ANNA BOLENA
Tragedia lirica in 2 atti
Composer: Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848)
Libretto: Felice Romani, after Ippolito Pindemonte’s ‘Enrico VIII ossia Anna Bolena’ & Alessandro Pepoli’s ‘Anna Bolena’
First performance: Teatro Carcano, Milan, 26 December 1830
PLOT: Anne Boleyn (‘beheaded’) is the second wife of Henry VIII. Henry has turned his attentions to Jane Seymour, and plots to rid himself of his wife. He summons Lord Richard Percy, Anna’s first lover, back from exile. The king surprises the pair and orders their arrest. On the king’s orders, the Council of Peers dissolves Henry and Anne’s marriage and condemns Anna, Percy, her brother Lord Rochefort and her page Smeaton to death.
'Anna Bolena' was Donizetti’s first international success; with it, Donizetti ranked alongside Rossini and Bellini as one of the three great Italian bel canto opera composers. Rossini’s ‘Elisabetta, regina d’Inghilterra’ (1829) had sparked Italian opera composers’ interest in English history; Coccia and Mercadante would also write operas about Tudor monarchs.
‘Anna Bolena’ is the first of Donizetti’s ‘Three Queens’ operas, which deal with the Tudor monarchs: Henry VIII here, and Elizabeth I in ‘Maria Stuarda’ (1835) and ‘Roberto Devereux’ (1837). Elizabeth also appeared in an earlier opera, ‘Elisabetta al castello di Kenilworth’ (1829). Although ‘Anna Bolena’ has several impressive passages, it is a more static opera than its successors, and ends, like many Italian bel canto operas, with a lengthy scene for the soprano.
Giuditta Pasta created the title role, which has provided a vehicle for a star soprano: Maria Callas, Joan Sutherland, Beverly Sills and more recently Anna Netrebko and Sondra Radvanovsky.
No. 5 – Act I finale: ‘Alcun potria ascoltarti in queste mura’
Anne Boleyn orders Lord Percy to leave her; in despair, he draws his sword and makes to stab himself. Smeton, who has watched the whole scene from behind the screen, rushes out, thinking Percy is about to stab Anne. The two men start to fight, and Anna collapses. Anna’s brother Lord Rochefort enters, followed closely by Henry VIII. Seeing brandished weapons, the king calls for his guards. Smeaton kneels to beg the king’s forgiveness, but a portrait of Anne he stole falls from his pocket. Enraged, Henry orders Anne, Smeaton, Percy and Rochefort to be imprisoned – and Anne will soon be tried for her life.
Enrico VIII, re d’Inghilterra / King of England (bass): Paul Plishka
Anna Bolena, sua moglie / his wife (soprano): Beverly Sills
Lord Rochefort, fratello di Anna / Anne’s brother (bass): Robert Lloyd
Giovanna di Seymour, damigella di Anna / Anne’s lady-in-waiting (soprano): Shirley Verrett
Lord Riccardo Percy (tenor): Stuart Burrows
Smeton, paggio e musico della regina / the Queen’s page and musican (contralto): Patricia Kern
John Alldis Choir
Conductor: Julius Rudel
London Symphony Orchestra
London, 1972
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