Lucia Di Lammermoor [Import]

Beverly Sills offers a fascinating portrait of Lucia though not everyone will like her slightly hysterical approach to the role and elaborate ornementation which sometimes disturbs the melodic line. The use of the glass harmonica in the mad scene only adds to the eerie atmosphere Sills creates. Carlo Bergonzi and Piero Cappuccilli are excellent but with a more conventional approach than Sills (Bergonzi was actually more ardent in his earlier Lucia recording with Moffo for RCA in 1965). Justino Diaz is a fine Raimondo but doesn't quite create an effect in his description of Arturo's murder before the mad scene however his hushed "Eccola" when Lucia enters is haunting. Thomas Schippers is very much with Sills and supports her well. Good sound and excellent contribution from chorus and orchestra. A must for Sills admirer.

This is a recording of Beverly Sills singing Lucia. Need I say more? Her voice is exactly as I imagine Lucia's should be. Sutherland's is more beautiful, but we miss out on the character. Callas does a good job with Lucia, but her voice is too big for true Bel Canto, as well as she sings it. I prefer Sills' voice when she was a bit younger, but she is still fabulous here. She actually portrays the character of Lucia above merely singing the arias beautifully, which, by the way, she does. Her ornamentation seems to add to the work in some undiscernable sense, and we get plenty of high notes--she even ends Disc II by holding out a high "F"!!! At all times, she retains musical integrity. Bergonzi is an apt match, though he seems to have something of a lisp. This recording also sports the glass armonica found nowhere else on disc, which greatly contributes to the Mad Scene with its otherwordly sound, even though the player misses some of the notes. The sound could be better, and Arturo's voice isn't very good in comparison to the other singers, but that's just fine--it doesn't have to be. We don't want him to outshine Edgardo. If you like Sills, Lucia di Lammermoor, Donizetti, Bel Canto operas, or opera in general, get a copy of this.

Though I have heard positive comments about this recording, it wasn't until recently that I actually picked it up. I already had Callas and Sutherland recordings, which I thought to be absolutely wonderful. Callas, whenever she sings, never ceases to be thrilling- despite her Lucia being a bit more tame in terms of ornamentation and cadenzas. Sutherland is a human singing machine and executes everything with precision and beautiful sound.
In the spectrum of Lucias, though, I find Beverly Sill's characterization to be much more appropriate than the other two. Aside from her obviously lighter voice than the two, her Lucia was a much more fragile woman who just had some seriously loose screws. I never felt like she stepped outside her bounds character-wise. Then again, I find Lucia to be most similar to Ophelia: driven mad by circumstance and completely tormented. They shouldn'y ever come off as being scary or cold- just completely over-the-edge. Aside from that, Sill's singing of Lucia is fantastically exciting. Her ornamentation is sometimes a bit much; but with bel canto, you have to find a way to make each line yours and make sure that it still portrays what the composer wanted. Improvisation is expected. While her Regnava is not my favorite (I'm more than impressed by this new soprano Anna Netrebko), the Mad Scene is all and more than one could want from the character. Absolutely marvelous.
While Lucia is obviously the most important character in the show, I think it is important in rating this album (and comparing it to others) to consider the supporting cast. The main reason I purchased this album was for its Edgardo; and once again, Carlo Bergonzi is a joy to hear. He has such a wonderful color- as well as a solid technique in all ranges. The Act 1 duet with Sills is the highlight of the show for me (aside from the Mad Scene).
The rest of the cast is wonderful; so many magical moments in this recording...