Walter Scott's nineteenth century novel gives Donizetti and his librettist Cammarano fine, theatrical material to work on, complete with star-crossed lovers, forged letters, betrayal, revenge and a mad scene. But if the plot seems too gothic for twentieth century taste, the music offers dramatic opportunities which are a gift to singers.
The singer whose interpretation of Lucia is best remembered is Adelina Patti, whose pure, flexible soprano coped brilliantly with the demands of the composerΓÇÖs mad scene. Its dramatic bel canto aria requires fluency, character portrayal, and remarkable adherence to pitch, as well as highly sustained theatrical intensity.
The libretto is comparatively faithful to the novel. Henry, Lord Ashton of Lammermoor, wants Lucy, his sister, to marry Lord Arthur Bucklaw, who is rich. Unknown to Henry, Lucy is in love with Edgar, Master of Ravenswood, his greatest enemy.
Henry finds out about Lucy and Edgar. Edgar goes to France on a secret mission. Henry arranges Lucy's marriage with the rich Lord Arthur.
Lucy protests. Henry produces forged letters which suggest that Edgar is a cad. Lucy is fraught but faithful, until she's told by the family chaplain that marriage to Arthur is the only way to save her brother from a traitor's death. She agrees. The guests arrive. Then, just as Lucy signs the marriage contract, Edgar appears and joins in a great sextet, which exploits opera's unique capability of revealing and exploring the feelings of several characters simultaneously.
Edgar challenges Henry to a duel. (Although, since this scene requires another set, it's often omitted in performance.) Back at the wedding feast, the guests are still carousing. The chaplain enters announcing that Lucy has gone mad and stabbed her husband. With that, Lucy enters, suitably bloody, and gives us the mad scene, which is one of the greatest show numbers for soprano. Edgar is distraught. Henry is remorseful. Everyone else is horror-stricken.
Edgar laments by the tombs of his ancestors. The chorus arrives and announces that Lucy is dying of grief. While they exclaim together the chaplain joins them with the news that she is dead. Edgar stabs himself and it all ends in tears.
In Cammarano's Italian the character names become Enrico, Lucia, Edgardo, and Arturo. Other characters are Raimondo, the chaplain, Alisa, Lucia's companion, and Normanno, a follower of Enrico.
