Anna Bolena

with English and Italian surtitles
La Fenice staging

Anna Bolena represents a fundamental stage in Donizetti’s evolution, during which he emancipated himself from the Rossinian model. The libretto by Felice Romani was inspired by the drama Henri VIII by Marie-Joseph Blaise de Chénier. Remarkable from a stylistic point of view and for its dramatic and narrative depth, it allowed the Bergamo-born author to develop a mature language that was capable of outlining the subtle and complex psychology of the protagonist in the most minute details. It showed an analytical ability, which he was to develop further in Lucia – and imposed itself with its expressive value in particular in the final scene, which marks finally forgoing the happy ending, in line with romantic sensitivity. Donizetti composed the opera remarkable quickly, in just thirty days, for Giuditta Pasta and the tenor Giovanni Battista Rubini, two real legends of early nineteenth century melodrama. At its debut at Teatro Carcano in Milan (26 December 1830), Anna Bolena was met with remarkable success, but later gradually disappeared from the repertoire, until, in 1957 at Teatro alla Scala, Maria Callas, conducted by Gianandrea Gavazzeni, brought about its renaissance, thanks to a memorable interpretation of the opera.