Southern Ontario Lyric Opera: Donizetti: Lucia di Lammermoor. Soprano Holly Chaplin, Lucia; tenor Joel Ricci, Edgardo; baritone James Westman, Enrico; baritone Michael Robert-Broder, Raimondo; Alexander Cappellazzo, Arturo/Romanno, mezzo-soprano Stephanie Yelovich, Alisa. Directed by Greg Finney, with the SOLO Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Sabatino Vacca. March 8, 2025 at the Burlingoton Arts Centre.
Spring is right around the corner, and in between the winter and spring season of the Canadian Opera Company, a good production by a smaller, lesser-known company fills the void for opera lovers.
Southern Ontario Lyric Opera
Celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and founded by current Artistic Director Sabatino Vacca, SOLO is a regional not-for-profit opera company providing a platform for emerging artists to showcase their talents.
Their productions are proudly all-Canadian, and when the evening opened with audiences standing to sing the national anthem, the inside of Burlington Performing Arts Centre bursted with unprecedented national pride. This Lucia is directed by Gregory Finney, an excellent baritone in his own right, who wowed me just last week in Toronto Operetta Theatre’s The Gondoliers.
Lucia di Lammermoor
A tragic opera written by Gaetano Donizetti, it is a classic Romeo and Juliet story set in 17th-century Scotland. Lucia Ashton is in love with and secretly engaged to Edgardo Ravenswood, her family’s sworn enemy. Lucia’s brother Enrico is enraged by this arrangement, and coerces her to marry Arturo Bucklaw, for political and financial reasons.
Initially defiant, Lucia gives in when Enrico produces a forged letter showing that Edgardo has betrayed her. On her wedding day, Edgardo suddenly shows up and curses Lucia for breaking her promise. Descending into madness, Lucia kills Arturo and dies soon after. Edgardo, devastated by the news of her death, takes his own life in despair.
The Cast
Soprano Holly Chaplin nailed the titular role with her powerful coloratura and agile instrument. Her exquisite bel canto, though not completely effortless, was secure and confident. Donizetti has written unrelenting leaps, runs, and trills for this demanding role, which Chaplin executed with laser precision.
In the famous mad scene, she portrayed Lucia’s maniacal switch from dramatic outbursts to emotional despair with a range of vocal colours that were most beautiful when sung sotto voce. Chaplin is a rising star and deserves to be heard more on the big stages.
Joel Ricci’s buttery tenor and ringing top tones made him the perfect Edgardo. Showing equal vocal prowess as Chaplin, together they made an endearing pair of lovers. His Act three aria “Fra poco a me ricovero” was movingly filled with deep sorrow.
Another standout performance was from James Westman, who is no stranger to the operatic world. As Enrico, he commanded the stage with his sonorous baritone and brilliant acting, while his heated exchanges with Lucia erupted like fireworks.
There were solid performances from the supporting cast: Alexander Cappellazzo did double duty as Arturo and Normanno. As Normanno, he was over-powered by the orchestra, but his lyrical tenor shone through as Arturo. Stephanie Yelovich was another vocal powerhouse as Alisa, Lucia’s handmaid, with a velvety mezzo voice.
The role of Raimondo, the sympathetic chaplain, is usually sung by a bass, but Michael Robert-Broder’s baritone had a rich depth that befitted the role. His Act three aria “Dalle stanze ove Lucia,” in which he delivered the sombre news that Lucia had gone mad and killed Arturo, was surprisingly devoid of alarm, and the lack of emotions from the chorus standing in the background was equally bewildering.
The Performance
One of the greatest moments of the opera was no doubt the famous sextet “Chi mi frena in tal momento?” in Act two. Together, the six characters created a rich and complex musical tapestry.
Even though the set was simple and the costumes were somewhat drab, it kept the focus on Donizetti’s dramatic score and the singers. SOLO also deserves credit for accessibility by using larger fonts for their surtitles.
This production was not without its problems. The sizeable chorus of over 30 amateur singers (and also stiff actors) was a hit and miss of vocal quality, with the men sounding especially hesitant. Vacca had to rein in the chorus’ tempo on a few occasions. There were beautiful moments from the orchestra in the harp and flute solos, but the brass had notable struggles with pitch and tempo.
These misgivings could easily be overlooked when the singing from the leads was as good as it was. Lucia di Lammermoor has some of opera’s most mesmerizing music, and it is a pity that it is not performed more often.
SOLO’s ambitious and successful undertaking of this daunting opera is not only a spotlight of Canadian rising stars, but also a testament that regional opera companies need our support.
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