Four years ago the Metropolitan Opera introduced Donizetti's "Anna Bolena" to the repertory on opening night. The production by David McVicar felt unfinished with most of the performers looking lost on stage and distanced from the drama. Now four years later this opera feels refreshing, brisk and incredibly dramatic.

The reason for these changes was in part due to the great soprano Sondra Radvanovsky who began her Tudor Queen marathon in the 2015-16 season; Radvanovsky is scheduled to become the first soprano in Met history to perform "Anna Bolena," "Maria Stuarda" and Elizabeth in "Roberto Devereux" in the same year. Throughout the years Radvanovsky has become well known for her work in Verdi, but it is in the bel canto repertoire where this critic believes she is at her best. After a groundbreaking "Norma" two seasons ago, Radvanovsky returned to the bel canto rep with fierce intensity in "Anna Bolena."

The title role of Donizetti's opera is known as one of the most difficult in the repertoire as it has a punishing three-hour run time in which Anna sings for most of the night. It also includes some of the lowest tessitura for a soprano and it contains a 20-minute mad scene. Thankfully Radvanovksy was more than up for the challenge as it seemed that as the night went on she continued to gain more energy.

Radvanovsky's Anna is not the conventional strong woman one has come to expect. Instead this is a frail and tormented woman who is divided for her love for Percy and her duty as the queen and wife of Enrico VIII. When she first enters the scene Radvanovsky brought a sense of royalty and elegance greeting her court. However, when she began singing her aria "Come, Innocente giovane," that command was gone and instead this was a melancholic woman longing for love. She sat by a wall away from her court almost as if she was hiding her emotions. And her singing accentuated this as Radvanovsky expanded the phrases in the aria creating an immense sadness in the music that is so often ignored in this first aria. Each rubato was given purpose and one understood the remorse Anna was feeling in this moment.

During the cavatina portion "Non v'ha sguardo" Radvanovsky's Anna gained composure but it was still apparent that this Anna was suffering. In the second verse, which is usually cut, Ravdanovsky added stratospheric high notes that returned to Anna's melancholic and possibly even emotionally unstable state.

In her second scene, during which Enrico is about to go hunting, Radvanovksy's interactions with the king (Ildar Abdrazakov) showcased the tempestuous relationship. In the scene Abdrazakov's Enrico points a crossbow at Anna almost as if he wants to kill her and Anna is constantly being pushed around by her husband. Radvanovksy also showed her fear as she restrained herself from getting close to him and when she is asked to forgive Percy she is cautious and anxious. In the pezzo concertato Radvanovsky phrased "Io Sentii sulla mia mano" with melting ardor almost as if she had given in to Percy.

Her subsequent duet with Taylor Stayton's Percy intensified this passion for Percy. The scene was extremely well-staged with Anna sitting down in a protective position before Percy begins to kiss her all over her body in a open attempt to seduce her. This Anna does not initially give in but her passion for Percy is showcased as she gets up against a wall, opening up her body so that Percy can kiss her in the most erotic and sensual of ways; she is resisting all the same, but the position offers some insight into Anna's fading strength. Radvanovksy's vocal singing enhanced this sensuality as she interpolated several high notes emphasizing Anna's desire. One of the most memorable moments is when Radvanovsky decided to take Donzietti's music up the staff rather than bringing it down to the low tessitura that he wrote in the phrase "In inghilterra non ti Trovi il nuovo albor" (Let another dawn not find you still England). Here the high note add a contradiction to the text as it emphasizes Anna's torment and her divisive feelings for Percy. Bringing it down the lower voice as Donizetti writes it would give Anna a more definitive response to Percy's approach. But Radvanovsky's Anna is clearly in love with Percy and she clearly does not want him to leave her.

One of the most memorable moments of the night is by far Radvanovsky's approach to Anna in the big concertato that ends the first act. In this scene Anna is supposed to faint after Percy and Smeton start fighting and she is discovered by the King. However, Radvanovsky boldly chose not to. Instead it seems like Anna goes into a delirium almost as if she is foreshadowing the mad scene at the end of the opera. She twitches of madness in the scene as her court tries to calm her.

Then when she finally confronts Enrico in the famous "Giudici ad Anna," Radvanovsky phrased the text with desperation instead of defiance. This was a moment where it was obvious that this Anna was at her weakest. During the stretta "Ah! Seganata e la mia sorte" she sang the coloratura roulades with desperation and in the repeat she interpolated yet another high note that was a desperate cry. But her final high D was powerful and gleamed through the orchestra and really showed a terrorized Anna. Radvanovsky tried to chase after the king but instead fell to the ground in complete despair.

Interestingly enough her Anna in the second act seemed like a completely new woman. In the famous duet with Giovanna, she was composed even if it at times it was apparent that she was suffering from being betrayed. In the trio with Percy and Enrico, her Anna took on the defiant character that was not present before. It was as if she had finally obtained a sign of hope or knew that she had nothing to lose at this point. And this was apparent in the singing as well. While she spun her notes with melting array in the trio "Fin dall'eta piu tenera," she created a formidable presence in the coloratura B section. Even the final C in cavatina section "Salira, d'inghilterra" was no longer a cry as much as it was a bold gesture.

During the final scene, which is Anna's famous scene, Radvanovksy really embodied the madness of Anna. She entered the scene completely lost and it was apparent through her erratic movements and expressive gestures. McVicar has added a new touch to this revival with Anna getting her hair cut off at the beginning of the scene; during this moment, Radvanovsky looked at her maidens as they stripped her away her locks. There was a nostalgic and melancholic look as they removed one braid after the next and the sense of loss and death was at its most gut-wrenching.

Then during the famous aria "Al dolce guidami," Radvanovsky stood downstage almost as if she was telling a story and really created the feeling that Anna was remembering her long lost past. Once Percy, Smeton and her brother Rochefort enter the scene. her Anna seemed to calm down and during the "preghiera" instead of actually praying with them, she was praying for each of them moving from one to another at a time.

Once Anna returns from her delirium, Radvanovksy's Anna returns to the fear that was seen at the end of the first act. She attacks Hervey and during the "Coppia Inquia," instead of going to the guillotine alone as in the original staging, Radvanovsky's eyes are covered and she is taken by her maidens.

Singing-wise, this was undeniably a tour de force. Her "Al Dolce guidami" was sung with such delicacy and accuracy and as she did in her first aria "Come innocente," Radvanovsky relished in rubati, bringing out all the beauty in Donizetti's music. In her final cadenza she spun through the roulades with so much frailty before ending on a gleaming high C.The singing was at its most glorious, Radvanovsky moving about her entire vocal range with the most delicate of sounds; it was of another realm. There was a feeling of transcendence, the singing divine in the most literal sense of the word. Impossible to articulate in words.

In the interlude after her preghiera, Radvanovsky interpolated two high notes on the words "Tacete" and "d'Anna sangue e versato sara (It will shed)" that really emphasized Anna's final cries of desperation and pain. In "Coppia Iniquia," there was fierce singing that was both thrilling but in more ways emotional. Her second repeat in many ways showcased her bel canto singing to the best as she used it to bring out her virtuosic powers.

With Radvanovsky commanding each scene it was sometimes easy for the other performers to get lost. However, Ildar Abdrazakov, who premiered the production four years ago to mixed reviews, showed that he has grown in the character and has a better understanding of it.

In this run he was a lustful and vengeful king who was almost like a puppet master controlling each action. In his first scene with Giovanna, Abdrazakov's Enrico took Giovanna into her bed trying to make love to her. When she rejected her, he chased after her and grabbed her by the arm seducing her.

In the first concertato scene before going to hunt, this Enrico took Anna and pushed her around viciously. Abdrazakov looked so comfortable humiliating Anna as he pointed a crossbow at her and even petted his dogs with more care and tenderness.

In the final scene of the last act, this was Abdrazakov's moment as he threw Anna to the ground and later through Smeton's necklace at her humiliating her in front the court. Then he stormed off the scene with gravitas as if he knew what was next in his plan to kill off Anna.

Vocally Abdrazakov was at his best as his bass boomed through the orchestra. He demonstrated so much power and authority especially in his text "In separato carcere tutti costor sien tratti." These lines were sung with so much authority. It is was a thrilling yet frightening moment.

Taylor Stayton's Percy was yet another man filled with lust as he threw himself at Anna. In the duet "S'ei t'aborre," he locked her in one place and started touching her along her breast immediately moving towards her legs. It was an extremely erotic moment that showcased Percy's love and desire for Anna.

In his aria "Vivi Tu," Stayton sang each phrase with beauty and exuded a heroic character that finally showed a strong character that seemed to be lacking throughout the night. Stayton is one of those lyric tenors who has abundant high notes and at the end of the first concertato "Ah! Seganata e la mia sorte" he accompanied Radvanovsky in a thrilling high D that pierced through the orchestra.

As Giovanna, Milijana Nikolic was making her Met and role debut. Unfortunately her singing was uneven. She started off in her aria "Ella di me sollecita" with wobbly tone and tended to be out of tune, often flat when entering her middle and upper register. During her second aria "Per Questa Fiamma indomita," she fared none the better as her tone increasingly became unsteady and she could barely sustain the line that Donizetti requires. During the cavatina "Ah! Pensate che rivolti," which requires Rossini coloratura, Nikolic sounded out of breath.

However, not everything was disappointing for this mezzo, particularly from an acting standpoint. In her duet with Enrico, Nikolic was able to really create a riveting scene with Abdrazakov as she portrayed a confused and tormented woman. At one moment she decides to go to the bed and give in to the lust. However, moments later, she tries to escape the room because she does not want to betray Anna.

In a duet that sometimes gets the short end of the stick and can feel long, Nikolic and Abdrazakov were dynamic and they figured out how to get the audience feeling their desire for one another. Moreover, Nikolic's ability to communicate her conflict between love and duty, added to her prominence in a drama where it is easy to see her as a traitor.

It's hard to overlook that fact that Nikolic must have been nervous. Two debuts (role and Met debut) in one night is hard for any performer and it is a shame that the Met will only give her one performance. Nikolic has a lush voice that really displays dramatic tendencies. Perhaps if she was given a second performance she would fare better. But alas this was the only performance she got.

As Smeton, Tamara Mumford made an argument for becoming a Met star. She sang her aria "Tutto deserto" with melting passion and her voice which is a rich mezzo really expressed the love for Anna. It is a pity that after four years, when she first brought this role to the Met, the company has yet to give her more leading roles.

Marco Armiliato returned to the work and finally figured out the drama of this piece. While he cut the rousing overture, it made sense in the context as he drove the music forward with brisk tempi. He particularly emphasized the brass section, which gave Donizetti's music more power and drama. This was a triumph and it was obvious that sometimes a first run in this challenging music can be a tricky endeavor.

The chorus was also marvelous particularly the women's ensemble which has extremely long and challenging sections. The standout however, was "Chi Puo vederla a ciglio asciutto," in which the woman are recounting Anna's madness.

David McVicar's production finally worked even if it remains a bit literal in some respects with little to say. Throughout the production the walls move to create different parts of the castle, whether it is Anna's chambers or Giovanna's bedroom. However, some of the surroundings are still difficult to figure out as they lack any real sense of environment. One such scene is the end of the first act. The performers are surrounded by walls but it is unknown where exactly they are in the palace.

As for McVicar's direction, each of the performers really understood who their characters were and this made for a dynamic night. When the production first premiered four years ago, four of the performers were making role debuts which made for a tricky scenario; only one of the singers had actually performed the role prior to the run. Perhaps this is what made a difference as seasoned interpreters are able to do better in this long opera.

All in all, this was an unforgettable night with riveting performances. It is a shame that there will not be an HD recording for Radvanovsky's interpretation as it is sure to be legendary in years to come. With such a triumph as Anna, it is hard not to look forward to "Maria Stuarda" and "Roberto Devereux," two works that include some of Donizetti's most irresistible and mature music.

Related