Reviewed by James Karas
Lucia di Lammermoor is by any measurement one of the greatest bel canto operas and a chance to see it and in Milan cannot be missed. Lucia is the 9th out of 12 productions in 2026 at La Scala, a year that included Wagner’s complete Ring Cycle with L’Elisir d’Amore, La Traviata and Faust still to come. It is a long walk from Toronto to Milan but La Scala is wisely making videos of some productions available for streaming.
The current production directed by Yannis Kokkos was first seen in 2023. Kokkos, who also designed the costumes, has opted for a dark Lucia in modern attire. The men wear mostly three-piece suits and the women have black dresses but Lucia (Rosa Feola) wears a long, white gown.
The Kokkos’ sets are again conservative (that is a compliment, by the way) from the forest of the opening scene to the later interior and exterior scenes dominated by dark shades. We are absorbed in the ill-fated love between Lucia and Edgardo (Piero Pretti) and her brother, the merciless Lord Enrico Ashton (Boris Pinkhasovich) and the pressures and lies brought on her. Ashton considers Edgardo his mortal enemy and wants his destruction as revenge. He has found a suitable husband, Lord Arturo Bucklaw (Leonardo Cortellazzi) for Lucia, meaning a rich aristocrat who will save the Ashton estates. I do not need to tell you that Lucia will be forced to marry Arturo, be sent to her honeymoon bed and kill him. She will lose her mind and give us a Mad Scene that would test all the vocal and acting talents of the best singers.
Soprano Rosa Feola gave an impressive performance as Lucia. She has a gorgeous coloratura voice that she uses to draw us into the passion and pain of Lucia’s journey from love to madness. And she has a big voice when she needs it. With the orchestra playing and the chorus singing, she let out a powerful note that went over all of them. A beautiful moment. She was marvelous in the Mad Scene, accompanied by a glass harmonica, going from the quiet beginning to the realization and wrenching enactment of her collapse. A minor complaint: this woman stabbed a man to death and is covered in blood which bespeaks a struggle and yet she managed to appear before the court with her hair not messed up at all.
Baritone Boris Pinkhasovich as Lord Enrico Asthon seethed with hatred and lusted for vengeance. This man will stop at nothing to save his fortune and is prepared to sacrifice everything humanly decent including his sister. I thought he had a somewhat choppy beginning but his voice settled down into a splendid performance right up to the end when he comes to grips with his evil acts.
We are on the side of Edgardo di Ravenswood as sung by tenor Piero Pretti. He is all conviction and passion with sparks of decency as he commits his love to Lucie and in fact marries her out in the open. We get a vocally rich and theatrically effective performance as we hear splendid singing and view a tormented human being. A splendid voice and a superb performance.
The chaplain Raimondo is in the hands of bass Michele Pertusi. Raimondo is the faithful servant of Ashton and the spiritual advisor of Lucia. He tries to be a decent cleric but is forced to act as a tool for the vengeful Ashton. He can’t be both and remains conflicted but well-sung and acted by Pertusi
Lord Arturo Bucklaw (Leonardo Cortellazzi) is a small role as the aristocrat who is prepared to marry Lucia without any concern about her attitude. We give Cortellazzi credit for his performance but do not fret about Arturo’s fate.
Conductor Speranza Scappucci brought out the best in Donizetti’s score and rounded off and outstanding night at the opera.
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