Anna Bolena - Gaetano Donizetti
Information about the opera Anna Bolena by Gaetano Donizetti, and the best recordings available on CD or DVD, or for download.
Donizetti's first operatic success, and restored to popularity in the 1950s by Maria Callas, it tells the tragedy of Henry's queen sentenced to the block for infidelity.
Recommended recordings on CD
Boncompagni/Gruberova/Palatchi (Nightingale Classics NC 070565-2)
Edita Gruberova gives a superb performance in the title role.
Choir & Orchestra of the Hungarian Radio & TV, conducted by Elio Boncompagni.
Cast: Edita Gruberova (Anna Bolena), Stefano Palatchi (Enrico VIII), Delores Ziegler (Giovanna Seymour), José Bros (Riccardo Percy).
Nightingale Classics NC 070565-2
Gavazzeni/Callas/Rossi-Lemeni (EMI Classics 7243 CMS5 66471-2)
One of Maria Callas's finest recorded appearances.
Milan La Scala Orchestra, Milan La Scala Chorus, conducted by Gianandrea Gavazzeni, 1957.
Cast: Maria Callas (Anna Bolena), Nicola Rossi-Lemeni (Enrico VIII), Giulietta Simionato (Giovanna Seymour), Gianni Raimondi (Riccardo Percy).
EMI Classics 7243 CMS5 66471-2 (mono)