#opera leipzig

I really need to post these things when they’re time relevant.

I went to the opera at the end of November last year. Went and saw Lucia di Lammermoor which is kind of like a Scottish Highlands Romeo and Juliet but not amazing? Lucia of the house Ashton nearly gets killed by a stag but gets saved by a guy called Edgardo (of the house... I want to say Ravenswood?) who is apparently mega enemies with Lucia’s brother, Enrico. Lucia and Edgardo fall in love but he has to go fight in France so they promise themselves to each other before he leaves and send letters in the meantime. Enrico finds out about it and is obviously not pleased but also wants Lucia to marry Arturo Bucklaw because it would be very profitable to be related to the guy. 

Enrico tells Lucia that Edgardo has abandoned her and shows her a fake letter from Edgardo that he wrote in which it says Edgardo has found another woman and won’t be coming back for Lucia. Dang. In her despair she agrees to marry Arturo, but Edgardo shows up at the wedding (wild). Some guy shows him the marriage certificate signed by Lucia so he curses her and leaves. Enrico goes and challenges him to a duel and also goads him saying Lucia is already enjoying her marriage bed, and Edgardo accepts the duel. 

Back in the castle all the people of Ashton are celebrating the wedding when the priest comes out of a different room and says Lucia had gone mad and murdered her new husband, Arturo. Then Lucia comes out, covered in blood and holding a knife and super out of it and sings about how she can be with Edgardo now. This scene was particularly well done because her aria is very impressive and also she sings it so happily, covered in blood, surrounded by horrified people. She eventually starts to die because... I dunno... distress.

When Edgardo goes to duel Enrico, he’s told that she’s dying/dead and stabs himself to be with her in heaven. 

It wasn’t my favourite opera but it was still a good time. I had asked upward of 20 different people if they wanted to come see it with me but nobody had time/interest/money so I ended up asking in a First Years facebook group if anyone wanted to go and I went with this girl, Juliane. We haven’t talked since but it was still cool getting to know her.