ANNA BOLENA

Opera in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848), to a libretto by Felice Romani. First performance: Milan, Teatro Carcano, 26 December 1830.

Enrico VIII (bass), King of England, has fallen in love with Giovanna Seymour (mezzo-soprano), but in order to be able to marry her he has to rid himself of his wife Anna Bolena (soprano). To this end, Enrico calls upon Lord Riccardo Percy (tenor), a long-time admirer of Anna and still in love with her. Summoned back from exile, Percy asks to meet his beloved Anna. She senses that her position as Queen is in the balance and attempts to resist the amorous advances of Percy, who becomes desperate and wants to kill himself. Enrico VIII bursts into his wife's apartments and has Anna arrested together with Percy and the page Smeton (contralto), who had by chance been present for the conversation between the couple. Giovanna, shocked at having been the involuntary cause of the Queen's downfall, begs the King to show clemency and Anna to forgive her. At first Anna wants to dismiss her request but then, moved by it, does forgive her. Anna's fate, however, is now sealed: after a summary trial, she is condemned to deah with her brother Lord Rochefort (bass), Percy and Smeton.

The triumph scored by Anna Bolena signalled that Donizetti was now acknowledged as one of the most important composers of his day, and the work is clear evidence of his vigorous operatic personality. Anna Bolena was also the first Donizetti opera to be performed all over Europe, and it remained a regular feature of opera house programmes from that time until it disappeared from repertoires at the end of the nineteenth century. It was revived at La Scala, Milan in 1957, with Maria Callas in the leading role, and was a resounding success. Since then, Anna Bolena has enjoyed renewed fame.