Lucia di Lammermoor

The sheer lyric beauty of Donizetti's scores is hard to deny, but his ­dramatic genius is not always ­given due ­recognition – an omission that becomes near impossible in the context of this ­outstanding revival of David Alden's production of one of the composer's ­finest tragedies. First seen in 2008, the designs by Charles Edwards and Brigitte ­Reiffenstuel present a sequence of ­Victorian interiors in which the ­remaining members of the ­Ashton ­family – child-like Lucia and her ­damaged, ­brutal brother, Enrico – face financial and social ruin. ­Surrounding them are ­photographs of ancestors: the ­forefathers of the Ashtons and their hated rivals, the Ravenswoods, with whose sole relict, Edgardo, Lucia has become emotionally involved. Ancient family loyalties regulate the younger generation's conduct, whether in ­Enrico's determination to buck the downwards trend by forcing his sister into a financially advantageous ­marriage, or in Lucia and Edgardo's desire to break free from the destructive cycle. Taking Donizetti's plot seriously is the foundation of Alden's directorial stance, yet the emotional ­extremity and shocking physicality of the ­production align well with the fiery exterior and crepuscular interior of the score. For some, Alden will have gone too far in his ­exploration of just how ­Enrico's ­relationship with Lucia really ­functions, but with a cast as ­committed as this, the impact is totally compelling. Nor is Donizetti's music sacrificed: ­conductor Antony Walker leads a ­stylish account, with the ­orchestra on top form. Brian ­Mulligan's Enrico is ­thrilling and Clive ­Bayley has done nothing ­better than his Bible-bashing ­Raimondo. ­Throughout, Anna Christy's Lucia and Barry Banks's Edgardo knock sparks off both each other and Donizetti's vocal lines.