# Lucia di Lammermoor



## slamtry (Apr 2, 2021)

Hi all, new member here. I haven't been to the opera in years but have always loved it. I am wondering if anyone can help me with a question about a London production of Lucia de Lammermoor from the 1980s. I remember seeing it but cannot narrow it down beyond that it would definitely have been the 1980s; because I moved away from London after that. It would definitely either have been at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden or (possible, but slightly less likely) the ENO, at the Coliseum. 

Anyway, just in case there is anyone with historical knowledge about this stuff, I am wondering whether anyone could tell me what date (or range of dates, or even year) I would have seen it and who was the star. The one thing I remember that stood out about the production and that everyone talked about was that during the mad scene, the singer (whoever she was) literally took all her clothes off. I can remember that everyone was sort of blown away by this and we all thought it was very cool. So if anyone could tell me who it was that I saw and where and when it was, that would be terrific.

Dan


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

According to the Royal Opera House records the Zeffirelli production of *Lucia di Lammermoor* was revived four times in the 1980s. The Lucias were Katia Ricciarelli (1980), Joan Sutherland (1985), June Anderson (1986) and Edita Gruberova (1988). I doubt any of those ladies would have taken all of their clothes off.

I don't recall any productions of the opera at ENO during the 1980s, though I could be wrong.

Maria Ewing was famous for stripping completely in her husband, Peter Hall's production of *Salome* at the Royal Opera House. That was in 1988.


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## Rogerx (Apr 27, 2018)

slamtry said:


> Hi all, new member here. I haven't been to the opera in years but have always loved it. I am wondering if anyone can help me with a question about a London production of Lucia de Lammermoor from the 1980s. I remember seeing it but cannot narrow it down beyond that it would definitely have been the 1980s; because I moved away from London after that. It would definitely either have been at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden or (possible, but slightly less likely) the ENO, at the Coliseum.
> 
> Anyway, just in case there is anyone with historical knowledge about this stuff, I am wondering whether anyone could tell me what date (or range of dates, or even year) I would have seen it and who was the star. The one thing I remember that stood out about the production and that everyone talked about was that during the mad scene, the singer (whoever she was) literally took all her clothes off. I can remember that everyone was sort of blown away by this and we all thought it was very cool. So if anyone could tell me who it was that I saw and where and when it was, that would be terrific.
> 
> Dan


Am I rude by asking if this is April fools day?


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## Seattleoperafan (Mar 24, 2013)

Tsaraslondon said:


> According to the Royal Opera House records the Zeffirelli production of *Lucia di Lammermoor* was revived four times in the 1980s. The Lucias were Katia Ricciarelli (1980), Joan Sutherland (1985), June Anderson (1986) and Edita Gruberova (1988). I doubt any of those ladies would have taken all of their clothes off.
> 
> I don't recall any productions of the opera at ENO during the 1980s, though I could be wrong.
> 
> Maria Ewing was famous for stripping completely in her husband, Peter Hall's production of *Salome* at the Royal Opera House. That was in 1988.


OMG! Really!.........


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

Tsaraslondon said:


> According to the Royal Opera House records the Zeffirelli production of *Lucia di Lammermoor* was revived four times in the 1980s. The Lucias were Katia Ricciarelli (1980), Joan Sutherland (1985), June Anderson (1986) and Edita Gruberova (1988). I doubt any of those ladies would have taken all of their clothes off.
> 
> I don't recall any productions of the opera at ENO during the 1980s, though I could be wrong.
> 
> Maria Ewing was famous for stripping completely in her husband, Peter Hall's production of *Salome* at the Royal Opera House. That was in 1988.


Joan Sutherland naked. Give me a moment . . .


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## slamtry (Apr 2, 2021)

Tsaraslondon said:


> According to the Royal Opera House records the Zeffirelli production of *Lucia di Lammermoor* was revived four times in the 1980s. The Lucias were Katia Ricciarelli (1980), Joan Sutherland (1985), June Anderson (1986) and Edita Gruberova (1988). I doubt any of those ladies would have taken all of their clothes off.
> 
> I don't recall any productions of the opera at ENO during the 1980s, though I could be wrong.
> 
> Maria Ewing was famous for stripping completely in her husband, Peter Hall's production of *Salome* at the Royal Opera House. That was in 1988.


That must be it. I suppose I must have conflated the two. I definitely did see a Lucia though, at some point in the mid-80s. Could have been any of the last three, I suppose. Wish I had written them all down. When one is twenty, one just doesn't think that decades will pass and that one will forget stuff and all that stuff will seem far, far away 

I was turned on to live opera (I mean actually going to see it rather than just listening to it) by my friend, Andy, who went all the time. I was with him at the one I mentioned above, where the singer disrobed herself. Sadly my friend died a few years back so I can't ask him about which Lucia we saw. And if you will allow me one last boring old story, it was this same friend who took me to my first opera ever. It was definitely Covent Garden and it was definitely Wagner but I can't remember which one. It was definitely not one of the Ring Cycle; I rather think it may have been Parsifal. I guess I should try to see if the ROH list all their past performances on their website.

Again this would have been sometime in the early-to-mid 1980s. And I was young and broke, so we had the cheapest seats we could buy; I can't remember if we were up in the circle or downstairs but we were certainly right at the back. It wasn't too bad. The Royal Opera House is not ridiculously big so we could hear okay although it all seemed a bit far away. But my friend Andy was well-versed in what to do. He just told me to keep my eyes open for a pair of seats up front that were empty during the first act. Well, we spotted some and at the first interval we just went down and sat in them. I was rather nervous as you can imagine, but Andy said he had done it loads of times and there was nothing to worry about. And he was right; nobody said anything, we had terrific seats, and I thoroughly enjoyed the piece. Well, at the end, after a few encores, just as we were about to get up and leave, an old gentleman in the seat on my left started talking to me. He was very nice, asked if I had liked the music, whether I had ever been to the opera before; that sort of thing. I was polite back, but we had just sat through three hours of Wagner and I fancied a drink so pretty soon we took our leave. It was only when we got outside that Andy said to me "Do you know who that was?". And of course I said "No, just some old bloke who can afford the posh seats." And Andy said "That was Georg Solti.

So that was how I met Solti. Not bad, eh?


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

amfortas said:


> Joan Sutherland naked. Give me a moment . . .


:lol: :lol: :lol:

My thoughts exactly.

Perhaps at ENO? None of the sopranos there would do that (Valerie Masterson or Josephine Barstow? NEVER).

Though Barstow did strip at a San Francisco *Salome*, but in context.


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## Revitalized Classics (Oct 31, 2018)

MAS said:


> :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> My thoughts exactly.
> 
> ...


There were several options:
"In context"
"_In extremis_"
"In the car park"

We are all relieved she chose "in context"


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

slamtry said:


> Hi all, new member here. I haven't been to the opera in years but have always loved it. I am wondering if anyone can help me with a question about a London production of Lucia de Lammermoor from the 1980s. I remember seeing it but cannot narrow it down beyond that it would definitely have been the 1980s; because I moved away from London after that. It would definitely either have been at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden or (possible, but slightly less likely) the ENO, at the Coliseum.
> 
> Anyway, just in case there is anyone with historical knowledge about this stuff, I am wondering whether anyone could tell me what date (or range of dates, or even year) I would have seen it and who was the star. The one thing I remember that stood out about the production and that everyone talked about was that during the mad scene, the singer (whoever she was) literally took all her clothes off. I can remember that everyone was sort of blown away by this and we all thought it was very cool. So if anyone could tell me who it was that I saw and where and when it was, that would be terrific.
> 
> Dan


However, Natalie Dessay did, accidentally, bare a breast during the Mad Scene while acting crazy (it's on a video).


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## amfortas (Jun 15, 2011)

MAS said:


> :lol: :lol: :lol:
> 
> My thoughts exactly.
> 
> ...


Under the extensive category of This is Why I'm a Terrible Person, I have to confess I have a hard time watching the otherwise excellent John Schlesinger/Georg Solti _Ballo in maschera_ DVD because I find Barstow so unprepossessing. And that's fully clothed. 



MAS said:


> However, Natalie Dessay did, accidentally, bare a breast during the Mad Scene while acting crazy (it's on a video).


Now that I can live with.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

amfortas said:


> Under the extensive category of This is Why I'm a Terrible Person, I have to confess I have a hard time watching the otherwise excellent John Schlesinger/Georg Solti _Ballo in maschera_ DVD because I find Barstow so unprepossessing. And that's fully clothed.


Well I feel as if I should leap to Barstow's defence, as I saw her in a few productions when she was at her best. She was absolutely riveting in a range of roles including Violetta, Salome, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Helena in *A Midsummer Night's Dream* and Mother Marie in *Les Dialogues des Carmélites*.

What was the date of the Schlesinger *Ballo*?


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## MAS (Apr 15, 2015)

Tsaraslondon said:


> Well I feel as if I should leap to Barstow's defence, as I saw her in a few productions when she was at her best. She was absolutely riveting in a range of roles including Violetta, Salome, Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk, Helena in *A Midsummer Night's Dream* and Mother Marie in *Les Dialogues des Carmélites*.
> 
> What was the date of the Schlesinger *Ballo*?


Barstow's Lady Macbeth (Verdi's) was also impressive despite her smallish voice; Rosalinde in San Francisco was also good, though she thought the audience didn't I'd her. She also did well in *Salome*. She is a good physical actress, but the voice is rather one-color, though she seems to darkens it at will.


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## Don Fatale2 (Mar 27, 2020)

Tsaraslondon said:


> According to the Royal Opera House records the Zeffirelli production of *Lucia di Lammermoor* was revived four times in the 1980s. The Lucias were Katia Ricciarelli (1980), Joan Sutherland (1985), June Anderson (1986) and Edita Gruberova (1988). I doubt any of those ladies would have taken all of their clothes off.
> 
> I don't recall any productions of the opera at ENO during the 1980s, though I could be wrong.
> 
> Maria Ewing was famous for stripping completely in her husband, Peter Hall's production of *Salome* at the Royal Opera House. That was in 1988.


Yup, I was there. Twice I think! Nothing but admiration for Ewing as an artist. The scene was shocking in the right way, and arguably the definitive standard. On YT if you care to look. Though I feel the Catherine Malfitano/Bryn Terfel performance was astounding for sexual chemistry and lead performances. This opera can sear itself into the memory like few others.

Oh, and as for Lucia, the 80's was before my time, opera-wise at least. Seen some good ones since then though.

It was always fun trying to make people believe how much nudity I saw at the opera.


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## Tsaraslondon (Nov 7, 2013)

Don Fatale2 said:


> Oh, and as for Lucia, the 80's was before my time, opera-wise at least.


Maria Ewing first performed Salome at the ROH in 1988 and she repeated the role in 1992.


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## mparta (Sep 29, 2020)

amfortas said:


> Joan Sutherland naked. Give me a moment . . .


Pretty sure that would take more than a moment.


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