Lucia Di Lammermoor

Lucia di Lammermoor, with the most famous mad scene in all of opera, has been a favorite of audiences and coloratura sopranos since being composed in 1835, when Donizetti was the ”sole reigning genius of Italian opera.” The opera is only loosely based on the novel The Bride of Lammermoor written in 1800 by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832). Scott was at the height of his popularity in the first half of the 19th century and a number of his novels were turned into operas.