Tonight I had the joy of attending an exquisitely sung production of Donizetti's Lucia di Lammermoor. I had wanted to watch this opera ever since I saw The Fifth Element. A blue alien soprano performs a beautiful piece, albeit with a few alterations, which happens to be the beginning of Lucia's mad scene.
The story is tragic and reminiscent of Romeo and Juliet. Set in Scotland, Lucia, who mourns her mother's recent death, is in love with her family's mortal enemy Edgardo. Her brother Enrico, however, has other plans for her--she must marry Arturo so that he can save his own reputation and station. Lies, misinterpretations, and murder ensues, while in the midst of it all (at least in this production) is some amazing singing.
I sat there with my jaw dropped during Eglise Gutierrez's (Lucia) arias. She hit extremely high notes with ease and a crystalline tone. She was almost birdlike in her delivery. Stunning.
Then there was Michael Fabiano (Edgardo), whom I had watched in the Met's documentary The Audition. He was one of the grand winners of the Met's National Council Auditions in 2007 at the young age of 22. I remembered his tenacity and focus as he described his quest to be a great tenor, and I didn't like his personality and didn't know what all the fuss about him was about. Well, I was proven wrong last night. He had a gorgeous voice--the kind of tenor sound I love--and it was surprisingly powerful. Wow.
Clearly I am still in awe of the beautiful singing I heard. It has restored my faith in Vancouver Opera. For now.
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