Lucia Di Lammermoor catapulted Joan Sutherland to international fame in 1959. It is a role with which her name is inextricably linked and one which provides a perfect showcase for her remarkable vocal agility and acting ability.
Set on the misty moors of Scotland, Lucia Di Lammermoor is based on the novel by Sir Walter Scott. It is a tragic tale of star-crossed lovers, Lucia and Edgardo (Richard Greager), seperated by a family feud. In Gaetano Donizetti´s dark, romantic opera, the forces of hate tear the young couple apart, and Lucia is driven to a loveless marriage, madness and murder. The soprano´s role reaches a climax in the celebrated Mad Scene as Lucia, having stabbed her husband on her wedding night, imagines life with Edgardo in a haunting solo, characterized by some of Donizetti´s most poignant music. Malcolm Donnelly also stars as Lucia´s plotting brother, Enrico.