Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor (in English).(Sound Recording Review)

* Futral, C. Rice; Clarke, Opie, Rose, Wedd, Chaundy; Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, Philharmonia Orchestra, Parry English text. Chandos CHN 3083

Listening to Lucia di Lammermoor in English translation reminds one of the origins of the story in Walter Scott, and of the early-nineteenth-century perception of Scotland as an exotic literary locale. As always, hearing standard repertoire in one's native tongue provides textual illumination, both wanted (there is more subtlety and reflection in Lucia than I realized) and unwanted (there are those corny moments). For the most part, conductor David Parry's translation of Salvatore Cammarano's libretto is exemplary, keeping rhymes and rhythms intact and preserving key textual moments, such as "When, in the burning ecstasy" ("Quando rapito in estasi"). On the downside, some of the choruses have a D'Oyly Carte feel, and Lucia's couplet "Do not be so disdainful; to sign that contract was painful" made me wince.

The principals offer differing approaches to singing in one's native tongue. Peter Rose, in the role of Raimondo (happily, the Italian character names are preserved; no "Ray" or "Lucy" here), sings "rapture" and "horror" as if unaware of their meaning. As Edgardo, Paul Charles Clarke treats English as an Italian dialect, rendering "risen" as "reason," and "witness" as "wheatness," while Elizabeth Futral, in the title role, sacrifices vocal line for clarity of diction. Only Alan Opie, as Enrico, approaches this particular text as something new, without referencing Italian pronunciation, flow or rhetorical effects, and he exhibits an authority and naturalness of speech lacking in his colleagues.

But the merits of this recording go beyond its linguistic accessibility. Musically, the performance is polished, especially in the details of ...