Replay of the live broadcast with English and Hungarian subtitle. One of the most beautiful and dramatic bel canto works is performed by two world stars of the genre in the latest production at the Met. The ill-fated young Queen Anne Boleyn is played by Anna Netrebko, with Elīna Garanča as Giovanna (Jane Seymour) in a mezzo-soprano role demanding extremes of vocal colour. Donizetti's first stage work to achieve international success, Anna Bolena was premièred in London in 1831. It even made it as far as New Orleans eight years later, before descending into hibernation for a century and reemerging in a reworked form with Maria Callas in the lead role at Milan's La Scala. This production of Anna Bolena is the first part of the Donizetti trilogy to be staged at the Met, where each opera revolves around a different Tudor queen. The coming seasons will see performances of Maria Stuarda and Roberto Devereux, all directed by David McVicar. In Anna Bolena, McVicar seizes upon the romantic elements of Donizetti's masterpiece. The set is designed by Robert Jones, an Englishman who has been nominated for multiple Olivier Awards for stage and opera productions, while the costumes are the work of Jenny Tiramani, former director of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Last but not least, triple Olivier Award-winning Paule Constable takes charge of lighting design.

Presented by: