Review of Lucia di Lammermoor

I bought this DVD because I'm a big fan of this opera and the reviews where very good. But, alas, I am a bit disappointed. One thing I maybe should have known is that Joan Sutherland is a great soprano, but not a great woman to look at and not just a bit older than Lucia is supposed to be. So although Sutherland sings her part very well, she's absolutely no feast to look at. When you add to this that the staging and the clothes of the cast are quite old-fashioned, you will understand that in the future I'll prefer listening to this DVD to watching it. And as for listening, I find this performance a little bit to much up-tempo to my liking. Especially the beautiful duet "Verranno a te sull'aure" is not, as full of as we say in Dutch "weemoed en verlangen" (melancholy and desire) as it should be, i.m.h.o. All that said, the singers in this performance are great and do a really great job.