Lucia Di Lammermoor
All the ghost Lucias who haunt the Opera House - Sutherland, obviously, but also Gillian Sullivan and Sumi Jo - were listening, at least vicariously through the ears of listeners who heard them and chalked up their performances for future comparison.
If judged on this note alone, Matthews would take an honourable place among the ghosts. Unlike Jo, Matthews sang substantially the same cadenza in the mad scene as Sutherland (Sutherland's husband, Richard Bonynge, was conducting). However, what was refreshing about Matthews's debut in this role was that she gave musico-dramatic meaning to the scene, so the experience became more than simply listening to the virtuosity and wondering when she would fall off (she didn't). Her combination of colour, lightness and agility was there in abundance right from her Act 1 aria, Regnava nel Silenzio, and it gave her portrayal of this role distinctiveness and freshness.
The return to focus on the dramatic purpose by Matthews and the rest of this strong cast is welcome and would be well served by replacing John Copley's ageing costume pantomime production from 1980 with something new. Too much of it looks and feels like the kind of parody of operatic convention described by Tolstoy in Natasha's debut in War And Peace.
But although the production is creaking, Matthews was far from being a lone point in a dark sky. Eric Cutler, as Edgardo, Lucia's star-crossed lover, was magnificent throughout for the smoothness and polish of his voice. He had power in reserve for the last act, which he delivered without a hint of strain and with impressive dramatic as well as musical stature. Jose Carbo, as Lucia's wicked brother, was equally splendid, with a forceful and focused tone and fiery stage presence boding well for the future.
Richard Anderson sang Raimondo, the compromised priest, with sober warmth, and Kanen Breen was dashingly superficial as Arturo.
Rosemary Gunn was redoubtable as Alisa, and Graeme Macfarlane made a worthy Normanno. The orchestra under Bonynge was under-energised.
It is time to move this work on from the Sutherland glory days or else impose a moratorium while singers and conductors check again what Donizetti actually wrote.
