Name: Anna Bolena
Start: 2019-04-09T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2019-04-20T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Théâtre Royal de Liège

Admin

Organization

Singer

Soprano

Olga Peretyatko

Anne Boleyn

Elaine Alvarez

Mezzo-soprano

Sofia Soloviy

Jane Seymour

Tenor

Celso Albelo

Richard Percy

Bass

Marko Mimica

Henry VIII

Contralto

Francesca Ascioti

Mark Smeaton

Luciano Montanaro

Lord Rochefort

Maxime Melnik

Hervey

Conductor

Giampaolo Bisanti

Stage director

Stefano Mazzonis di Pralafera

Set designer

Gary McCann

Costume designer

Fernand Ruiz

Lighting designer

Franco Marri

Chorus master

Pierre Iodice

Opéra Royal de Wallonie - Liège

Others

Choeur de l'Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège

Orchestra

Royal Opera of Wallonia Orchestra

Italian

Anna Bolena -  (Anne Boleyn)

Liège

Belgium

CASTING
Orchestre et Chœurs de l'Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège
Giampaolo Bisanti (Conductor)
Stefano Mazzonis Di Pralafera (Stage Direction)
Olga Peretyatko (Soprano) : Anna Bolena
Sofia Soloviy (Soprano) : Giovanna Seymour
Celso Albelo (Tenor) : Lord Riccardo Percy
Marko Mimica (Baritone) : Enrico VIII
Francesca Ascioti () : Smeton
Luciano Montanaro (Bass) : Lord Rochefort
Maxime Melnik (Tenor) : Sir Hervey
PROGRAM
Anna Bolena
Tragedia lirica in two acts by Gaetano Donizetti (1797 - 1848)
Libretto by Felice Romani
First performance in Milan, Teatro Carcano, 26 December 1830

Recording: April 17 2019 - Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège
Director: Nicolas Foulon
Duration: 03:02

Théâtre Royal de Liège

Petit Théâtre

Discover Anna Bolena, the 29th opera by Italian bel canto master Gaetano Donizetti, which granted its creator his international reputation! The story, which is inspired by historical facts, is set in Windsor Castle in 1536. King Henry VIII is in love with young Jane Seymour, the handmaiden of his Queen, Anne Boleyn. To live his love in broad daylight, the King must first dispose of his wife, and elaborates a machiavellian scheme to that end, recalling from exile his spouse's former lover, Lord Percy. The latter is then unjustly accused of seducing Anne, and both are sentenced to death...

Stage director Stefano Mazzonis is surrounded by an all-star cast for a stellar interpretation of this highly technical operatic masterpiece. Russian soprano Olga Peretyatko stands out in the title role through her flawless performance and her beautiful timbre, magnified by epic appearances of Ukrainian soprano Sofia Soloviy and Croatian bass-baritone Marko Mimica. Gary McCann's somptuous staging and Fernand Ruiz's magnificent period costumes are the icing on the cake of this thoroughly enjoyable production from the Liège Royal Opera!

Anna Bolena Donizetti

Public

Approved

In 1536 at Windsor Castle, King Henry VIII is in love with the young Jane Seymour, a lady in waiting to the Queen, Anne Boleyn. To ensure himself a free rein, the king decides to bring back from exile the former lover of his wife, Lord Percy, who is still in love with her. Unjustly accused of adultery, they are condemned to death and shut away in the Tower of London.

Bel Canto
Composed in 1830 in less than one month, Anna Bolena was the 29th opera by Donizetti. The action based on historical facts provides a tragic framework and sublime expression of Romanticism. The composer subtly combines bel canto style full of moving melodies with the most acrobatic of vocal prowess, without ever losing his characters’ authenticity. While the role of Percy was destined for the tenor Rubini, the title role was written for the great Pasta, who was first to perform Bellini’s Norma. It is frightfully technically and psychologically difficult, requires an outstanding voice and features among the most beautiful feminine portrayals in history. Maria Callas made it one of her preferred roles by rescuing it from oblivion in 1957.

Anna Bolena brought Donizetti international renown. In a letter to his wife, it is easy to see just how moved he was by such acclaim: “Everyone is saying that they cannot remember having seen such a dazzling triumph. I was so happy that I felt like crying”.

Absent from our stage since 1982, this new production is being made in collaboration with Oman, Lausanne and Bilbao.

English

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Cast

Crew

Ensemble