scenes, aided by slick lights.
In general, Enrico Stinchelli’s artisitic direction was very slick. Yet one asks, what is this obsession with the chorus wearing masks? It seems to be a current trend in more than one place, including abroad.
There is also another trend where a lot of choreography is inserted. Here it was Sarah Grech’s: it enhanced some scenes, but I found it distracting in others. Joseph Vella, with his usual flair and insight, conducted the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (leader Reggie Clews).
The team was, as ever, on its usual good form and provided some very exciting and climactic moments, such as in the famous sextet. Britt Arend’s harp solo in Act 1 was beautiful, and so was flautist Rebecca Hall’s excellently synchronised work with the soprano during the Mad Scene.
One appreciates the contribution to the production by the above elements and to the sponsors, as well as that of the many volunteers whose hard work helps make such events possible.