Lily Pons: Mad Scene From Lucia

The great coloratura in a signature role. For me, this is what Lucia should sound like. We have gone through a period in operatic history where for many conductors, stage managers and theater directors, only the voice mattered, and we have been treated, as a result, to what are supposed to be early teen-aged girls (I’m thinking of Lucia and Cho-cho san) who come off sounding like Aida and looking like they are embarking on a 3rd or 4th marriage. The operas—Lucia in particular—gain so much when the leadin