Key facts
- Librettist
- Salvadore Cammarano
- Language
- Italian
- Based on
- The Bride of Lammermoor , by Walter Scott
- Premiere
- 26 September 1835 ( 1835-09-26 ) , Teatro di San Carlo , Naples
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Duration
- 2.5
- Image
- Disegno per copertina di libretto, disegno di Peter Hoffer per Lucia di Lammermoor (1954) - Archivio Storico Ricordi ICON012449.jpg
Show 5 more facts
- Commons category
- Lucia di Lammermoor
- date of first performance
- 1835-09-26
- title
- Lucia di Lammermoor
- number of parts of this work
~15 min read
Article
Lucia di Lammermoor ( Italian pronunciation: [luˈtʃiːa di ˈlammermur]) is a dramma tragico (tragic opera) in three acts by Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti. Salvadore Cammarano wrote the Italian-language libretto loosely based upon Walter Scott's 1819 historical novel The Bride of Lammermoor.
Donizetti wrote Lucia di Lammermoor in 1835, when he was reaching the peak of his reputation as an opera composer. Gioachino Rossini had recently retired and Vincenzo Bellini had died shortly before the premiere of Lucia leaving Donizetti as "the sole reigning genius of Italian opera". Not only were conditions ripe for Donizetti's success as a composer, but there was also a widespread interest in the history and culture of Scotland. The perceived romance of its violent wars and feuds, as well as its folklore and mythology, intrigued 19th century readers and audiences. Walter Scott dramatized these elements in his novel The Bride of Lammermoor, which inspired several musical works including Lucia.