“This 1959 studio recording of Lucia has held up well. Renata Scotto was just at the start of her international career, but she clearly was a complete artist already ... She’s a terrific Lucia. Giuseppe di Stefano also is in good voice ... his passion is welcome. Almost stealing the show is Ettore Bastianini ... Singing with huge tone and an audible sneer, he’s the best Enrico on disc ... Nino Sanzogno’s conducting and La Scala’s playing is exciting and first rate. The sound ... acceptable and very clear.” — Robert Levine, ClassicsToday

Lucia loves Edgardo, but her brother Enrico — who wants her to marry his friend Arturo instead — forges a letter to Lucia pretending that Edgardo is unfaithful. Depressed, Lucia agrees to the unwanted marriage, but when Edgardo denounces her she goes mad, slashes her new husband to death on their wedding night, and soon dies. When Edgardo finds out he was duped, and that Lucia loved him after all, he takes his own life in despair.