Yesterday, the radio opera was Donizetti’s “Lucia di Lammermoor” based on “The Bride of Lammermoor” by Sir Walter Scott (thankfully they made one big change – in the oera, it’s her jerk of a brother who pushes her around. In the book, it’s her mother.) It contains the most famous “mad scene” in all of opera. (I think Elvira’s is prettier, but Lucia’s is by far the most dramatic – and drama is really what opera is about. And – they used the glass harmonica in it, which Donizetti wanted, not the flute which is often substituted because it’s much easier to find a brilliant flautist than a brilliant glass harmonica player.) I was looking at the cast and crew last week, since this opera began part 2 of the season, which required me to download a new section of the schedule. Most of the cast was Italian (one Russian Austrian and one South Korean were the only who weren’t.) I didn’tknow any of them, but the name “Piero Pretti” jumped out at me for obvious reasons, and inspired me to try to learn what “Pretti” means. (I don’t think Piero and Alex are related – certainly not closely – Ancestry counts more than 800,000 Prettis worldwide). Turns out “Pretti” is the plural of “pretto” – and “pretto” means “pure.” That put a lump into my throat – it certainly is appropriate for Alex. But I digress. “Lucia” is one of my favorite operas – I had it on vinyl before I graduated from college and joined the Marines. I doubt there is such a thing as a bad production of it (although maybe the trio which perfored the final trio from Faust in English, with a Brooklyn accent, on side two of the Florence Foster Jenkins album could achieve one. Off to see Virgil – will check in.
OK, it’s not enough – but it’s something. It’s more impressive if you simultaneously think of all the wildfires there have been in the same time frame.
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