Joan Sutherland as Lucia (1959 Covent Garden)

This, Sutherland’s first Lucia, is arguable her finest. Her acting is unusually fine, and the voice has an astonishing impact despite the constant sinus infections Sutherland suffered before her surgery. As soon as she finished this run of Lucias, she had surgery and went on to make her first studio recordings for Decca, in as fresh and beautiful voice as ever. This public domain live recording is of a February 26, 1959 performance of Lucia di Lammermoor. This video contains all the numbers of the opera in which Sutherland participates. Cast: Lucia ... Joan Sutherland Edgardo ... Joao Gibin Enrico ... John Shaw Raimondo ... Joseph Rouleau Normanno ... Robert Bowman Arturo ... Kenneth McDonald Alisa .. Margreta Elkins Royal Opera House Covent Gardin Tullio Serafin