Anna: Sì taciturna e mesta mai non vidi assemblea… ('So silent and sad have I never seen the assembly…')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc i: Within the palace.
Concept rendering by John Pascoe
Act I sc i: Within the palace.
Concept rendering by John Pascoe
Anna: Io sentii sulla mia mano la sua lacrima corrente… della fiamma più cocente si diffonde nel mio cor. ('I felt his tears fall on my hand … and an even
hotter flame spreads though my heart.')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc ii: Outside the palace at dawn.
Concept rendering by John Pascoe.
Act I sc ii: Outside the palace at dawn.
Concept rendering by John Pascoe.
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc i: Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland).
Act I sc i: Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland).
photo: Clive Barda
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc ii: Enrico (Dimitri Kavrakos)
Act I sc ii: Enrico (Dimitri Kavrakos)
photo: Clive Barda
Enrico: Desta sì tosto, e tolta oggi al riposo. ('Awake so early, and taken today from your rest.')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc ii: Outside the palace at dawn.
Enrico (Dimitri Kavrakos) greets Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland).
Act I sc ii: Outside the palace at dawn.
Enrico (Dimitri Kavrakos) greets Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland).
photo: Clive Barda
Enrico: E innocente io vi credei, perché tal sembraste a lei… ('And innocent I believed you to be, since thus you seemed to her…")
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc ii: Enrico (Dimitri Kavrakos) discovers that Percy (John Aler) has returned. Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) endeavours to control her feelings, while Enrico dissembles.
Act I sc ii: Enrico (Dimitri Kavrakos) discovers that Percy (John Aler) has returned. Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) endeavours to control her feelings, while Enrico dissembles.
photo: Clive Barda
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc iii: The young princess Elizabeth is entertained by Anna's ladies-in-waiting.
Act I sc iii: The young princess Elizabeth is entertained by Anna's ladies-in-waiting.
photo: Clive Barda
Smeton: Odo romor… si appressa a queste stanze alcun… troppo indugiai. ('I hear a sound… someone is approaching this room… I
delayed too long.')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc iii: The Queen's page boy Smeton (Eirian James) hides within the drapes of the royal bed when he hears footsteps approaching.
Act I sc iii: The Queen's page boy Smeton (Eirian James) hides within the drapes of the royal bed when he hears footsteps approaching.
photo: Clive Barda
Percy: S'ei t'aborre, io t'amo ancora qual t'amava in basso stato… ('If he hates you, I still love you as I first loved you in your
lowly state")
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc iii: Percy (John Aler) tells Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) of his endless love for her that began long before she became queen.
Act I sc iii: Percy (John Aler) tells Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) of his endless love for her that began long before she became queen.
photo: Clive Barda
Percy: Ogni tempesta ria in te s'acquieta, e vien da te mia luce. ('Every cruel tempest calms itself near you and from you comes my light')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc iii: Percy (John Aler) makes love to and embraces Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland).
Act I sc iii: Percy (John Aler) makes love to and embraces Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland).
photo: Clive Barda
Anna: Non condannarmi, o Re. ('Do not condemn me, O King.')
Enrico: Poter morire adesso, meglio sarìa per te. ('It would be better for you now if you were able to die.')
Enrico: Poter morire adesso, meglio sarìa per te. ('It would be better for you now if you were able to die.')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc iii: Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) and Percy have been surprised by the king. Anna is accused by Enrico (Dimitri Kavrakos) of gross infidelity.
Act I sc iii: Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) and Percy have been surprised by the king. Anna is accused by Enrico (Dimitri Kavrakos) of gross infidelity.
photo: Clive Barda
Enrico: In separato carcere tutti costor sian tratti.
('To separate prisons let them be taken.')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc iii: Enrico (Dimitri Kavrakos) orders Anna, Percy and Smeton to be thrown into separate jails.
Act I sc iii: Enrico (Dimitri Kavrakos) orders Anna, Percy and Smeton to be thrown into separate jails.
photo: Clive Barda
Anna: Un detto sol!
('Only one word!')
Enrico: Non io, sol denno i giudici la tua discolpa udir. ('Not I, the judges alone should hear your excuses.')
Enrico: Non io, sol denno i giudici la tua discolpa udir. ('Not I, the judges alone should hear your excuses.')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc iii: Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) is horrified as Enrico (Dimitir Kavrakos) declares that only the judges can decide her fate.
Act I sc iii: Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) is horrified as Enrico (Dimitir Kavrakos) declares that only the judges can decide her fate.
photo: Clive Barda
Anna: Giudici… ad Anna!('Judges… for Anna!')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc iii: Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) cries out in despair at the idea of being judged, but Enrico (Dimitir Kavrakos) is unmoved.
Act I sc iii: Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) cries out in despair at the idea of being judged, but Enrico (Dimitir Kavrakos) is unmoved.
photo: courtesy Francis Menotti
Anna: Ah! segnata è la mia sorte, se mi accusa chi condanna. ('Ah! My fate is sealed,
if the one who accuses me is the one who condemns me.')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act I sc iii: Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) declares that her fate is inevitable when the king is both her accuser and her judge.
Act I sc iii: Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) declares that her fate is inevitable when the king is both her accuser and her judge.
photo: Clive Barda
Chorus: Oh! dove mai ne andarono le turbe adulatrici,
Che intorno a lei venivano ne' giorni suoi felici!
('Oh! wherever have the sycophantic crowds gone,
who gathered around her in her happy days!')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act II sc i: In Anna's apartments, the ladies of her court lament Anna's abandonment by the people.
Act II sc i: In Anna's apartments, the ladies of her court lament Anna's abandonment by the people.
photo: Clive Barda
Anna: Seymour… a me ritorni!…
Non mi obliasti tu?… Sorgi…
('Seymour… returned to me! Have you not forgotten me? Arise!')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act II sc i: In Anna's apartments Giovanna (Suzanne Mentzer) arrives and, distraught, falls down weeping in front of Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland), who greets her joyfully.
Act II sc i: In Anna's apartments Giovanna (Suzanne Mentzer) arrives and, distraught, falls down weeping in front of Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland), who greets her joyfully.
photo: Clive Barda
Giovanna: Ah! non li avessi mai proferiti quei funesti giuri, che mi han perduta. ('Ah! If only I had never offered you those
deadly oaths which doomed me!')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act II sc ii: A secret room in the palace.
Giovanna (Suzanne Mentzer) tells Enrico (Dimitir Kavrakos) that she wishes she had never fallen in love with him.
Act II sc ii: A secret room in the palace.
Giovanna (Suzanne Mentzer) tells Enrico (Dimitir Kavrakos) that she wishes she had never fallen in love with him.
photo: Clive Barda
Percy and Rochefort: Amico!… Addio.
('Friend! Goodbye.')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act II sc iii: Inside the prison.
Percy (John Aler) and Rochefort (Peter Rose) bid each other farewell, before being taken off to be executed.
Act II sc iii: Inside the prison.
Percy (John Aler) and Rochefort (Peter Rose) bid each other farewell, before being taken off to be executed.
photo: courtesy Francis Menotti
Chorus: Chi può vederla a ciglio asciutto in tanto affanno, in tanto lutto,
e non sentirsi spezzare il cor? ('Who can see her dry-eyed in such anguish, in such mourning,
and not feel their heart break?)
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act II sc iv: Anna's cell in the Tower of London.
The ladies of Anna's court lament Anna's pitiful state.
Act II sc iv: Anna's cell in the Tower of London.
The ladies of Anna's court lament Anna's pitiful state.
photo: Clive Barda
Anna: Al dolce guidami castel natio, ai verdi platani, al queto rio, che i nostri mormora sospiri ancor. ('Guide me to the sweet mansion of my birth, to the green plane-trees to the quiet river, that still murmurs with our sighs.')
Royal Opera House, London, 1988
Act II sc iv: Anna's cell in the Tower of London.
Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) dreams happily of returning to the castle where she was born and where she first knew and loved Percy.
Act II sc iv: Anna's cell in the Tower of London.
Anna (Dame Joan Sutherland) dreams happily of returning to the castle where she was born and where she first knew and loved Percy.
photo: Clive Barda