Lucia di Lammermoor
Coliseum
Gentle Giant
Linbury Studio
Despite two attempts, I haven’t managed to see ENO’s new production of Lucia di Lammermoor with its announced cast. My first try was sabotaged, as so many plans are, by Network Rail, which is still after 12 years working on ‘essential maintenance’ of a ten-mile stretch of track between Stevenage and Cambridge, so that the last train from King’s Cross leaves at 21.52, compelling me to leave before Act III. On my second try the Lucia and Enrico were both too ill to sing, and indeed the replacement Lucia was ill too, but womanfully sang despite that. Operatic love-duet singing is a high-risk occupation when there are chest infections around. Still, even if the performance won’t become a legend of operatic history, it was remarkably assured and very enjoyable. For that most credit must go to Paul Daniel, who revealed a gift for balancing the varying, often seemingly conflicting elements in bel canto to create as convincing a whole as his director David Alden would allow.
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