Anna Bolena

Donizetti's Anna Bolena is a Bel canto classic, full of interesting characters, an involving story and some of Donizett's best ever music. Complete with a great cast, this is a great production.

The costumes and sets are sumptuous and rich and helped by excellent video directing and good lighting. The orchestra playing is stylish and powerful and Richard Bonynge's conducting passionate and precise, apart from the Cabaletta Ah!Segnata E La Mia Sorte which is rather stodgy and lacks tension.

The cast as I've said are great. Of this particular period, this is for me one of Joan Sutherland's better performances. Her colouratura is still dazzling, and while her middle and low registers aren't as strong they are far from un-listenable either. Her acting is also to be commended, it is very regal and dramatically involved too, also it manages to be fun.

James Morris is not a favourite but the more I hear/see him the more I like him. While looks-wise he is the opposite of what you would expect from a powerful monarch like Henry VIII(ie. Henry VIII according to paintings was very overweight, Morris is not), he handles the role brilliantly. He is wonderfully attired, he is commanding and his bass-baritone voice is ideal.

Judith Forst gives a rich and sympathetic performance, Michael Myers(apart from a lot of his music being cut) is a convincing Percy and Janet Stubbs is suitably boyish and nimble. All in all, a Bel canto classic done justice. 9/10 Bethany Cox