DONIZETTI : MARIA STUARDA

Radio New Zealand Concert network
Sunday 20th of March 2016 at 6.04 - 9 pm
Sunday 4th of October 2015 at 6.04 - 9 pm
Sunday 17th of February 2013 at 3.04 - 6.20 pm 
2016
DONIZETTI: Maria Stuarda, a tragic opera in two acts
Maria Stuarda.............. Sondra Radvanovsky
Elisabetta..................... Elsa van den Heever
Lady-in-waiting........... Maria Zifchak
Roberto........................ Celso Albelo
Cecil............................. Patrick Carfizzi
Talbot........................... Kwangchul Youn
Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orch/Riccardo Frizza   2015
DONIZETTI: Maria Stuarda, a tragic opera in two acts
Maria Stuarda.............. Joyce DiDonato
Elisabetta..................... Silvia Tro Santafé
Anna............................ Ana Tobella
Roberto........................ Javier Camarena
Lord Cecil.................... Vito Priante
Talbot........................... Michele Pertusi
Gran Teatro del Liceu Chorus & SO/Maurizio Benini
(recorded in Gran Teatro del Liceu, Barcelona)
2013
DONIZETTI: Maria Stuarda, an opera in two acts
Maria Stuarda.............. Joyce DiDonato
Elisabetta..................... Elza van den Heever
Anna............................ Maria Zifchak
Roberto........................ Matthew Polenzani
Cecil............................. Joshua Hopkins
Talbot........................... Matthew Rose
Metropolitan Opera Chorus & Orch/Maurizio Benini

INTRODUCTION
PREVIEW
REVIEW (NYT)
REVIEW (Examiner)
SYNOPSIS
LIBRETTO

This opera is based on Friedrich Schiller's play Maria Stuart (1800) in which the author imagines a confrontation between  Queen Mary of Scotland ("Mary Queen of Scots') and Queen Elizabeth I of England ("Good Queen Bess"). In fact they never met, but they sent letters to each other. Donizetti wrote a number of operas set in Tudor England and involving the three queens: Maria Stuarda (Mary Stuart of Scotland)  Anna Bolena (Ann Boleyn, the mother of Elizabeth) and Roberto Devereux (includes Elizabeth). Their time in history is the 16th century.
   Let's sort this lot out. Mary Stuart (1542-1587) was Queen Mary I of Scotland from 1542 (when she was 6 days old) till 1567; she succeeded her father James V, and was succeeded by her son James VI, who became James I of England (the man who gave us the Authorized Version of the Bible); while regents were taking her place in Scotland, she was also Queen consort of France (1559-1560). I don't get around much, but I have been taken as a tourist to the castles in Stirling and Edinburgh which have connections with Mary.
   Then there is Mary Tudor (1516-1558, reigned 1553-1558), Queen Mary I of England ("Bloody Mary", so called because she liquidated Protestants; she was daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.
   Elizabeth (1533-1603, reigned 1558-1603), "the virgin queen"; as already said, she was daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn). She was also known as "Gloriana" (Bloody Mary would have been "Goriana", presumably.)
   The only recording I have is the English National Opera box of three black discs, conducted by Charles Mackerras, sung in English by Janet Baker and Rosalind Plowright, so that means I lack the Italian libretto.