CHAN 3017 INLAY FRONT.qxd 30/3/07 09:35 Page 1 · chan 3017(2) chandos donizetti: mary stuart...

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CHAN 3017 INLAY FRONT.qxd 30/3/07 09:35

Gaetano Donizetti

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Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848)

Mary Stuart

Libretto by Giuseppe Bardari after SchillerEnglish translation by Tom Hammond

Mary Stuart ................................................................ Dame Janet Baker mezzo-sopranoQueen Elizabeth I .............................................................. Rosalind Plowright sopranoRobert Dudley, Earl of Leicester ......................................................David Rendall tenorSir William Cecil .............................................................................. Alan Opie baritoneGeorge Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury..................................................John Tomlinson bassHannah Kennedy ...................................................................... Angela Bostock soprano

English National Opera Orchestra and Chorus Victor Morris musical assistant

Sir Charles Mackerras conductor

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CHAN 3017 BOOK 2.qxd 1/4/07 16:27

COMPACT DISC ONE

Prelude 1:36 [p. 68]

Act I [p. 54]

‘Let us wait here’ 2:35 [p. 68]

Chorus, Voice‘Yes, but the French Prince is seeking…’ 1:13 [p. 68]

Elizabeth‘If fortune one day should send to me…’ 3:16 [p. 68]

‘In this moment of rejoicing’ 1:49 [p. 68]

Talbot, Chorus, Elizabeth, Cecil‘May the light of wisdom and justice’ 4:24 [p. 69]

Elizabeth, Chorus, Cecil‘But, where is the Earl of Leicester’ 2:11 [p. 69]

Elizabeth, Cecil, Leicester‘Did you not ask to see me, earlier today?’ 2:15 [p. 69]

Leicester, Talbot‘I remember these lovely features’ 3:37 [p. 70]

‘If she dare trust in me’ 1:47 [p. 71]

‘Do I disturb you?’ 2:09 [p. 71]

Elizabeth, Leicester‘How affecting…’ ‘Is she relenting?’ 1:47 [p. 71]

‘When I first looked upon her face’ 4:36 [p. 72]

‘My arrogant rival has long sought to rob me’ 2:15 [p. 73]14

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Act II [p. 54]

‘Why run so fast, my lady?’ 3:00 [p. 73]

Hannah, Mary‘You murmuring breezes…’ 3:45 [p. 74]

Mary‘What tumult! Those voices!’ 0:56 [p. 74]

Mary, Chorus, Hannah‘In the peace of my gloomy seclusion’ 3:36 [p. 74]

Mary, Hannah, Ladies‘Ah! May this joy not deceive me’ 1:47 [p. 75]

Mary, Leicester‘Long by the world forsaken’ 4:34 [p. 75]

‘All too well I surely know her!’‘Ah! Though my spirit never faltered’ 3:27 [p. 76]

+ ‘What place is this then?’ 2:24 [p. 77]

Elizabeth, Leicester, Cecil, Talbot, Mary‘Report has not failed me’ 2:38 [p. 77]

Elizabeth, Mary, Talbot, Hannah, Leicester, Cecil‘Bid her welcome!’ 0:41 [p. 78]

Leicester, Elizabeth, Talbot, Mary‘Dead to justice, throne and kingdom’ 7:18 [p. 78]

Mary, Cecil, Elizabeth, Leicester, Talbot‘Go, prepare yourself for sentence’ 2:03 [p. 80]

Elizabeth, Cecil, Mary, Hannah, Leicester, Talbot, ChorusTT 71:47 [p. 57]

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COMPACT DISC TWO

Act IIIScene 1 [p. 57]

‘Still pensive? Still delaying?’ 4:00 [p. 81]

Cecil, Elizabeth‘While she’s living I’m still in danger’ 3:40 [p. 82]

‘Your Highness!’ ‘You do but speed her execution’ 4:51 [p. 82]

Leicester, Elizabeth, Cecil‘You have conspired a sister’s death’ 3:44 [p. 83]

Scene 2 [p. 57]

‘Elizabeth will continue to mock and insult me’ 4:53 [p. 84]

Mary, Cecil‘Oh faithful Talbot!’ 5:05 [p. 84]

Mary, Talbot‘Once all the radiant joys of youth’ 4:18 [p. 85]

‘There still remains another charge’ 0:58 [p. 86]

‘No, I never turned from my Saviour’ 1:25 [p. 86]

‘Go, leave this world of grief behind’ 3:03 [p. 86]10

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Scene 3 [p. 57]

‘You saw them?’ 6:28 [p. 86]

Chorus‘Hannah!’ ‘Do not disturb her’ 4:42 [p. 87]

Chorus, Hannah, Mary‘Oh, deign to hear our prayer, merciful Saviour!’ 4:04 [p. 87]

‘The signal’ 1:27 [p. 88]

All, Cecil, Mary‘Death hovers near me, so take my pardon’ 4:03 [p. 88]

Mary, Hannah, Talbot, Chorus, Cecil‘Leicester approaches’ 2:21 [p. 88]

Talbot, Mary, Leicester, Cecil‘Though you once made a vow to protect me’ 5:14 [p. 89]

Mary, Leicester, Talbot, Hannah, Chorus, CecilTT 64:19 [p. 83]

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An Introduction to Mary StuartSpring 1834, and Donizetti was at the zenithof his career. The previous twelve months hadbeen exceptionally busy: he had produced fournew operas in three different cities (Parisina inFlorence; Torquato Tasso in Rome; LucreziaBorgia in Milan; Rosmonda d’Inghilterra inFlorence again) and made a revised version ofhis 1831 opera Fausta for Venice. Parisina,after Byron, and Lucrezia Borgia, after VictorHugo, showed Donizetti’s deepening interestin the new Romantic literature that wasbeginning to spread down into Italy fromnorthern Europe. Rosmonda d’Inghilterra –following Il castello di Kenilworth (Naples1830) and Anna Bolena (Milan 1830) – alsosuggested that Donizetti was beginning, likeso many of his Italian contemporaries, to lookto British history as an alluring new field ofdramatic themes. As he reflected on likelysubjects for a new Naples opera, Englishhistory was again to the fore, Mary Tudor andQueen Elizabeth’s Earl of Essex the charactersthat most intrigued him. An Essex opera,Roberto Devereux, eventually materialized in1837; hopes of a Maria Tudor foundered when

Felice Romani failed to produce a librettoin time. To take up the tale of Mary Queenof Scots, as recounted in Friedrich vonSchiller’s great tragedy, was to bring theseliterary and historical tendencies to a fittingculmination.

Working against the clock as he so oftendid, and for reasons unknown unable to find aprofessional collaborator to write a libretto forhim, Donizetti turned for help to a seventeen-year-old enthusiast called Giuseppe Bardari.The working relationship between theexperienced composer and the novice poet(later a lawyer, magistrate and prefect of police)must have been rather similar to therelationship that developed some ten years laterbetween Verdi and Francesco Maria Piave. Ineffect, reported the impresario AlessandroLanari, Bardari was preparing the libretto‘under [Donizetti’s] dictation’.

Donizetti was evidently convinced that hisliterary model could be taken seriously, andprovide him with rather more than a merestory-line. The attractiveness of Schiller’s Maryas a heroine has been well observed by thecritic Gary Schmidgall, who writes of ‘the

features of Mary Stuart is that it exemplifies amost unusual variant of the eternal romantictriangle: one courtier, two rival queens. And wenote that in composing an opera for two primadonnas Donizetti showed a recklessness inbraving the conventions of the day at whicheven Verdi might have raised his eyebrows.

In the latter part of the twentieth centuryMary Stuart has been one of Donizetti’s mostadmired scores; in his own day it was one ofthe most ill-fated. As the summer weeks of1834 wore on, there was certainly somenervousness about the reactions of the censors,but problems seem to have been handled toeveryone’s satisfaction. Donizetti also had tocope with mounting hostility between his twoleading ladies, Ronzi de Begnis and Del Sere,press reports of which served to heighteninterest in the forthcoming premiere. Thisparticular matter came to its climax at a dressrehearsal when, in the words of thecontemporary periodical Teatri, Arti eLetteratura, ‘the ill-will of Mary so enragedElizabeth, by nature the more choleric, thatright in the middle of one finale she hurledherself at her enemy, pulled her by the hair,boxed her ears, bit her, punched her in theface, and almost broke her legs by kicking herfuriously.’

imprisoned Queen’s gloom and nobleequipoise (full of inspiration for Donizetti’scharacteristic melodic vein of suavemelancholy) and a contrasting loftiness andpride of spirit (perfect for Mary’s morepyrotechnic effusions). In the age of bel cantoa “beautiful, and miserable, and lofty minded”heroine was as much as one could wish for in atitle role.’ The growing lyrical stylization ofSchiller’s later dramas provides ample pretextsfor song; while the clarity of dramatic design isalso helpful, particularly as it homes in on amagnificent climax (the fictitious meetingbetween the two queens) which in its slowlymounting tension, its moments of highlycharged stillness and its explosive outcome,might be described as a grand concertato finalein embryo.

Of course for operatic purposes the actionhas to be further simplified; the momentoushistorical context can barely be hinted at; thefascinating parallel characterizations thatSchiller is so fond of cannot beaccommodated: there is no room for theimpulsive idealist Mortimer as well as theambiguous Leicester – or rather, Mortimer’spassion is fused with Leicester’s political cloutto create a character somewhat more in thevein of a conventional operatic lover. But onlysomewhat more; for surely one of the striking

Donizetti: Mary Stuart


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Such excitements notwithstanding,Donizetti felt that rehearsals had gone well,and that the opera had every prospect of abrilliant success. It was therefore a devastatingblow when, quite out of the blue, KingFerdinando intervened to forbid theperformance. At first the ban was attributed toa desire to protect Queen Maria Cristina’ssensibilities; but perhaps the King had simplydecided he had had enough of the diet of tragicand sanguinary tales that Romantic taste wasinflicting on his San Carlo theatre, and thatmore evenings should be – as a contemporarycourt document put it – ‘consecrated to publicexultation’.

The aftermath of the ban is best described inDonizetti’s own words: ‘Since the music wasjudged to be good, it was to be adapted invarious small ways, either by the Management,or by myself working under the instructions ofthe Management, and given as GiovannaGrey… Worse to come… His Majesty did notapprove; there are not to be any deaths on stageany more […] Finally, think, excogitate… let’smake a third attempt. We’ll adapt it asBuondelmonte. Someone can do it in eight orten days using all the same situations, justchanging the recitatives […] Behold, thecobbling is accomplished! Between the 15thand 18th of this October this triform birth will

come to light, and God knows how. If I hadnot done it it would have been done bysomeone else after I had left the city, and they’dclaim to be giving a new Donizetti opera.’

The real Mary Stuart owed its first staging tothe interest of the mezzo-soprano MariaMalibran, who decided she wanted to performit in Milan. Donizetti, delighted at theprospect of a collaboration with the mostsensational singer of the age, offered tocompose a new Overture; a duet which he hadcomposed for Buondelmonte (to replace theElizabeth–Leicester duet in Act I of MaryStuart) was retained to become theMary–Leicester duet in Act II. Though theElizabeth–Leicester duet was reinstated, theeffect of adding the new Buondelmonte duet tothe score was to shift the centre of attentioneven more emphatically to Mary, and one ofthe consequential problems for the Milanmanagement was the refusal of their other star,the soprano Sofia Schoberlechner, to sing thepart of Elizabeth. As she put it to Malibran,‘they have just now given me the partcomposed for Del Sere in Mary Stuart inNaples; it consists of a opening aria in theintroduzione, a duet with the tenor and aterzetto!!! [that is to say, nothing but a terzetto]in the whole of the second act. You can

imagine, dear friend, what a state I find myselfin.’ The failure of the management to find areally good replacement Elizabeth helpeddoom the opera to a rather indifferent success;and when the Milanese censors noticed thatMalibran was defying their instructions(continuing to call Elizabeth ‘vil bastarda’,to wear the order of the Golden Fleeceround her neck, to kneel to make herconfession to Talbot), they banned furtherperformances.

While Donizetti was helping introduce a newmoral climate into Italian opera, the formalframework within which he worked was aninherited one; the great prodigal source of hisinheritance was Rossini. As Donizetti himselfput it, in some manuscript notes apparentlyprepared for a talk in Vienna, ‘After him(I speak for Italy) every other composer livedand continues to live with the knowledge, withthe taste, with the skills born of the stylecreated by that genius.’

For a modern audience the most evidentdebt of Donizetti’s generation to Rossini is thedramatic rhythm of the various scenes thatmake up the opera. They learned from himhow to articulate the theatrical spectacle sothat the music was by turns stage-picture,dramatic action and impassioned song. What

has often been called the ‘Code Rossini’ maybe illustrated by Mary’s Act II cavatina, a scenethat is more than usually close to Schiller sincethe German poet himself included lyric verseshere to express the Queen’s joy in escaping intothe fresh air of the park.

Because there has been a change of scene,from the Palace of Whitehall to Fotheringhay,the music begins with an animatedinstrumental prelude, suggesting the brightairiness of the setting and the eagerness withwhich Mary hastens through the trees. Shetries to persuade Hannah to share her joy inthe beauty that surrounds them, her recitativebecoming increasingly song-like, until it issuesin an aria, the cantabile, ‘You murmuringbreezes that round me are flying’ – aparaphrase of the second verse of Schiller’slyric, ‘Eilende Wolken! Segler der Lüfte’ – inwhich Mary remembers her happy childhoodin France. Distant hunting horns recall her tothe present; it is Elizabeth’s hunting party andin a moment the two queens are to meet. Thisanimated transition (tempo di mezzo) leads toan energetic and ultimately brilliant cabaletta,‘In the peace of my gloomy seclusion’, inwhich Mary struggles to prepare herself for theapproaching ordeal. It is sung twice, anorchestral development of the hunting musicseparating the two statements. This pattern of


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instrumental prelude (to evoke the setting),recitative (to explain the situation), cantabile(to reflect), tempo di mezzo (to supply somemotive for a change of mood), and cabaletta(to face the future) is heard again and againduring the course of the opera.

The scheme was not a straitjacket but aform of stylization that speeded up thecomposition of operas (the opening paragraphof this essay will underline why that wasdesirable!), and helped audiences follow,understand and enjoy them. For dramaticpurposes, elements of it could be fusedtogether or omitted; in ensemble scenesadditional movements tended to accrue aroundthe basic framework, for example a tempod’attacco (opening movement) such as that forElizabeth and Talbot that leads into the trio atthe start of Act III. Commonly such a tempod’attacco – often a tempo di mezzo too – willmake use of parlante, a declamatory orrhetorical style of song sustained on orchestralthemes. Both musically (because of its variety)and theatrically (because of the thrillingmomentum it built up) the ‘Code Rossini’recommended itself to composers, performersand audiences alike. Within its apparentconstraints Donizetti worked with infiniteresource. A particular hallmark of his was theslow or gentle cabaletta (Leicester’s ‘If she dare

trust in me’, for example), or a cabaletta inwhich the second statement is aptly varied.The fleeting turn to the major key in thesecond statement of Mary’s ‘Though you oncemade a vow to protect me’ as she readiesherself to be led to execution is a typicallysimple but telling example – a smile throughthe tears, perhaps, or an expression of theinward serenity she has finally achieved.

© 1999 David Kimbell

Mary Stuart –The 1982 ENO Performing VersionThe vocal material (long out of print) whichwe have used for this production is that of theGérard edition, published in Paris, this beingsubstantially the same as that originallypublished by Cottrau in Naples.

Donizetti’s own autograph score hasapparently vanished without trace and ourorchestral material is that originally used forthe Camden Festival production of the operain 1966. This was prepared from a microfilmof a manuscript copy of the score in the NaplesConservatorium, which was obtained byMr Jeremy Commons by arrangement with theauthorities of San Pietro a Majella, to all ofwhom we owe our grateful thanks. The Gérardedition does not include the Overture and the

various other additions and amendmentswhich the composer was later called to providefor the performance of the opera at La Scala,Milan. In accordance with the acceptedstandard practice of transposing certainmovements to meet the needs of individualsingers in these bel canto operas of thenineteenth century, we ourselves have madeuse of this convention. This has the effect ofmerely reducing the vocal pitch of the presentday to that pertaining in Donizetti’s own time,when exceptional mezzo-soprano singers suchas Maria Malibran were able to perform whatwould now be classed as soprano roles, at thelower orchestral pitch then in general use. It isperhaps worthwhile recording thattranspositions are still regularly used todaywithout question in many standard repertoireoperas, such as The Barber of Seville, Norma,La sonnambula, Il trovatore and La traviata andeven in La bohème.

This production of Mary Stuart is believedto be the first ever to be given in English and itwas felt that Donizetti’s librettist, GiuseppeBardari, had taken certain liberties with Britishhistory (following the examples of Schiller andmany other dramatists and librettists) whichwould not be entirely acceptable to modernaudiences hearing an opera based on such awell-known subject, performed in the

vernacular. Donizetti and his librettist werefurther restricted in their work by the limitednumber of singers available for the Naplesproduction, which resulted in a telescoping ofcertain historical characters with rather oddresults.

A particular incident in the opera concernsGeorge Talbot, the Protestant Earl ofShrewsbury, a trusted member of Elizabeth’sentourage, charged with the supervision ofMary Stuart’s imprisonment. On the very dayof her execution, according to Bardari, Talbotsuddenly reveals himself as a Roman Catholicpriest and hears Mary’s final confession. It wasthis scene that raised the wrath of the Italiancensors at a time when the depiction of thesacraments of the Church on the stage wasstrictly forbidden. This impossible dénouement(which arose because of the fusion of the twocharacters of Talbot and young Mortimer inSchiller) has been shorn of any sacramentalreligious significance in this production. InDonizetti’s opera there is a strong romanticattachment between Mary and Leicester,but it was felt that as this element was notstrictly historical, it should be played down inthe text.

As is well known, the two queens never metin real life, but history records that althoughthey made many attempts to effect a meeting,


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such attempts were always frustrated at theeleventh hour by happenings beyond thecontrol of either of them. There is, therefore,some justification for Schiller’s coup de théâtrewith the imaginary confrontation, whichprovides such a powerful and moving scene inboth play and opera.

The setting of the first half of the opera hasbeen brought forward to the year 1571, whenMary was imprisoned at Chatsworth, and thegrand climax is reached with the imaginarymeeting of Elizabeth and Mary. The latterpart of the opera deals with the final eventsof Mary’s life at Fotheringhay when she isfinally sentenced to death for her complicityin the Babington plot to assassinate Elizabeth.These alterations have only entailed a fewadjustments of the text, for the sake ofhistorical verisimilitude, while the musicitself remains unaltered.

© Tom Hammond

Synopsis

Act IThe Palace of Whitehall, 1571The Court is assembled and is eagerly awaitingthe arrival of Queen Elizabeth, who is expectedto announce her marriage to the Duc d’Anjou.

Elizabeth enters and reveals that she is stillundecided as to whether to unite the thronesof England and France by this marriage, butassures her Court that she will only act for thegood of her people. In an aside, however,Elizabeth confesses that her freedom isrestricted by her secret love for another man(Leicester). Talbot and the courtiers then pleadfor mercy towards Mary Stuart, nowimprisoned at Chatsworth, but Elizabeth’sjealous heart is set on vengeance, a course inwhich she is encouraged by Cecil. Leicesterenters and is ordered by Elizabeth to take herring to the French envoy as a token of herprovisional acceptance of the marriageproposal. Deeply hurt by his cool reaction tothis news, the Queen departs and leavesLeicester with Talbot. Talbot speaks of ameeting with Mary in her prison, and handsLeicester a portrait together with a letter fromher pleading for his help. Despite Talbot’swarnings of the danger involved, Leicestervows to secure Mary’s liberation even at theprice of his own death. When Elizabethre-enters and confronts Leicester, she suspectsfrom his agitation that he has had a secretmessage from Mary, and demands to see theletter he is holding. As Leicester obeys he begsfor the favour of a meeting between the twoQueens. Despite Elizabeth’s anger at Mary’s

proud aspirations to the English Crown andher intense jealousy of Leicester’s affections,she is moved by Mary’s letter and by Leicester’spleading, and reluctantly agrees to visit her.

Act IIOutside Chatsworth, three months laterMary is walking in the grounds of Chatsworthwith her companion Hannah Kennedy, andthe scenes of nature remind her of her early lifein France. Hearing the sounds of the RoyalHunt, Mary realizes that Elizabeth is in thevicinity, and fears to meet her cousin. Leicesterenters and says that the Hunt is only a pretextfor Elizabeth to visit her; he begs Mary to besubmissive before Elizabeth if she hopes formercy. Mary rushes away as Elizabethapproaches with Cecil and her hunting party,but is later brought back into the Queen’spresence by Talbot. As the two queens meet forthe first time, each feels instant hostilitytowards the other, but Mary humbles herselfand pleads for mercy. Elizabeth, in reply, ishaughty and scornful, and she accuses Mary oftreachery, murder and debauchery. Mary,taunted beyond endurance, denouncesElizabeth as the bastard daughter of AnneBoleyn. Elizabeth, enraged by Mary’s insults,summons the guards and has her led back intocustody.

Act IIIScene 1The Palace of Whitehall, sixteen years later(1587)Cecil is urging Elizabeth to sign the order forMary’s execution, following her complicity inthe Babington plot to assassinate the Queen,but Elizabeth’s mind is still unresolved as shecannot bring herself to condemn an anointedmonarch. Cecil eventually succeeds inpersuading Elizabeth to sign the warrant, andat the precise moment she does so Leicesterappears. He learns that Mary has already beencondemned to death and makes a final plea forMary’s life, upbraiding Elizabeth for hercruelty and jealousy when she refuses to yield.He is then detailed by the Queen to witnessMary’s execution.

Scene 2Mary’s apartment in Fotheringhay CastleMary laments her misfortune and is visited byTalbot and Cecil; the latter hands her the deathsentence and leaves her alone with Talbot. Hetells her of Elizabeth’s decision that Leicester isto witness her execution. Mary becomesdistraught, and imagines that she sees thephantoms of Darnley and young Rizzio. Talboturges her to place her trust in heaven and toprepare to face her death with resignation.


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Scene 3A room in Fotheringhay Castle, next to the hall ofexecutionThe waiting crowd is filled with horror at thepreparations for the execution. When Maryenters, dressed in her royal regalia, she bidsthem farewell and they join her in a finalprayer for heavenly pardon. A cannon shot isheard and Cecil announces that the time ofexecution is near. Mary forgives Elizabeth andprays for the welfare of England. Leicester thenenters in a state of agitation, and Mary tries tocalm him, but as the second cannon shot isheard she protests her innocence and calls onLeicester to support her as her hour of deathapproaches. The third cannon shot is heard,and at this signal Mary is led out to thescaffold.

© English National Opera

Dame Janet Baker has appeared with theworld’s most distinguished conductors andorchestras and has recorded for all the majorrecord companies. She was born in Yorkshireand began studying with Helene Isepp andlater Meriel St Clair. In 1956 she won secondprize in the Kathleen Ferrier Award and sincethen she has achieved worldwide recognition asan artist of equal distinction in Lieder, opera

and on the concert platform. Notableappearances included Purcell’s Dido atAldeburgh with the English Opera Group in1962, the title role in Britten’s The Rape ofLucretia, (1964 and 1970), and the role ofKate in Owen Wingrave (1971).

For The Royal Opera she sang Vitellia (Laclemenza di Tito), and Gluck’s Alceste, forGlyndebourne Diana/Jupiter (Cavalli’sLa Calisto) and Penelope (Monteverdi’sIl ritorno d’Ulisse in patria), for Scottish OperaDido (Berlioz’s Les troyens), and for EnglishNational Opera she sang a repertory rangingfrom Monteverdi to Massenet’s Werther,including Handel’s Julius Caesar and Margueritein Berlioz’s The Damnation of Faust. Her latestappearances with the company were in thisproduction of Mary Stuart. Numerous honourshave been awarded her, including the HamburgShakespeare Prize (1971), and honorary degreesfrom the Universities of London, Birminghamand Oxford. Janet Baker was made a CBE in1970 and a DBE in 1976. She was made aCompanion of Honour in 1994. Her manyrecordings include Handel’s Ariodante and JuliusCaesar, Gluck’s Orfeo ed Euridice, Mahler’s DasLied von der Erde and numerous recital discs.

Rosalind Plowright has enjoyed an immenselydistinguished career. She studied at the Royal

Northern College of Music and the LondonOpera Centre, winning both Peter MooresFoundation and Peter Stuyvesant scholarships.Her 1984 recording of Leonora (Il trovatore)with Placido Domingo, conducted by CarloMaria Giulini, was nominated for a GrammyAward. That same year she made her debutwith The Royal Opera as Maddalena (AndreaChénier) with Jose Carreras, and Aida withLuciano Pavarotti.

Rosalind Plowright has performed at mostof the world’s great opera houses, in roles suchas Suor Angelica (La Scala, Milan), Leonora inIl trovatore (Verona), Stiffelio (La Fenice,Venice), Ariadne and Medea (Opera Bastille,Paris), Desdemona and Amelia (Vienna StateOpera), Madama Butterfly (Houston GrandOpera), and Santuzza (Berlin Staatsoper). ForEnglish National Opera she has performed inOthello, Mary Stuart, The Turn of the Screw (forwhich she won an Olivier Award) and Puccini’sThe Cloak. Recordings include Mendelssohn’sElijah, Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann andVerdi’s Otello and Il trovatore.

David Rendall studied at the Royal College ofMusic and in Salzburg. His career has takenhim to the world’s leading opera houses andconcert halls where he has performed rolessuch as Mozart’s Idomeneo, Tito and

Belmonte, and also Tamino and Lensky(Metropolitan Opera, New York); Alfredo, desGrieux and Rodolfo (Royal Opera House,Covent Garden), as well as appearances at SanFrancisco, Santa Fe, Paris Mozart Festival andGlyndebourne and concert appearances withKarajan, Bernstein, Levine, Barenboim, Mehta,Ozawa and many other leading conductors.

In recent years David Rendall has begun tomove into heavier repertory with rolesincluding Gabriele Adorno, Alvaro,Cavaradossi, Hoffmann, Werther, OedipusRex, Luigi (Puccini’s The Cloak), and Othellofor companies such as English National Opera,and at Glyndebourne, Frankfurt, the Bastilleand Strasbourg. His many recordings includeHandel’s Ariodante, Korngold’s Die Kathrin,Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Puccini’s La rondine,Elgar’s The Apostles and Beethoven’s NinthSymphony.

Alan Opie was born in Cornwall and studiedat the Guildhall School of Music and Dramaand the London Opera Centre. He wasprincipal baritone with English NationalOpera for many seasons, and also sang with allthe other major British Opera companiesincluding the Royal Opera House, CoventGarden, Glyndebourne Festival Opera andOpera North. Foreign operatic engagements


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have taken him to the opera houses ofBayreuth, Paris, Amsterdam, Chicago, LaScala, Milan, Munich, Berlin, Vienna, Brusselsand the Metropolitan Opera, New York.

Alan Opie has won Grammy awards for PeterGrimes (on Chandos), and Die Meistersinger(with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra underSolti). His other recordings include The Barberof Seville, Pagliacci, and La bohème (all forChandos/Peter Moores Foundation), The Rapeof Lucretia, Gloriana, and Troilus and Cressida(the production of which was sponsored by thePeter Moores Foundation, and recorded byChandos).

John Tomlinson was born in Lancashire andgained a degree in Civil Engineering atManchester before winning a scholarship tothe Royal Manchester College of Music. Hehas sung regularly with English NationalOpera since 1974 and with The Royal Operasince 1976, and has also appeared with OperaNorth, Scottish Opera, Glyndebourne Festivaland Touring Operas and Kent Opera. Earlyroles included Figaro, Masetto, Hunding,Hagen, Pimen and King Henry (Lohengrin).

He has sung at the Bayreuth Festival everyyear since 1988, where he has been heard asWotan (Das Rheingold and Die Walküre), theWanderer (Siegfried ), Titurel and Gurnemanz

(Parsifal ) and King Mark (Tristan und Isolde).Other roles include Hans Sachs (DieMeistersinger), Landgraf (Tannhäuser), Hagen(Götterdämmerung) and Baron Ochs (DerRosenkavalier). Recordings include the Ringcycle, Verdi’s La forza del destino and Latraviata, and highlights from Mussorgsky’sBoris Godunov and Strauss’s Der Rosenkavalier(for Chandos/Peter Moores Foundation).

Angela Bostock was born in Cheshire andstudied at the Royal Northern College ofMusic and the London Opera Centre. She sangfor The Royal Opera, in Gianni Schicchi and asGerhilde (the Ring cycle) and Ellen Orford(Peter Grimes); Marianne (Der Rosenkavalier)for Opera North; and First Lady (The MagicFlute), Flora (La traviata), Marcellina andMusetta for English National Opera.Recordings include Monteverdi’s Eighth Bookof Madrigals.

Sir Charles Mackerras was born in 1925 ofAustralian parents in the USA and studied inSydney and Prague. He made his debut as anopera conductor at Sadler’s Wells, where hewas instrumental in producing the sensationalfirst British performance of Janácek’s Kát’aKabanová, which led to Janácek becomingstandard repertory in the UK. He was First

Conductor of the Hamburg Opera (1966–9)and Musical Director of both Sadler’s Wells(later English National) Opera (1970–77), andof Welsh National Opera (1987–92), where hisnotable Janácek productions, amongst manyothers, won great acclaim. The production andrecording of Osud were sponsored by the PeterMoores Foundation, who also sponsored therecording of The Cunning Little Vixen. He isConductor Laureate of the Scottish ChamberOrchestra, Conductor Emeritus of WelshNational Opera, Principal Guest Conductor ofthe San Francisco Opera, and from the1998/99 season he is Music Director of theOrchestra of St Luke’s New York.

Sir Charles Mackerras has undertaken much

research into performance practice of theeighteenth and nineteenth centuries, which hasprofoundly affected today’s interpretations. Hisvast discography includes an award-winningcycle of Janácek operas with the ViennaPhilharmonic Orchestra, Britten’s Gloriana(which won a Gramophone Award), Beethoven,Brahms and Mahler Symphonies, and withEnglish National Opera Handel’s Julius Caesarand Verdi’s La traviata.

Sir Charles Mackerras received a CBE in1974 and was knighted for his services tomusic in 1979. He has also received The Medalof Merit from the Czech Republic and hasbeen made a companion of the Order ofAustralia.


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Dame Janet Bakeras Mary Stuart

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Rosalind Plowrightas Elizabeth

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PETER MOORES, CBE, DL

Peter Moores was born in Lancashire in 1932, son of Sir John Moores, founder of the giantLittlewoods mail order, chain store and football pools group. He was educated at Eton andChrist Church, Oxford, where he read Modern Languages. He was already fluent inGerman and Italian. It was opera which was his great love, however. He had worked atGlyndebourne before going up to university, and at the end of his second year he leftOxford to become a production student at the Vienna State Opera. He was required toattend morning rehearsals and evening performances, but the afternoons were free, so heenrolled as well for a four-year course at the Viennese Academy of Music and Dramatic Art.

By the end of his third year Moores had produced the Viennese premiere of Britten’sThe Rape of Lucretia, had worked as Assistant Producer at theSan Carlo Opera House, Naples, the Geneva Festival and theRome Opera, and seemed set for a successful operatic career.At this point he received a letter from his father asking himto come home as he was needed in the firm. Family loyaltywas paramount and he returned to Liverpool immediately.

By 1977 he was Chairman of Littlewoods. Three yearslater he stepped down from the post, although stillremaining on the Board, and was director of a merchantbank. From 1981 to 1983 he was a Governor of the BBC,and a Trustee of the Tate Gallery from 1978 until 1985. InMay 1992 he became a Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire.And in the New Year’s Honours List for 1991 he was made aCBE for his charitable services to the Arts.

He had started his early twenties giving financial support

to various young artists, several of whom – such as Geraint Evans, Joan Sutherland and ColinDavis – have since become world-famous. Moores has always been astute in his recognitionof potential quality. In 1964 he set aside a large slice of his inheritance to found the PeterMoores Foundation, a charity designed to support those causes dear to his heart: to makemusic and the arts more accessible to more people; to give encouragement to the young; tofight discrimination and to improve race relations. 99% of the Foundation’s money has comefrom Peter Moores’s own pocket – so far about £33 million in today’s money.

PETER MOORES FOUNDATIONIn the field of music, the Peter Moores Foundation awards scholarships to promising youngopera singers through the Royal Northern College of Music. Financial help may be given alsoto enable a singer to study abroad, or to work on a new role with an acknowledged expert inthe repertoire.

In the last twenty years the Foundation has supported the recording of forty operas. Manyare sung in English, in translation, because Moores believes that in the popular repertoire,‘what people want is to be able to follow the plot of an opera and understand what is goingon’. Others are of interesting but unperformed Italian operas from the early nineteenthcentury (the age of bel canto), which are otherwise only accessible to scholars. Accessibility isthe key word.

The same criterion holds where live opera is concerned. So the Foundation may sponsorWelsh National Opera, performing for a week at the Liverpool Empire and charging only£2.50 per ticket – the provision being that each ticket holder must be a first-time operavisitor – or it may fund the production at Glyndebourne of Ermione, a bel canto opera neverbefore performed in England.

The aim is always the same: availability. ‘Share and enjoy’ is his philosophy.Peter Moores, CBE, DL


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Angela Bostock as Hannah Kennedy

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John Tomlinsonas Talbot


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Eine Einführung in Mary StuartIm Frühjahr 1834 war Donizetti auf demHöhepunkt seiner Karriere. In denvorhergegangenen zwölf Monaten hatte eraußergewöhnlich viel zu tun gehabt: Er hattein drei verschiedenen Städten vier neue Opernherausgebracht (Parisina in Florenz, TorquatoTasso in Rom, Lucrezia Borgia in Mailand,Rosmonda d’Inghilterra wiederum in Florenz)und für Venedig eine revidierte Fassung seiner1831 entstandenen Oper Fausta vorbereitet.Parisina nach Byron und Lucrezia Borgia nachVictor Hugo zeugten von Donizettiswachsendem Interesse an der neuen Literaturder Romantik, die aus Nordeuropa nach Italienvorzudringen begann. Die Oper Rosmondad’Inghilterra, die auf Il castello di Kenilworth(Neapel, 1830) und Anna Bolena (Mailand,1830) folgte, deutete auch darauf hin, daßDonizetti wie so viele seiner italienischenZeitgenossen begann, sich auf die britischeGeschichte als verlockende Quellebühnenwirksamer Themen zu verlassen. Als erüber mögliche Stoffe für eine neue Oper fürNeapel nachdachte, stand die GeschichteEnglands erneut im Vordergrund, und es

waren Maria Tudor und Königin ElizabethsFavorit, der Earl of Essex, die ihn als Figurenbesonders ansprachen. Eine Essex-Oper,Roberto Devereux, kam schließlich 1837zustande; Hoffnungen auf eine Maria Tudorscheiterten, als Felice Romano es nichtschaffte, rechtzeitig ein Libretto zu liefern. DieBeschäftigung mit der Geschichte der anderenMaria, nämlich der Stuart-Königin vonSchottland, wie sie in Friedrich Schillers großerTragödie dargestellt wird, sollte dieseliterarischen und historischen Neigungeneinem angemessenen Höhepunkt zuführen.

Da er wie so oft gegen die Uhr arbeitete undaus uns nicht bekannten Gründen keinenprofessionellen Mitarbeiter zur Erstellung einesLibrettos finden konnte, ersuchte Donizettieinen siebzehnjährigen Enthusiasten namensGiuseppe Bardari um Hilfe. Die Zusammen-arbeit zwischen dem erfahrenen Komponistenund dem jugendlichen Dichter (der späterRechtsanwalt, Richter und Polizeipräfektwurde) muß Ähnlichkeiten mit der Beziehunggehabt haben, die sich etwa zehn Jahre späterzwischen Verdi und Francesco Maria Piaveentwickelte. Im Grunde, berichtete der

Natürlich muß für die Zwecke der Oper dasGeschehen weiter vereinfacht werden, derwesentliche historische Zusammenhang kannhöchstens angedeutet werden und diefaszinierenden Rollenpaarungen, die Schiller soschätzt, sind nicht unterzubringen: Es ist keinPlatz für den impulsiven Idealisten Mortimerund den zwielichtigen Leicester – odervielmehr wird Mortimers Leidenschaft mitLeicesters politischer Schlagkraft gepaart, umeine Opernfigur zu schaffen, die eher demherkömmlichen Liebhaber entspricht. Abernur annähernd, denn es ist eines dererstaunlichsten Merkmale von Maria Stuarda,daß darin eine ganz ungewöhnliche Varianteder ewigen Dreiecksgeschichte dargestellt wird:ein Höfling, zwei rivalisierende Königinnen.Und wir stellen fest, daß Donizetti, indem ereine Oper für zwei Primadonnen komponierte,eine Bereitschaft bewiesen hat, denKonventionen von damals zu trotzen, die inihrer Tollkühnheit selbst Verdi in Erstaunenversetzt haben könnte.

In der zweiten Hälfte des 20. Jahrhunderts warMaria Stuarda eine von Donizettismeistbewunderten Kompositionen; zu ihrerZeit war sie eine der unglückseligsten. Währendder Sommer 1834 ins Land zog, herrschte mitSicherheit einige Nervosität bezüglich der

Impresario Alessandro Lanari, verfaßte Bardaridas Libretto “nach Donizettis Diktat”.

Donizetti war offenbar überzeugt, daß seineliterarische Vorlage ernst zu nehmen war undihm mehr geben konnte als nur einenHandlungsablauf. Der Reiz von Schillers Mariaals Heldin wurde von dem Kritiker GarySchmidgall sehr richtig wahrgenommen, der“die düstere Stimmung und der edleGleichmut der gefangenen Königin (vollerAnregungen für Donizettis typischen Hang zusanfter Melancholie) und im Gegensatz dazuErhabenheit und eine stolze Geisteshaltung(perfekt für Marias temperamentvollereErgüsse)” beschreibt. “Im Zeitalter desBelkanto war eine ‘schöne, traurige undhochgesinnte’ Heldin genau das, was man sichvon einer Titelrolle erhoffte.” Die zunehmendelyrische Stilisierung der späteren DramenSchillers bietet reichlich Vorwand, in Gesangauszubrechen; ebenso hilfreich ist die Klarheitdes dramatischen Aufbaus vor allem dann,wenn er auf einen grandiosen Höhepunkt (diefiktive Begegnung zwischen den beidenKöniginnen) zusteuert, der mit seiner langsamwachsenden Spannung, seinen Augenblickenbedeutungsvoller Stille und seinem explosivenAusgang als Keimzelle eines großenkonzertanten Finales beschrieben werdenkönnte.



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Reaktionen der Zensur, doch wurden, soscheint es, alle Probleme zur allgemeinenZufriedenheit ausgeräumt. Ferner mußteDonizetti mit der immer heftigeren Feindschaftzwischen seinen beiden HauptdarstellerinnenRonzi de Begnis und Del Sere fertigwerden;Presseberichte über diese Feindschaft sorgtendafür, das Interesse an der bevorstehendenPremiere zu steigern. Die Angelegenheit spitztesich bei einer Kostümprobe zu, als nachAussage der zeitgenössischen Zeitschrift Teatri,Arti e Letteratura “die Böswilligkeit Marias dieElisabeth, die von Natur aus cholerischerveranlagt ist, derart empörte, daß sie sichmitten in einem Finale auf ihre Feindin stürzte,sie an den Haaren zog, ohrfeigte und biß, ihreinen Schlag ins Gesicht versetzte und ihr fastdie Beine brach, indem sie wütend nach ihrtrat.”

Solcher Aufregungen ungeachtet hatteDonizetti das Gefühl, daß die Proben gutgelaufen waren und daß die Oper alle Aussichthatte, zum brillanten Erfolg zu werden. Es wardaher ein vernichtender Schlag, als völligunvermittelt König Ferdinand eingriff und dieAufführung untersagte. Das Verbot wurdezunächst dem Verlangen zugeschrieben, dieGefühle Königin Maria Christinas nicht zuverletzen; aber vielleicht hatte der König auchnur genug von der Dauerkost tragischer und

blutrünstiger Geschichten, die der herrschendeGeschmack der Romantik seinem Teatro SanCarlo zumutete, und hatte entschieden, daßmehr Abende – so ein seinerzeit verfaßteshöfisches Dokument – “der öffentlichenErgötzung geweiht” werden sollten.

Die Folgen des Verbots lassen sich am bestenmit Donizettis eigenen Worten beschreiben:“Da die Musik für gut befunden wurde, solltesie entweder von der Direktion oder mir selbstunter Anleitung der Direktion mitverschiedenen kleinen Änderungen versehenund als Giovanna Grey aufgeführt werden…Doch es kam noch schlimmer… SeineMajestät war nicht einverstanden; es darf aufder Bühne keine Todesfälle mehr geben…Nach langem Grübeln und Sinnen… laßt unseinen dritten Versuch unternehmen. Wirarbeiten das Werk in Buondelmonte um. Daskann jemand in acht oder zehn Tagen unterVerwendung aller bestehenden Situationenschaffen, indem er nur die Rezitative ändert…Und siehe da, das Stückwerk wurde vollbracht!Zwischen dem 15. und 18. Oktober diesesJahres wird die dreifache Geburt erfolgen, undGott weiß wie. Hätte ich nicht mitzuwirkengeweigert, hätte sich ein anderer daranversucht, nachdem ich die Stadt verlassenhatte, und man würde dennoch behaupten,eine neue Donizetti-Oper zu geben.”

Die echte Maria Stuarda verdankte ihre ersteInszenierung dem Interesse derMezzosopranistin Maria Malibran, dieentschied, daß sie die Oper in Mailand singenwolle. Donizetti, entzückt über die Aussichtauf eine Zusammenarbeit mit dersensationellsten Sängerin der Epoche, erbatsich, eine neue Ouvertüre zu komponieren.Ein Duett, das er für Buondelmontegeschrieben hatte (als Ersatz für das DuettElizabeth–Leicester im I. Akt von MariaStuarda) wurde als Duett Maria–Leicester imII. Akt beibehalten. Obwohl das DuettElizabeth–Leicester wiederaufgenommenwurde, führte der Zusatz des neuenBuondelmonte-Duetts dazu, daß Maria nochnachdrücklicher ins Zentrum derAufmerksamkeit gerückt wurde, und einProblem, das sich daraus für die MailänderDirektion ergab, war die Weigerung ihreranderen Diva, der Sopranistin SofiaSchoberlechner, die Rolle der Elizabeth zusingen. Gegenüber Maria Malibran äußerte sie:“Man hat mir soeben die Partie gegeben, diefür die Del Sere in Maria Stuarda in Neapelkomponiert wurde; sie besteht aus einerEröffnungsarie in der Introduktion, einemDuett mit dem Tenor und einem Terzetto!!![will sagen: nichts als einem Terzetto] imganzen zweiten Akt. Sie können sich vorstellen,

liebe Freundin, in was für einem Zustand ichmich befinde.” Das Versäumnis der Direktion,als Ersatz eine wirklich gute Elisabeth zufinden, trug dazu bei, die Oper zu einem ehermäßigen Erfolg zu verdammen. Und als denMailänder Zensoren auffiel, daß die Malibransich ihren Anweisungen widersetzte (indem sieElizabeth weiterhin mit “vil bastarda” titulierte,den Orden des Goldenen Vlieses um den Halstrug und zur Beichte vor Talbot niederkniete),verboten sie alle weiteren Aufführungen.

Zwar half Donizetti, ein neues moralischesKlima in die italienische Oper einzuführen,doch das formale Gerüst, innerhalb dessen erarbeitete, war ein ererbtes, und die wunderbarergiebige Quelle seines Erbes war Rossini.Donizetti selbst meinte dazu in einerhandschriftlichen Notiz, die offenbar für einenVortrag in Wien verfaßt worden war: “Nachihm (ich spreche für Italien) hat jeder andereKomponist mit den Kenntnissen, demGeschmack, dem Können gelebt, das aus demvon diesem Genie geschaffenen Stil erwächst,und wird auch in Zukunft damit leben.”

Für ein modernes Publikum ist dieeindeutigste Verpflichtung der GenerationDonizettis gegenüber Rossini der dramatischeRhythmus der verschiedenen Szenen, ausdenen die Oper zusammengesetzt ist. Sie


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lernten von ihm, wie man das Bühnen-spektakel so gestaltete, daß die Musikabwechselnd bühnenwirksames Tongemälde,Handlungsträger und leidenschaftlicheGesangsdarbietung war. Was oft als “CodeRossini” bezeichnet wurde, läßt sich anhandder Kavatine Marias im II. Akt illustrieren,einer Szene, die Schiller deshalb näherkommtals sonst, weil der deutsche Dichter selbst andieser Stelle lyrische Verse eingefügt hat, umdie Freude der Königin über ihr Entkommenin die frische Luft des Parks zum Ausdruck zubringen.

Da ein Szenenwechsel vom Palast vonWhitehall nach Fotheringhay Castlestattgefunden hat, hebt die Musik mit einemlebhaften Instrumentalvorspiel an, das diehelle, luftige Atmosphäre der Szenerie und denEifer andeutet, mit dem Maria durch den Haineilt. Sie versucht Hannah zu überreden, ihreBegeisterung für die Schönheit zu teilen, diesie umgibt, und ihr Rezitativ wird zunehmendliedhaft, bis es in eine Cantabile-Arie mündet(“You murmuring breezes that round me areflying” – eine Paraphrase des zweiten Versesvon Schillers Gedicht: “Eilende Wolken! Seglerder Lüfte”), in der sich Maria an ihreglückliche Kindheit in Frankreich erinnert.Ferne Jagdhörner rufen sie in die Gegenwartzurück; es handelt sich um Elizabeths

Jagdgesellschaft, und gleich darauf soll es zurBegegnung zwischen den zwei Königinnenkommen. Dieser lebhafte Übergang (tempo dimezzo) führt zu einer schwungvollen,ausgesprochen brillanten Cabaletta (“In thepeace of my gloomy seclusion”), in der Mariasich widerstrebend auf die bevorstehendeTortur vorbereitet. Sie wird zweimal gesungen,und eine Durchführung der Jagdmusik imOrchester trennt die beiden Darbietungen.Das Schema aus Instrumentalvorspiel (um dieSzenerie heraufzubeschwören), Rezitativ (umdie Situation zu erklären), Cantabile (zurBesinnung), tempo di mezzo (um ein Motiv füreinen Stimmungswechsel zu liefern) undCabaletta (um der Zukunft entgegenzusehen)ist im Lauf der Oper immer wieder zu hören.

Das besagte Schema war keine Zwangsjacke,sondern eine Form der Stilisierung, die dasKomponieren von Opern beschleunigte (dererste Absatz dieses Artikels unterstreicht,warum dies wünschenswert war!) und demPublikum half, ihnen zu folgen, sie zuverstehen und sie zu genießen. Ausdramaturgischen Gründen ließen sich einzelneElemente verschmelzen oder auslassen;Ensembleszenen neigten dazu, rings um dasGrundgerüst weitere Elemente anzusammeln,zum Beispiel ein tempo d’attacco (zurEinleitung) wie das für Elizabeth und Talbot,

Mary Stuart – Die Spielvorlage der EnglishNational Opera von 1982Die (seit langem vergriffene) Gesangspartitur,die wir für diese Produktion benutzt haben,entstammt der in Paris von Gérardherausgegebenen Edition, die im wesentlichenmit der ursprünglich von Cottrau in Neapelveröffentlichten Ausgabe übereinstimmt.

Donizettis autographische Partitur istoffenbar spurlos verschwunden, und unserOrchestermaterial ist jenes, das bei derInszenierung der Oper für das CamdenFestival 1966 Verwendung fand. DiesesMaterial wurde nach dem Mikrofilm einerhandschriftlichen Kopie der Partitur aus demKonservatorium in Neapel hergestellt, denJeremy Commons in Absprache mit derVerwaltung von San Pietro a Majella besorgthat und für den wir allen Beteiligten zu Dankverpflichtet sind. Die Gérard-Ausgabe enthältweder die Ouvertüre noch die sonstigenZusätze und Änderungen, um die derKomponist später für die Aufführung der Operan der Mailänder Scala gebeten wurde. Dieakzeptierte und gebräuchliche Praxis,bestimmte Sätze der Belcanto-Opern des19. Jahrhunderts zu transponieren, um denBedürfnissen einzelner Sängerentgegenzukommen, haben wir selbst zuunserem Vorteil genutzt. Das bedeutet im

das in das Trio am Anfang des III. Aktsübergeht. Solch ein tempo d’attacco – oft auchein tempo di mezzo – wird in der Regel parlanteabgefaßt sein, in einem deklamatorischenbzw. rhetorischen Gesangsstil, der vonOrchesterthemen genährt wird. Sowohlmusikalisch (wegen seines Abwechslungs-reichtums) als auch dramatisch (wegen desSpannungsmoments, das er aufbaute) empfahlsich der “Code Rossini” dem Komponistenebenso wie den Interpreten und demPublikum. Im Rahmen der dadurchaugenscheinlich gesetzten Grenzen hatDonizetti mit unendlicher Findigkeitgearbeitet. Eine seiner Besonderheiten war dielangsame bzw. sanfte Cabaletta (beispielsweiseLeicesters “If she dare trust in me”) oder eineCabaletta, deren zweite Darbietungangemessen variiert wird. Der flüchtigeWechsel in die Durtonart in der zweitenDarbietung von Marias “Though you oncemade a vow to protect me”, als sie sich daraufvorbereitet, zur Hinrichtung geführt zuwerden, ist ein typisch schlichtes, aberwirkungsvolles Beispiel – ein Lächeln durchden Tränenschleier vielleicht, oder Ausdruckdes inneren Friedens, den sie schließlichgefunden hat.



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Endeffekt, daß die Gesangstonlage von heuteauf die aus Donizettis Zeit gesenkt wurde, alsaußergewöhnliche Mezzosoprane wie MariaMalibran Partien zu singen imstande waren,die man heute als Sopranrollen einstufenwürde, jedoch nur in der damals üblichentieferen Stimmton des Orchesters. Es lohntsich vielleicht, an dieser Stelle anzumerken,daß Transpositionen heute noch ungefragt invielen Opern des Standardrepertoires wieIl barbiere di Siviglia, Norma, La sonnambula,Il trovatore und La traviata, ja sogar La bohèmevorgenommen werden.

Die vorliegende Produktion von MaryStuart war wahrscheinlich die erste, die je inenglischer Sprache aufgeführt wurde, und manhatte damals das Gefühl, daß sich DonizettisLibrettist Giuseppe Bardari (dem BeispielSchillers und anderer Dramtiker undLibrettisten Folge leistend) bezüglich derbritischen Geschichte gewisse Freiheitenherausgenommen habe, die für ein modernesPublikum nicht unbedingt akzeptabel sind,wenn es die Aufführung einer Oper nacheinem so bekannten Stoff in der Landessprachehört. Donizetti und sein Librettist waren inihrem Vorgehen außerdem durch die begrenzteAnzahl der Sänger behindert, die für dieProduktion in Neapel zur Verfügung standen;darum wurden verschiedene historische

Figuren zusammengelegt, was zu rechteigenartigen Resultaten führte.

Ein solcher Fall in der Oper betrifft GeorgeTalbot, den protestantischen Grafen vonShrewsbury, einen verläßlichen GefolgsmannElizabeths, der den Auftrag erhält, MaryStuarts Gefangennahme zu überwachen. AmTag ihrer Hinrichtung offenbart sich Talbot, sowill uns Bardari weismachen, auf einmal alsrömisch-katholischer Priester und nimmt Marydie letzte Beichte ab. Es war diese Szene, die ineiner Zeit, als die Darstellung der kirchlichenSakramente auf der Bühne streng verbotenwar, den Zorn der italienischen Zensorenerregte. Die besagte unmögliche Lösung (diesich aus der Verschmelzung der Figur Talbotsund der des jungen Mortimer bei Schillerergab) wurde in der vorliegenden Produktionjeglicher auf die Sakramente bezogenenreligiösen Bedeutung entkleidet. In DonizettisOper bestehen außerdem starke romantischeBande zwischen Mary und Leicester, aber dadieses Element historisch nicht ganz korrektist, war man der Meinung, daß es im Textheruntergespielt werden sollte.

Bekanntlich haben sich die beidenKöniginnen im wirklichen Leben nie getroffen,aber es ist geschichtlich dokumentiert, daß sieviele Versuche unternahmen, eine Begegnungherbeizuführen, auch wenn diese Versuche

Elizabeth, von der man erwartet, daß sie ihreVermählung mit dem Duc d’Anjoubekanntgeben wird. Elizabeth erscheint undverrät, daß sie noch nicht entschieden hat, obsie durch diese Heirat den Thron Englands mitdem von Frankreich vereinen soll, versichertjedoch ihrem Hof, daß sie nur zum Wohleihres Volkes handeln wolle. Ans Publikumgewandt gesteht Elizabeth jedoch, daß ihreEntscheidungsfreiheit durch ihre geheimeLiebe zu einem anderen Mann (Leicester)eingeschränkt ist. Talbot und die Höflingebitten um Gnade für Mary Stuart, die inChatsworth gefangengehalten wird, aberElizabeths eifersüchtiges Herz sinnt auf Rache,worin sie von Cecil bestärkt wird. Leicesterkommt herein und wird von Elizabethbeauftragt, dem französischen Abgesandtenzum Beweis ihrer vorläufigen Annahme desHeiratsantrags ihren Ring zu überbringen. Tiefverletzt durch seine kühle Reaktion auf dieseMitteilung entfernt sich die Königin und läßtLeicester bei Talbot zurück. Talbot erzählt voneinem Zusammentreffen mit Mary in ihrerZelle und reicht Leicester ein Porträt und einenBrief von ihr, in dem sie um seine Hilfe bittet.Obwohl Talbot ihn vor der damit verbundenenGefahr warnt, schwört Leicester, MarysBefreiung zu erwirken, und sei es um den Preisseines eigenen Todes. Als Elizabeth

immer im letzten Moment durch Ereignissevereitelt wurden, die nicht ihrer Kontrolleunterlagen. Schillers coup de théâtre einerangeblichen Konfrontation, die sowohl inseinem Trauerspiel als auch in der Oper eine soeindrucksvolle, bewegende Szene ergibt, hatdaher einige Berechtigung.

Der Schauplatz der ersten Hälfte der Operwurde auf das Jahr 1571 vorverlegt, als Maryin Chatsworth House gefangensaß, und derHöhepunkt wird mit der fiktiven Begegnungzwischen Elizabeth und Mary erreicht. Diezweite Hälfte der Oper handelt von den letztenVorkommnissen im Leben Marys inFotheringhay Castle, wo sie schließlich wegenihrer Beteiligung an der Babington-Verschwörung zur Ermordung Elizabeths zumTode verurteilt wird. Diese Änderungen warenmit geringfügigen Anpassungen des Textes derhistorischen Wahrheit zuliebe verbunden,während die Musik unverändert bleibt.

© Tom Hammond

Inhaltsangabe

I. AktIm Palast von Whitehall, 1571Der Hof hat sich versammelt und erwartetsehnsüchtig die Ankunft der Königin


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zurückkehrt und Leicester zur Rede stellt,bringt seine Erregung sie auf den Verdacht,daß er eine geheime Botschaft von Maryerhalten haben muß, und verlangt den Brief zusehen, den er in der Hand hält. Leicestergehorcht und bittet zugleich um dieGefälligkeit einer Begegnung zwischen denbeiden Königinnen. Trotz ihrer Wut auf Maryshochmütige Ansprüche auf die englischeKrone und ihrer heftigen Eifersuchthinsichtlich der Zuneigung Leicesters läßt sichElizabeth von Marys Brief und LeicestersBitten bewegen und willigt widerstrebend ein,sie aufzusuchen.

II. AktIm Freien vor Chatsworth, drei Monate späterMary geht mit ihrer Gefährtin HannahKennedy auf dem Gelände von ChatsworthHouse spazieren, und die Naturszenenerinnern sie an ihr früheres Leben inFrankreich. Als sie die Klänge der königlichenJagd vernimmt, wird Mary klar, daß sichElizabeth in der Nähe aufhält, und fürchtetsich davor, ihrer Cousine über den Weg zulaufen. Leicester erscheint und sagt, daß dieJagd nur ein Vorwand für Elizabeth sei, sie zubesuchen; er bittet Mary, sich in ElizabethsGegenwart demütig zu verhalten, wenn sie sichGnade erhoffe. Mary eilt davon, als Elizabeth

mit Cecil und ihrer Jagdgesellschaft naht, wirdjedoch später von Talbot der Königinzugeführt. Als die beiden Königinnen zumersten Mal aufeinandertreffen, empfinden sieaugenblickliche Feindschaft füreinander, aberMary erniedrigt sich dennoch und fleht umGnade. Elizabeth dagegen ist hochmütig undverächtlich und beschuldigt Mary desHochverrats, des Mordes und derZügellosigkeit. Mary sieht sich bis zurUnerträglichkeit verhöhnt und beschimpftElizabeth als uneheliche Tochter Anne Boleyns.Elizabeth, erbost über Marys Beleidigungen,ruft die Wache herbei und läßt sie wieder inGewahrsam nehmen.

III. AktSzene 1Im Palast von Whitehall, sechzehn Jahre später(1587)Cecil drängt Elizabeth, den Befehl zurHinrichtung Marys zu unterzeichnen,nachdem sie an der Babington-Verschwörungzur Ermordung der Königin teilgehabt habe.Aber Elizabeth ist immer noch unentschlossenund kann sich nicht überwinden, eine gesalbteMonarchin zu verdammen. Schließlich gelingtes Cecil, Elizabeth zu überreden, daß sie denExekutionsbefehl unterschreibt. Im selbenAugenblick, in dem sie zur Feder greift,

Gebet um himmlische Vergebung an.Man hört einen Schuß aus einer Kanone,und Cecil verkündet, daß der Zeitpunkt derHinrichtung nahe sei. Mary verzeiht Elizabethund betet um das Wohl Englands. Da kommtLeicester im Zustand höchster Erregungherein. Mary versucht ihn zu beruhigen,aber als der zweite Schuß ertönt, beteuertsie ihre Unschuld und bittet Leicesterum Beistand in der Stunde ihres Todes.Da ist der dritte Schuß zu hören, und aufdieses Signal hin wird Mary hinausgeführtzum Schafott.

© English National OperaÜbersetzung: Anne Steeb/Bernd Müller

Dame Janet Baker ist zusammen mit dennamhaftesten Dirigenten und Orchestern derWelt aufgetreten und hat mit allenbedeutenden Operntruppen Aufzeichnungenauf Tonträger vorgenommen. Sie wurde in derenglischen Grafschaft Yorkshire geboren underst von Helene Isepp, dann von MerielSt. Clair ausgebildet. 1956 gewann sie denzweiten Preis beim Kathleen-Ferrier-Gesangswettbewerb, und seither hat sie es alsKünstlerin, die sich mit der Interpretation vonLiedern ebenso hervortut wie in der Oper undauf dem Konzertpodium, zu weltweiter

kommt Leicester herein. Er erfährt, daß Marybereits zu Tode verurteilt ist, und bittet einletztes Mal, sie zu verschonen. Er machtElizabeth Vorwürfe wegen ihrer Grausamkeitund Eifersucht, als sie sich weigert, ihmnachzugeben. Daraufhin wird er von derKönigin abkommandiert, Marys Hinrichtungbeizuwohnen.

Szene 2Marys Gemächer in Fotheringhay CastleMary beklagt ihr Unglück, als sie Besuch vonTalbot und Cecil erhält; letzterer überreicht ihrdas Todesurteil und läßt sie mit Talbot allein.Der berichtet ihr von Elizabeths Entscheidung,Leicester bei ihrer Exekution zusehen zu lassen.Mary reagiert verstört und bildet sich ein, dieTrugbilder Darnleys und des jungen Rizzio zuerblicken. Talbot ermahnt sie, dem Himmel zuvertrauen und ihrem Tod mit Fassungentgegenzusehen.

Szene 3Ein Gemach in Fotheringhay Castle neben demExekutionssaalDie Wartenden sind angesichts derVorbereitungen für die Hinrichtung mitGrauen erfüllt. Als Mary im königlichenGewand eintritt, nimmt sie Abschied vonihnen und sie stimmen mit ihr ein letztes


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Drama und dem London Opera Centre. Er war viele Jahre lang erster Bariton an derEnglish National Opera und hatte außerdemEngagements an allen großen britischen Opernhäusern, darunter das Royal OperaHouse Covent Garden, die GlyndebourneFestival Opera und Opera North. Im Auslandführten ihn Gastspiele nach Bayreuth, Paris,Amsterdam, Chicago, an die Mailänder Scala,nach München, Berlin, Wien, Brüssel und andie Met in New York.

Für Peter Grimes (in der Chandos-Produktion) und die Meistersinger (mit demChicago Symphony Orchestra unter Solti) wurde Alan Opie mit Grammy Awardsausgezeichnet. Zu seinen weiteren Aufnahmengehören The Barber of Seville, Pagliacci undLa bohème (sämtlich bei Chandos/PeterMoores Foundation), sowie Der Raub derLucrezia, Gloriana und Troilus and Cressida(diese Produktion wurde wiederum von derPeter Moores Foundation gefördert und beiChandos produziert).

John Tomlinson wurde in Lancashire geborenund absolvierte in Manchester seineAusbildung als Ingenieur, bevor er am Royal Manchester of Music ein Stipendium erhielt.Seit 1974 hatte er regelmäßig Engagements ander English National Opera und seit 1976 an

David Rendall studierte am Royal College ofMusic in London sowie in Salzburg. SeineLaufbahn führte ihn in die großen Opern-häuser und Konzertsäle der Welt, so zumBeispiel an die Metropolitan Opera in NewYork mit Mozarts Idomeneo, Tito und Belmonte sowie Tamino und Lensky und an dasRoyal Opera House Covent Garden mitAlfredo, des Grieux und Rodolfo. Darüber-hinaus trat er in San Francisco und Santa Fe,auf dem Pariser Mozart-Festival und inGlyndebourne auf, während ihn Konzert-verpflichtungen mit Karajan, Bernstein, Levine,Barenboim, Mehta, Ozawa und vielen anderenberühmten Dirigenten zusammenführten.

In jüngerer Zeit hat David Rendall sich mitschwierigerem Repertoire auseinandergesetzt,darunter Gabriele Adorno, Alvaro,Cavaradossi, Hoffmann, Werther, OedipusRex, Luigi (Puccinis The Cloak) und Otello fürdie English National Opera, Glyndebournesowie die Opernhäuser in Frankfurt undStraßburg und La Bastille in Paris. Zu seinenzahlreichen Aufnahmen zählen HändelsAriodante, Korngolds Die Kathrin, MozartsCosì fan tutte, Puccinis La rondine, ElgarsThe Apostles und Beethovens Neunte Sinfonie.

Alan Opie wurde in Cornwall geboren undstudierte an der Guildhall School of Music and

Anerkennung gebracht. Zu ihrendenkwürdigen Auftritten zählen Purcells Dido1962 in Aldeburgh mit der English OperaGroup, die Titelrolle in Brittens The Rape ofLucretia (1964 und 1970) und Kate in OwenWingrave (1971).

Für die Royal Opera hat sie die Vitellia(La clemenza di Tito) gesungen, und GlucksAlceste, für Glyndebourne Diana/Jupiter(Cavallis La Calisto), und Penelope(Monteverdis Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria), fürdie Scottish Opera Dido (Berlioz’ Les troyens)und für die English National Opera einRepertoire, das von Monteverdi bis MassenetsWerther reicht und Händels Julius Caesar sowieMarguerite in Berlioz’ The Damnation ofFaust einschließt. Ihr letztes Gastspiel beiderTruppe erfolgte in der vorliegendenInszenierung von Mary Stuart. Janet Bakerhat zahlreiche Auszeichnungen erhalten,darunter den Hamburger Shakespeare-Preis(1971) und die Ehrendoktorwürde derUniversitäten von London, Birmingham undOxford. Sie wurde 1970 zum Commanderund 1976 zum Dame of the British Empireerhoben. Zu ihren Aufzeichnungen aufTonträger gehören Händels Ariodante undJulius Caesar, Glucks Orfeo ed Euridice,Mahlers Das Lied von der Erde und zahlreicheRecitalprogramme.

Rosalind Plowright hat eine außerordentlichglänzende Laufbahn genossen. Sie hat amRoyal Northern College of Music und amLondon Opera Centre studiert undStipendien der Peter Moores Foundationund der Stiftung Peter Stuyvesant erhalten.Ihre 1984 erschienene Aufnahme der Leonora(Il trovatore) mit Placido Domingo unterder Stabführung von Carlo Maria Giuliniwurde für den Grammy-Preis nominiert. Imselben Jahr gab sie ihr Debüt an der RoyalOpera als Maddalena (Andrea Chénier) nebenJosé Carreras und in Aida neben LucianoPavarotti.

Rosalind Plowright hat an den meistenbedeutenden Opernhäusern der Welt gastiert,in Rollen wie Suor Angelica (Mailänder Scala),Leonora in Il trovatore (Verona), Stiffelio (TeatroLa Fenice, Venedig), Ariadne und Medea(Opéra Bastille, Paris), Desdemona und Amelia(Wiener Staatsoper), Madama Butterfly(Houston Grand Opera) und Santuzza(Staatsoper Berlin). Für die English NationalOpera ist sie in Othello aufgetreten, in MaryStuart, The Turn of the Screw (für diese Rollewurde sie mit dem Olivier Award aus-gezeichnet) und Puccinis The Cloak (Il tabarro).Zu ihren Aufnahmen auf Tonträger zählenMendelssohns Elias, Offenbachs Les contesd’Hoffmann sowie Verdis Otello und Il trovatore.


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Sir Charles Mackerras hat sich intensiv mitder Aufführungspraxis des 18. und 19. Jahr-hunderts befaßt, was seine musikalischen Interpretationen wesentlich beeinflußte. Seinebeeindruckende Diskographie umfaßt denpreisgekrönten Zyklus der Opern Janáceks mitden Wiener Philharmonikern, BrittensGloriana (ausgezeichnet mit dem GramophoneAward), die Sinfonien von Beethoven, Brahms

und Mahler sowie Händels Julius Caesar undVerdis La traviata mit der English NationalOpera.

Sir Charles Mackerras wurde 1974 mit demCBE ausgezeichnet und 1979 für seineVerdienste um die Musik geadelt. Außerdemerhielt er die Verdienstmedaille derTschechischen Republik und wurde zum Mitglied des “Order of Australia” ernannt.

der Royal Opera, außerdem ist er an der OperaNorth, der Scottish Opera, der GlyndebourneFestival und Touring Opera sowie der KentOpera aufgetreten. Zu seinen frühen Rollenzählen Figaro, Masetto, Hunding, Hagen,Pimen und König Heinrich (Lohengrin).

Seit 1988 hat John Tomlinson jährlich aufdem Bayreuther Festival gesungen, wo er alsWotan (Das Rheingold und Die Walküre), der Wanderer (Siegfried ), Titurel undGurnemanz (Parzival) und König Markus(Tristan und Isolde) zu hören war. Zu seinen weiteren Rollen zählen Hans Sachs (DieMeistersinger), der Landgraf (Tannhäuser),Hagen (Götterdämmerung) und Baron Ochs(Der Rosenkavalier). Seine Aufnahmen umfassenden Ring-Zyklus, Verdis La forza del destino undLa traviata, sowie Highlights aus MussorgskisBoris Godunow und Strauss’ Rosenkavalier (fürChandos/Peter Moores Foundation).

Angela Bostock wurde in Cheshire geborenund studierte am Royal Northern College ofMusic und dem London Opera Centre. Fürdie Royal Opera sang sie in Gianni Schicchisowie die Gerhilde (Wagners Ring) und EllenOrford (Peter Grimes), für die Opera Northtrat sie als Marianne (Der Rosenkavalier) aufund für die English National Opera als ErsteDame (Die Zauberflöte), Flora (La traviata)

sowie Marcellina und Musetta. Sie hat unter anderem Monteverdis achtes Madrigalbuchaufgenommen.

Sir Charles Mackerras wurde 1925 als Kindaustralischer Eltern in den USA geboren undstudierte in Sydney und Prag. Sein Debüt als Operndirigent feierte er in Sadler’s Wells,wo er wesentlichen Anteil an der Produktionder sensationellen britischen Erstaufführungvon Janáceks Kát’a Kabanová hatte, die dazuführte, daß Janáceks Werke ihren Weg insbritische Standardrepertoire fanden. Er warChefdirigent an der Hamburger Oper(1966–69) und Musikdirektor an der Opervon Sadler’s Wells, der nachmaligen EnglishNational Opera (1970–77) sowie der Welsh National Opera (1987–92), wo unter anderemseine bemerkenswerten Janácek-Inszenierungen große Beachtung fanden. DieInszenierung und Einspielung von Osudwurden von der Peter Moores Foundation gefördert, die auch die Einspielung vonThe Cunning Little Vixen unterstützte. SirCharles Mackerras ist Ehrendirigent desScottish Chamber Orchestra, Emeritus-Dirigent der Welsh National Opera, ersterGastdirigent der San Francisco Opera und seitder Spielzeit 1998/99 Musikdirektor desOrchestra of St Luke’s in New York.


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intrigue. La séduction de la Mary de Schilleren tant qu’héroïne a été bien observée par lecritique Gary Schmidgall, qui parle de la“tristesse et de la noble sérénité de la reineprisonnière (riche d’inspiration pour la veinemélodique suavement mélancolique sicaractéristique de Donizetti) faisant contrasteavec une grandeur et une fierté d’esprit (idéalespour les effusions plus démonstratives deMary). A l’époque du bel canto, une ‘belle,malheureuse et altière’ héroïne était ce qu’il yavait de plus désirable pour un rôle titre.” Lastylisation lyrique grandissante des dramestardifs de Schiller offre de nombreux prétextesà des chansons; tandis que la clarté du schémadramatique est également utile, en particulierparce qu’il repose sur un magnifique pointculminant (la rencontre fictive entre les deuxreines) qui avec sa tension progressivementcroissante, ses moments de calme très chargé etson dénouement explosif, pourrait être décritcomme un grand finale concertanto à l’étatembryonnaire.

Pour les besoins de l’opéra, il va sans direque l’action doit être simplifiée; le contextehistorique ne peut être qu’à peine évoqué; lescaractérisations parallèles fascinantes dontSchiller est si friant ne peuvent trouver placeici; il n’y a pas non plus de place pourl’idéaliste impulsif qu’est Mortimer ni pour

l’ambigu Leicester – ou plutôt, la passion deMortimer fusionne avec l’influence politiquede Leicester pour créer un caractère davantagedans la veine d’un amant conventionneld’opéra. Mais seulement à peine davantage; caril est clair que l’un des aspects les plusfrappants de Mary Stuart réside dans cettevariante très inhabituelle du triangleromantique éternel: un courtisan et deux reinesennemies. Et nous remarquerons qu’encomposant un opéra pour deux prime donne,Donizetti fit preuve d’une témérité vis-à-vis desconventions de son époque que même unVerdi eût désapprouvé.

Pendant la seconde moitié du XXe siècle,Mary Stuart est devenue l’une des partitions deDonizetti les plus admirées; en son temps, ellefut l’une des plus malchanceuses. Alors que lessemaines de l’été 1834 passaient, il y avaitcertainement un peu de nervosité concernantles réactions de la censure, mais les problèmessemblent avoir été résolus à la satisfactiongénérale. Donizetti dut également faire face àl’hostilité croissante entre ses deux chanteusesprincipales, Ronzi de Begnis et Del Sere, unehostilité qui, grâce aux comptes rendus de lapresse, servit à accroître l’intérêt porté à lacréation prochaine. Ce conflit parvint à sonpoint culminant lors d’une répétition générale,

Une introduction à Mary StuartAu printemps 1834, Donizetti se trouvait auzénith de sa carrière. Les douze mois précédentsavaient été exceptionnellement affairés: en effet,il venait de produire quatre nouveaux opérasdans trois villes différentes (Parisina à Florence;Torquato Tasso à Rome; Lucrezia Borgia àMilan; et Rosmonda d’Inghilterra, de nouveau àFlorence), et avait effectué une révision pourVenise de son opéra de 1831, Fausta. Parisina,d’après Byron, et Lucrezia Borgia, d’aprèsVictor Hugo, montraient l’intérêt grandissantdu compositeur pour la nouvelle littératureromantique qui commençait à déferler del’Europe du nord vers l’Italie. Rosmondad’Inghilterra – qui suivit Il castello di Kenilworth(Naples, 1830) et Anna Bolena (Milan, 1830) –suggèrent également que Donizetti, à l’instar detant de ses compatriotes de son temps,commençait à percevoir l’histoire del’Angleterre comme étant une nouvelle mine desujets dramatiques très séduisante. Alors qu’ilsongeait à des sujets possibles pour un nouvelopéra pour Naples, l’histoire anglaise s’imposa àlui de nouveau, les personnages de Mary Tudoret du comte d’Essex d’Elisabeth Ier étant ceux

qui l’intriguèrent le plus. Un opéra sur Essex,Roberto Devereux, devint finalement une réalitéen 1837; les espoirs d’une Maria Tudors’effondrèrent lorsque Felice Romani se révélaincapable de produire un livret à temps. Ens’attaquant à l’histoire de la reine Maryd’Ecosse, telle qu’elle est rapportée dans lagrande tragédie de Friedrich von Schiller,Donizetti allait porter ces tendances littéraireset historiques à un parfait point culminant.

Travaillant contre la montre comme il lefaisait si souvent, et dans l’impossibilité pourdes raisons inconnues de trouver uncollaborateur pour lui écrire un livret, Donizettis’adressa à un jeune enthousiaste de dix-sept ansdu nom de Giuseppe Bardari. La collaborationentre le compositeur expérimenté et le poètenovice (qui devint plus tard juriste, magistrat etpréfet de police) dut ressembler à celle qui sedéveloppa quelque dix ans plus tard entre Verdiet Francesco Maria Piave. En fait, l’impressarioAlessandro Lanari raconta que Bardari préparale livret “sous la dictée [de Donizetti]”.

Donizetti était à l’évidence convaincu queson modèle littéraire pouvait être pris ausérieux, et lui fournit plus qu’une simple



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au cours de laquelle, selon les mots du Teatri,Arti e Letteratura, un périodique de l’époque,“la mauvaise volonté de Mary fit tellementenrager Elisabeth, par nature la plus coléreuse,qu’au beau milieu d’un finale, elle se précipitasur son ennemie, la tira par les cheveux, luifrappa les oreilles, la mordit, la giffla, et luibrisa presque les jambes en lui donnant descoups de pieds furieux.”

En dépit de ces événements mouvementés,Donizetti estima que les répétitions s’étaientbien déroulées, et que l’opéra avait toutes leschances d’un brillant succès. Ce fut donc uncoup dévastateur quand, de manière tout à faitinattendue, le roi Ferdinando fit interdire lareprésentation. L’interdiction fut d’abordattribuée au désir de protéger la susceptibilitéde la reine Maria Cristina; mais peut-être le roien avait-il tout simplement assez de ce régimed’histoires tragiques et sanguinaires que le goûtromantique était en train d’infliger à sonthéâtre San Carlo, et que davantage de soiréesdevaient être – selon les termes d’un documentde cour de l’époque – “consacrées à l’exultationpublique”.

Les conséquences de l’interdiction ont été lemieux décrites par Donizetti lui-même:“Puisque la musique fut jugée bonne, il fallutl’adapter de différentes manières, soit par laDirection, soit par moi-même travaillant

d’après les instructions de la Direction, etdonnée sous le titre de Giovanna Grey…Le pire se produisit… Sa Majesté n’approuvapas; dorénavant, il ne devait plus y avoiraucune mort sur scène […] Enfin, réfléchir,cogiter… essayons une troisième tentative.Nous l’adaptons sous le titre de Buondelmonte.Quelqu’un peut le faire en huit ou dix jours enréutilisant les mêmes situations, ne changeantsimplement que le récitatifs […] Et voilà, lebricolage est terminé! Entre le 15 et le 18 de cemois d’octobre, cette naissance en trois partiesvoit le jour, et Dieu seul sait comment. Si je nel’avais pas fait, quelqu’un d’autre l’eut fait aprèsmon départ de la ville, et ils auraient prétendudonner un nouvel opéra de Donizetti.”

La véritable Mary Stuart dut sa premièreproduction scénique à l’intérêt que lui porta lamezzo-soprano Maria Malibran, et qui décidade la chanter à Milan. Donizetti, ravi par laperspective de collaborer avec la chanteuse laplus sensationnelle de son temps, offrit decomposer une nouvelle Ouverture; un duoqu’il avait écrit pour Buondelmonte (pourremplacer le duo Elisabeth–Leicester de l’ActeI de Mary Stuart) fut retenu pour devenir leduo Mary–Leicester de l’Acte II. Bien que leduo Elisabeth–Leicester ait été rétabli, l’effetréalisé par l’ajout du nouveau duo extrait de

Buondelmonte était de déplacer le centred’intérêt sur Mary de manière encore plusmarquée, et l’une des conséquences pour ladirection du théâtre de Milan fut que son autrestar, la soprano Sofia Schoberlechner, refusa dechanter le rôle d’Elisabeth. Comme ellel’expliqua à la Malibran, “ils viennent juste deme donner la partie composée pour Del Seredans la Mary Stuart de Naples; elle consiste enune aria d’ouverture dans l’introduction, puisd’un duo avec le ténor et d’un terzetto!!![c’est-à-dire, rien qu’un terzetto] dans tout ledeuxième acte. Vous pouvez imaginer, machère amie, dans quel état je me trouve.”L’incapacité de la direction à trouver uneremplaçante vraiment excellente pour Elisabethaida à condamner l’opéra à un succès plutôtindifférent; et quand la censure milanaisedécouvrit que la Malibran défiait sesinstructions (en continuant de traiter Elisabethde “vil bastarda”, de porter autour du coul’ordre de la Toison d’or, de se mettre à genouxlors de sa confession avec Talbot), elle fitinterdire toute nouvelle représentation.

Alors que Donizetti aidait à introduire unnouveau climat moral dans l’opéra italien, lecadre formel dans lequel il travaillait étaithérité; la grande source de cet héritage étaitRossini. Comme Donizetti l’écrivit lui-même

dans des notes manuscrites apparemmentpréparées pour une conférence à Vienne,“Après lui (je parle pour l’Italie), tous lescompositeurs vécurent et continuèrent à vivreavec le savoir, le goût et les techniques nés dustyle créé par ce génie.”

Pour le public d’aujourd’hui, la dette la plusévidente de la génération de Donizetti enversRossini est le rythme dramatique desdifférentes scènes qui constituent l’opéra. Ilsapprirent de lui comment articuler le spectaclethéâtral afin que la musique soit tour à tourdescriptive, dramatique et véhémente. Ce quel’on a souvent qualifié de “code Rossini” peuttrouver une illustration dans la cavatine deMary à l’Acte II, une scène qui est plus prochede Schiller qu’à l’accoutumée, puisque le poèteallemand inséra des vers lyriques à cet endroitpour exprimer la joie ressentie par la reine àpouvoir s’évader dans l’air frais du parc.

Parce qu’il y a eu un changement de scène,du palais de Whitehall à Fotheringhay, lamusique commence par un préludeinstrumental animé, suggérant l’atmosphèreaérée et lumineuse du lieu, et l’enthousiasmeavec lequel Mary marche rapidement à traversles arbres. Elle tente de convaincre Hannah departager sa joie devant les beautés qui lesentourent, son récitatif prenant de plus en plusles accents d’une chanson jusqu’au moment où


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il se transforme en une aria, le cantabile “Youmurmuring breezes that round me are flying” –une paraphrase du deuxième vers du poème deSchiller, “Eilende Wolken! Segler der Lüfte” –dans laquelle Mary se souvient de son enfanceheureuse passée en France. Des sonneries decors de chasse entendues dans le lointain laramènent dans le présent; c’est la partie dechasse d’Elisabeth, et dans quelques instants,les deux reines vont se rencontrer. Cettetransition animée (tempo di mezzo) conduit àune énergique et brillante cabalette, “In thepeace of my gloomy seclusion”, au cours delaquelle Mary s’efforce de se préparer àl’épreuve qui s’approche. Elle est chantée deuxfois, avec un développement orchestral entreles deux. Ce schéma, prélude instrumental(pour évoquer le décor), récitatif (pourexpliquer la situation), cantabile (pourréfléchir), tempo di mezzo (pour offrir la raisond’un changement d’humeur), et cabalette(pour affronter le futur), est repris tout au longde l’opéra.

Un tel schéma n’était pas un carcan, maisune forme de stylisation qui accélérait le travailde composition (le premier paragraphe de cetessai montre pourquoi ce procédé étaitdésirable!), et qui aidait le public à suivre,comprendre et apprécier ces opéras. Certainsde ses éléments pouvaient fusionner avec

d’autres ou encore être omis à des finsdramatiques; dans les scènes d’ensemble, lesmouvements supplémentaires tendait às’accumuler autour du cadre de base, parexemple un tempo d’attacco (mouvementd’ouverture) tel que celui d’Elisabeth et deTalbot qui mène au trio du début de l’Acte III.Il était courant qu’un tel tempo d’attacco –souvent un tempo di mezzo également – aitrecours au parlante, qui est un genre dechanson déclamatoire ou emphatique soutenuepar des thèmes orchestraux. Sur le plan musical(à cause de sa variété) comme sur le planthéâtral (à cause de l’impulsion palpitante qu’ilconstruit), le “code Rossini” s’imposait de lui-même aux compositeurs, aux interprètes et aupublic. A l’intérieur de ses contraintesapparentes, Donizetti fit preuve de resourcesinfinies. Une caractéristique particulière de sonstyle est la cabalette lente ou tendre (commepar exemple “If she dare trust in me” deLeicester), ou une cabalette dans laquelle laseconde exposition est variée de manièrepertinente. Ainsi, la modulation rapide dans leton majeur dans la seconde exposition de lacabalette de Mary, “Though you once made avow to protect me”, pendant laquelle elle seprépare à être conduite à l’échafaud, est unexemple typiquement simple mais parlant –un sourire à travers les larmes, peut-être, ou

l’expression de la sérénité intérieure qu’elle afinalement conquise.


Mary Stuart – La production 1982 del’English National OperaLa partition vocale (depuis longtemps épuisée)que nous avons utilisée pour cette productionest celle de l’édition Gérard, publiée à Paris, etqui est en grande partie la même que cellepubliée originalement par Cottrau à Naples.

Comme la partition autographe deDonizetti a apparemment disparu sans laisserde trace, notre matériel d’orchestre est celui quifut utilisé pour la production de l’opéradonnée au Camden Festival de 1966. Celui-ciavait été préparé à partir d’un microfilm d’unecopie manuscrite de la partition qui se trouveau Conservatoire de Naples, et qui avait étéobtenu par Jeremy Commons grâce à l’aimableautorisation des autorités de San Pietro aMajella; nous souhaitons ici les remercier toustrès chaleureusement de leur aide. L’éditionGérard ne comporte ni l’Ouverture, ni lesdiverses additions et retouches que lecompositeur fut amené à effectuer par la suitepour la production de son opéra à La Scala deMilan. Suivant l’usage courant de transposercertains mouvements pour convenir aux

besoins de tel ou tel chanteur dans ces opérasbel canto du XIXe siècle, nous avons nous-même eu recours à cette pratique. Cela a eupour effet de simplement abaisser la tessiturevocale d’aujourd’hui au niveau de celle dutemps de Donizetti, à une époque où desmezzo-sopranos aussi exceptionnelles queMaria Malibran étaient capables de chanter cequi aujourd’hui seraient classés comme étantdes rôles de sopranos, au diapason orchestralplus bas alors en usage général. Il est sans douteintéressant de rappeler que de tellestranspositions sont encore régulièrementeffectuées de nos jours, et sans aucune remiseen question, dans de nombreux rôles d’opérasdu répertoire courant tels que Le barbier deSéville, Norma, La sonnambula, Il trovatore,La traviata, et même La bohème.

Il semble que cette production de MaryStuart soit la première jamais donnée en anglais,et nous avons eu le sentiment que le librettistede Donizetti, Giuseppe Bardari, avait priscertaines libertés avec l’histoire de l’Angleterre(suivant en cela l’exemple de Schiller et de tantd’autres dramaturges et librettistes) qui neseraient plus entièrement acceptables pour lepublic d’aujourd’hui à l’écoute d’un opéras’inspirant d’un sujet aussi familier, et chantédans sa propre langue. Par ailleurs, Donizetti etson librettiste durent faire face aux contraintes


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créées par le nombre limité de chanteursdisponibles lors de la production de Naples, cequi a abouti à un télescopage de certainspersonnages historiques plutôt singulier.

Un incident particulier dans l’opéra concernele prostestant George Talbot, comte deShrewsbury, un homme de confiance del’entourage d’Elisabeth, qui a pourresponsabilité de superviser l’emprisonnementde Mary Stuart. Selon Bardari, le jour même del’exécution, Talbot se révèle subitement être unprêtre catholique, et reçoit l’ultime confessionde Mary. C’est la scène qui souleva la colère dela censure italienne à une époque où lareprésentation des sacrements de l’Eglise surscène était formellement interdite. Cedénouement impossible (qui résulte de la fusionde deux personnages, à savoir celui de Talbot etcelui du jeune Mortimer de la pièce de Schiller)a été dépouillé dans cette production de toutesignification sacramentelle. Si dans l’opéra deDonizetti, il existe un fort attachementsentimental entre Mary et Leicester, nous avonsestimé que celui-ci ne possédait pas un caractèrevéritablement historique, et devait donc êtreminimisé dans le texte.

Il est bien connu que les deux reines ne sesont jamais rencontrées dans la réalité;cependant, des documents historiquestémoignent qu’elles tentèrent plusieurs fois

d’organiser une rencontre, mais qu’à chaquefois, un incident de dernière minute hors deleur contrôle les en empêcha. En conséquence,le coup de théâtre de la confrontationimaginaire inventé par Schiller se voit enquelque sorte justifié, et fournit une scèneintense et émouvante à la pièce tout comme àl’opéra.

L’action de la première partie de l’opéra a étéavancée à l’année 1571, époque où Mary étaitemprisonnée à Chatsworth, et le grand pointculminant est atteint lors de la rencontreimaginaire entre Elisabeth et Mary. La suite del’opéra traite des événements ultimes de la viede Mary à Fotheringhay, quand elle estfinalement condamnée à mort pour avoir prispart au complot de Babington d’assassinerElisabeth. Ces altérations n’ont nécessité quequelques retouches au texte, afin de préserverla vraisemblance historique, tandis que lamusique reste inchangée.

© Tom Hammond

Argument

Acte ILe palais de Whitehall, 1571La cour est réunie, et attend avec impatiencel’arrivée de la reine Elisabeth qui doit annoncer

son mariage avec le duc d’Anjou. Elisabeth faitson entrée, et révèle qu’elle ne sait pas encore sielle doit ou non unir les trônes d’Angleterre etde France par ce mariage, mais elle affirmequ’elle agira uniquement dans l’intérêt de sonpeuple. Cependant, Elisabeth confesse enaparté que sa liberté est entravée par l’amoursecret qu’elle nourrit pour un autre homme(Leicester). Talbot et des courtisans viennentimplorer le pardon pour Mary Stuart, qui estactuellement emprisonnée à Chatsworth, maisle cœur jaloux d’Elisabeth est porté à lavengeance, un sentiment attisé par Cecil.Leicester entre et reçoit l’ordre d’Elisabethd’aller porter sa bague à l’émissaire de la Francecomme témoignage de son acceptationprovisoire à la proposition de mariage.Profondément blessée par la froideur de saréaction face à cette nouvelle, Elisabeth sort etlaisse Leicester avec Talbot. Talbot parle alorsde l’idée d’une entrevue avec Mary dans saprison, et confie à Leicester un portrait et unelettre de Mary lui demandant son aide. Malgréles avertissements de Talbot des dangersencourus, Leicester fait le serment d’assurer lalibération de Mary, même si cela doit être auprix de sa propre vie. Quand Elisabeth revientet s’adresse à Leicester, elle soupçonne devantson agitation qu’il a reçu un message secret deMary, et exige de voir la lettre qu’il tient à la

main. En obéissant, Leicester l’implored’accepter l’idée d’une entrevue avec Mary.Malgré sa colère provoquée par les aspirationsorgueilleuses de Mary au trône d’Angleterre etsa jalousie intense de l’affection de Leicester,Elisabeth est émue par la lettre de Mary et parles supplications de Leicester, et accepte àcontrecœur de la rencontrer.

Acte IIDans le parc de Chatsworth, trois mois plus tardMary se promène dans les jardins deChatsworth avec sa compagne HannahKennedy, et les scènes de la nature luirappellent son enfance passée en France. Enentendant les bruits de l’équipage de la chasseroyale, Mary comprend qu’Elisabeth est dansles alentours, et craint de rencontrer sa cousine.Leicester arrive, et déclare que la chasse est toutsimplement un prétexte d’Elisabeth pour luirendre visite. Il supplie Mary de se soumettre àElisabeth s’il elle veut sauver sa vie. Mary sesauve quand Elisabeth s’approche avec Cecil etson équipage, mais elle est ramenée plus tarddevant la reine par Talbot. Alors qu’il s’agit deleur première rencontre, les deux reinesressentent immédiatement de l’hostilité l’uneenvers l’autre, mais Mary s’humilie et implorele pardon. En réponse, Elisabeth est hautaineet méprisante, et accuse Mary de trahison, de


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meurtre et de débauche. Mary, accablée demanière intolérable, dénonce Elisabeth commeétant la fille bâtarde d’Anne Boleyn. Renduefurieuse par les insultes de Mary, Elisabethordonne aux gardes de se saisir d’elle et de laramener en prison.

Acte IIIScène 1Le palais de Whitehall, seize ans plus tard (1587)Cecil presse Elisabeth de signer l’acted’exécution de Mary à la suite de sa complicitédans le complot de Babington d’assassiner lareine, mais Elisabeth demeure encore indécisecar elle ne parvient pas à se résoudre àcondamner une monarque qui a été sacrée.Cecil parvient finalement à convaincreElisabeth de signer, et au même instant entreLeicester. Quand il apprend que Mary estcondamnée à mort, il tente une dernière foisd’obtenir sa clémence, mais reproche àElisabeth d’être cruelle et jalouse quand celle-cirefuse de céder. Elisabeth lui ordonne alorsd’assister à l’exécution de Mary.

Scène 2Les appartements de Mary au château deFotheringhayMary se lamente sur son malheur, et reçoit lavisite de Talbot et de Cecil; ce dernier lui remet

la sentence de mort, puis la laisse seule avecTalbot. Il lui apprend qu’Elisabeth a ordonné àLeicester d’assister à son exécution. Marydevient éperdue, et croit voir les fantômes deDarnley et du jeune Rizzio. Talbot la presse des’en remettre au ciel, et de se préparer à mouriravec résignation.

Scène 3Dans une pièce du château de Fotheringhay, àcôté de la salle d’exécutionLa foule qui attend est remplie d’horreur à lavue de la préparation du supplice. Quand Maryapparaît, vêtue de ses insignes royaux, elle faitses adieux, puis tout le monde s’unit à elle enune prière finale implorant le pardon de Dieu.On tire un coup de canon, et Cecil annonceque l’heure de l’exécution est proche. Marypardonne à Elisabeth, et prie pour le bien-êtrede l’Angleterre. Leicester entre alors, et apparaîtfort agité. Mary tente de l’appaiser, mais quandon tire un deuxième coup de canon, elle se metà prostester de son innocence, et demande àLeicester de la soutenir alors que l’heure de sontrépas approche. On entend un troisième coupde canon, et à ce signal, Mary est conduite àl’échafaud.

© English National OperaTraduction: Francis Marchal

Dame Janet Baker s’est produite avec lesorchestres et les maestros les plus illustres dansle monde et elle a enregistré avec toutes les plusgrandes troupes lyriques. Née dans leYorkshire, elle étudie le chant avec HeleneIsepp puis Meriel St. Clair. En 1956 elleremporte le deuxième Prix du Kathleen FerrierAward et dès lors s’impose sur la scèneinternationale, où elle devient tout autantréputée pour ses récitals de Lieder, ses rôleslyriques que ses solos de concert. Elle se faitremarquer entre autres dans Dido and Aeneasde Purcell à Aldeburgh avec l’English NationalOpera en 1962, dans le rôle-titre du Rape ofLucretia de Britten (en 1964 et 1970) et dansle rôle de Kate dans Owen Wingrave (1971)

Pour le Royal Opera elle est Vitellia (Laclémence de Titus), et l’Alceste de Gluck, pourGlyndebourne Diana/Jupiter (La Calisto deCavalli), et elle interprète Pénélope (Le Retourd’Ulysse de Monteverdi), pour le ScottishOpera elle est Didon (Les troyens de Berlioz) etpour l’English National Opera elle chante unrépertoire allant de Monteverdi au Werther deMassenet, en passant par Julius Caesar deHaendel et The Damnation of Faust de Berlioz(Marguerite). C’est avec la présente productionde Mary Stuart qu’elle fait ses adieux àl’English National Opera. Elle a reçu denombreuses distinctions, comme le Prix

Shakespeare de Hambourg en 1971 et le titrede docteur honoris causa de l’université deLondres, de l’université de Birmingham et decelle d’Oxford. Dame Janet Baker est devenueCommander of the British Empire (CBE) en1970 et Dame of the British Empire (DBE) en1976. Elle a fait de très nombreuxenregistrements, gravant entre autres Ariodanteet Julius Caesar de Haendel, Orphée et Eurydicede Gluck, Das Lied von der Erde de Mahler etun grand nombre de récitals.

Rosalind Plowright a fait une carrièreparticulièrement brillante. Elle a étudié auRoyal Northern College of Music et auLondon Opera Centre, obtenant deux bourses,l’une auprès de la Peter Moores Foundation etl’autre de Peter Stuyvesant. En 1984, elle gravale rôle de Leonora dans le Il trovatore avecPlacido Domingo sous la direction de CarloMaria Giulini, un disque qui fut nominé pourun Grammy. Cette année-là fut aussi celle deses débuts au Royal Opera dans le rôle deMaddalena (Andrea Chénier) avec Jose Carreraset dans Aïda avec Luciano Pavarotti.

Rosalind Plowright s’est produite sur les plusgrandes scènes lyriques du monde entier,tenant entre autres les rôles de Suor Angelica(La Scala de Milan), Leonora dans Il trovatore(Vérone), Stiffelio (La Fenice à Venise), Ariane


et Médée (l’Opéra Bastille), Desdémone etAmelia (Opéra d’état de Vienne), MadamaButterfly (Grand Opera de Houston) etSantuzza (Opéra d’état de Berlin). Pourl’English National Opera, elle a chanté dansOthello, Mary Stuart, The Turn of the Screw(pour lequel elle remporta un Olivier Award)et The Cloak de Puccini. Elle a enregistré entreautres Elijah de Mendelssohn, Les contesd’Hoffmann d’Offenbach ainsi qu’Othello etIl trovatore de Verdi.

David Rendall a fait ses études musicales auRoyal College of Music de Londres et àSalzbourg. Il s’est produit sur les plus grandesscènes lyriques et dans les principales salles deconcert du monde entier, chantant par exempleles rôles d’Idoménée, Titus et Belmonte deMozart ainsi que ceux de Tamino et Lensky (auMetropolitan Opera de New York), Alfredo,des Grieux et Rodolfo (au Royal Opera Houseà Covent Garden); il a chanté à San Francisco,Santa Fe, au Festival Mozart à Paris et àGlyndebourne, et s’est produit en concertauprès de chefs d’orchestre aussi illustres queKarajan, Bernstein, Levine, Barenboim, Mehtaet Ozawa.

Ces dernières années, David Rendall s’estattaqué à un répertoire plus difficile, tenantentre autres les rôles de Gabriele Adorno,

Alvaro, Cavaradossi, Hoffmann, Werther,Oedipus Rex, Luigi (The Cloak de Puccini) etOthello pour l’English National Opera ainsiqu’à Glyndebourne, Francfort, Paris (l’OpéraBastille) et Strasbourg. Il a fait de nombreuxenregistrements, gravant entre autres Ariodantede Haendel, Die Kathrin de Korngold, Così fantutte de Mozart, La rondine de Puccini, Lesapôtres d’Elgar et la Neuvième symphonie deBeethoven.

Alan Opie est né en Cornouailles et a fait sesétudes à la Guildhall School of Music andDrama et au London Opera Centre. Principalbaryton de l’English National Opera pendantplusieurs saisons, il a également chanté avec lesprincipales troupes lyriques britanniquescomme le Royal Opera House à CoventGarden, l’Opéra du Festival de Glyndebourneet Opera North. Sa carrière internationale l’aconduit sur les scènes lyriques de Bayreuth,Paris, Amsterdam, Chicago, Milan (La Scala),Munich, Berlin, Vienne, Bruxelles et New York(Metropolitan Opera).

Alan Opie a remporté un Grammy pour sonenregistrement de Peter Grimes (chez Chandos)et celui des Maîtres chanteurs (avec le ChicagoSymphony Orchestra placé sous la direction deSolti). Il a également gravé The Barber ofSeville, Pagliacci et La bohème (tous pour

Chandos en collaboration avec la Peter MooresFoundation), Le viol de Lucrèce, Gloriana etTroilus et Cressida (une production financée parla Peter Moores Foundation) et enregistrée parChandos).

John Tomlinson est né dans le Lancashire;après avoir achevé son diplôme d’ingénieur destravaux publics à Manchester, il a obtenu unebourse d’études au Royal Manchester Collegeof Music. Il chante régulièrement avecl’English National Opera depuis 1974 et avecle Royal Opera depuis 1976; il s’est égalementproduit avec Opera North, Scottish Opera,l’Opéra du Festival de Glyndebourne et leGlyndebourne Touring Opera ainsi qu’avecKent Opera. Parmi ses premiers rôles notonsceux de Figaro, Masetto, Hunding, Hagen,Pimène et du roi Henri (Lohengrin).

Depuis 1988 il chante chaque année auFestival de Bayreuth où il a été Wotan (L’or duRhin et La Walkyrie), le Voyageur (Siegfried ),Titurel et Gurnemanz (Parsifal ) et le roi Marke(Tristan et Isolde). Parmi ses autres rôles, notonsceux de Hans Sachs (Les maîtres chanteurs),du Landgrave (Tannhäuser), de Hagen(Le crépuscule des Dieux) et du Baron Ochs(Le chevalier à la rose). Il a enregistré entreautres le cycle de l’Anneau, La force du destin etLa traviata de Verdi ainsi que les grands airs de

Boris Godounov de Moussorgsky et duRosenkavalier de Strauss (pour Chandos encollaboration avec la Fondation Peter Moores).

Angela Bostock est née dans le Cheshire et afait ses études au Royal Northern College ofMusic et au London Opera Centre. Elle achanté pour le Royal Opera dans GianniSchicchi ainsi que dans le cycle de l’Anneau(Gerhilde) et Peter Grimes (Ellen Orford); elle aété Marianne (Le chevalier à la rose) pourOpera North et la Première dame (The MagicFlute), Flora (La traviata), Marcelline etMusetta pour l’English National Opera. Elle aenregistré entre autres le Huitième livre demadrigaux de Monteverdi.

Sir Charles Mackerras naquit en 1925 auxEtats-Unis de parents australiens et fit sesétudes à Sydney et Prague. Il fit ses débuts dechef lyrique au Sadler’s Wells, où il contribua àla première britannique de Kát’a Kabanová deJanácek, une création sensationnelle qui assuraà Janácek de figurer au répertoire des troupesbritanniques. Il fut Chef d’orchestre principalde l’Opéra de Hambourg (1966–1969) etdirecteur musical du Sadler’s Wells Opera (quideviendrait l’English National Opera) entre1970 et 1977 et du Welsh National Operaentre 1987 et 1992, où ses productions

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remarquables de Janácek furent accueillies avecenthousiasme. La production etl’enregistrement d’Osud ont été financés par laPeter Moores Foundation, qui finança aussil’enregistrement de La petite renarde rusée. Il estchef d’orchestre honoraire du ScottishChamber Orchestra et du Welsh NationalOpera, l’un des chefs réguliers de l’Opéra deSan Francisco et, depuis la saison 1998–1999,directeur du St Luke’s Orchestra à New York.

Sir Charles Mackerras a fait des recherchespoussées sur l’interprétation aux XVIIIe etXIXe siècles qui ont profondément influencé lafaçon dont il aborde le répertoire aujourd’hui.

Sa vaste discographie comprend un cycle primédes opéras de Janácek avec la Philharmonie deVienne, Gloriana de Britten (primé par larevue Gramophone), des Symphonies deBeethoven, Brahms et Mahler, et avec l’EnglishNational Opera Julius Caesar de Handel etLa traviata de Verdi.

Sir Charles Mackerras est Commander ofthe British Empire (CBE) depuis 1974 et a étéanobli en 1979 pour services rendus à lamusique. Il s’est vu également décerner laMédaille du mérite de la République tchèqueet le titre de Companion of the Order ofAustralia.

Un’introduzzione a Mary StuartPrimavera del 1834; Donizetti era all’apicedella sua carriera. Durante i precedenti dodicimesi era stato eccezionalmente attivo: avevaprodotto quattro nuove opere in tre cittàdiverse (Parisina a Firenze; Torquato Tasso aRoma; Lucrezia Borgia a Milano; Rosmondad’Inghilterra di nuovo a Firenze) e scritto unariveduta versione della sua opera Fausta,composta nel 1831, per Venezia. Parisina,basata su un dramma di Byron, e LucreziaBorgia su una tragedia di Victor Hugo,mostrano il crescente interesse di Donizetti allanuova letteratura romantica che cominciava aspandersi in Italia dall’Europa Settentrionale.Rosmonda d’Inghilterra – che faceva seguito aIl castello di Kenilworth (Napoli 1830) e AnnaBolena (Milano 1830) – pure suggeriscono cheDonizetti stava cominciando, come tanti deisuoi contemporanei italiani, a guardare allastoria britannica come ad un nuovo edallettante campo di temi drammatici. Mentrestava riflettendo su possibili soggetti per unanuova opera a Napoli, la storia inglese tornavaalla ribalta, Maria Tudor e il Conte di Essexdella Regina Elisabetta essendo i personaggi

che maggiormente lo attiravano. Un’opera sulConte di Essex, Roberto Devereux, simaterializzò alla fine nel 1837; speranze peruna Maria Tudor si dileguarono quando FeliceRomani mancò di scrivere un libretto in tempodovuto. L’impegno di affrontare la storia diMaria Stuarda, così come era stata raccontatanella grande tragedia di Friedrich von Schiller,finì per portare queste tendenze storiche eletterarie ad un apice appropriato.

Lavorando a ritmo assillante, come spesso gliaccadeva, e per ragioni ignote incapace ditrovare un collaboratore professionista che gliscrivesse un libretto, Donizetti si appellò ad unentusiasta diciassettenne chiamato GiuseppeBardari. Le relazioni di lavoro fra il compositorematuro e il poeta novizio (divenuto poiavvocato, magistrato e prefetto di polizia)devono essere state piuttosto simili a quelle che,dieci anni dopo, di svilupparono fra Verdi eFrancesco Maria Piave. In effetti, come ebbe adire l’impresario Alessandro Lanari, Bardaristava preparando il libretto “sotto sua dettatura”.

Donizetti era evidentemente convinto che ilmodello letterario potesse esser preso sul serio eche potesse procurargli qualcosa di più di una



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semplice trama. Il fascino della Maria diSchiller come eroina è stato ben osservato dalcritico Gary Schmidgall, il quale scrive della“malinconia e nobile equilibrio della Reginaprigioniera (ricchi di ispirazione per lacaratteristica vena melodica di soave tristezza diDonizetti) ed una contrastante nobiltà efierezza di spirito (perfette per le piùpirotecniche effusioni di Maria). Nell’età delbel canto un’eroina ‘bella, infelice e nobiled’animo’ era quanto di meglio si potessedesiderare per un ruolo di protagonista.” Lacrescente stilizzazione lirica dei tardi drammi diSchiller offre ampi pretesti al canto; mentre lachiarezza del disegno drammatico èulteriormente utile, in particolare quandosfocia in un culmine magnifico (il fittizioincontro fra le due regine) la cui tensionelentamente ascendente, i cui momenti di stasiad alta tensione e conclusione esplosivapotrebbero ben essere descritti come un grandeconcertato finale in embrione.

Naturalmente, per servire a scopi operisticil’azione deve essere ulteriormente semplificata;il cospicuo contesto storico può essere appenaaccennato; le affascinanti caratterizzazioniparallele che Schiller prediligeva non sicollocano nel suo corso: non c’è posto perl’impulsivo idealista Mortimer così come perl’ambiguo Leicester – o piuttosto, la passione

di Mortimer si fonde con l’impatto politico diLeicester per creare un personaggio un po’ piùconsono alla figura del convenzionale amanteoperistico. Ma c’è solo qualcosa di più; giacchécertamente uno degli aspetti più vibranti dellaMaria Stuarda è l’esemplificazione di unavariante assai inconsueta dell’eterno triangoloromantico: un cortigiano, due regine rivali.E si noti che nel comporre un’opera per dueprimedonne Donizetti mostrò un’audacia nellosfidare le convenzioni del suo tempo cheavrebbe scandalizzato lo stesso Verdi.

Nelle ultime decadi del Novecento MariaStuarda è stata una della opere più ammirate diDonizetti; quando egli era in vita fu una dellepiù disgraziate. Nel corso delle ultimesettimane d’estate del 1834 ci fu sicuramenteun certo nervosismo circa le rezioni dellacensura, ma certi problemi sembra siano statitrattati con soddisfazione di tutti. Donizettidovette inoltre far fronte alla crescente ostilitàdelle due interpreti principali, Ronzi de Begnise Del Sere: rapporti di questa situazione nellastampa valsero ad aumentare l’interessenell’imminente premiere. Fu una situazioneche giunse all’apice durante una provagenerale, allorché, come disse il periodicocontemporaneo Teatri, Arti e Letteratura, “lamalavoglia di Maria mise talmente in collera

Elisabetta, di natura più iraconda, che nel belmezzo di un finale, ella si precipita sulla suanemica, la prende pei capelli, la schiaffeggia, lamorde, le pesta la faccia co’pugni, e le rompequasi le gambe a furia di calci.”

Malgrado tali eccitanti eventi Donizettiritenne che le prove fossero andate bene e chel’opera avesse tutte le premesse di un brillantesuccesso. E perciò quando Re Ferdinando, deltutto inaspettatamente, intervenne e proibì larappresentazione, il colpo fu devastante.Dapprima l’interdizione venne attribuita aldesiderio di proteggere la sensibilità dellaRegina Maria Cristina; ma forse il Re avevadeciso semplicemente che ne aveva avutoabbastanza della dieta di racconti tragici esanguinari che il gusto romantico stavainfliggendo al suo teatro San Carlo, e che –come detto in un documento di cortecontemporaneo – un maggior numero di reciteavrebbe dovuto essere “consacrato all’esultanzapubblica”.

Le conseguenze dell’interdizione vengono piùefficacemente descritte nelle parole dello stessoDonizetti: “la musica essendo però già giudicatadiscreta fu dalla Società, ossia da me per ordinedella Società, ridotta ad altre forme inpiccolissime parti, e si dava come GiovannaGrey… Peggio… S.M. non vuole, che morti iniscena non ve ne devono più essere […]

Finalmente pensa, escogita… si faccia il 3otentativo. Mettiamoci sopra il Buondelmonte.Chi lo fa in 8 o dieci giorni sulle stessesituazioni, non cambiando che li recitativi dimetro […] Ecco di fatto il ciabattinismo fatto[…] Tra li 15 o li 18 di questo ottobre, questotriforme parto verrà alla luce, e Dio sa come. Seda me non era fatto, da altri fatto saria statodopo mia partenza, che gli appaltatori averdenno un’opera nuova di Donizetti.”

La vera Maria Stuarda dovette la sua primarappresentazione all’interesse del mezzosopranoMaria Malibran che decise di volerla eseguire aMilano. Donizetti, felice all’idea di unacollaborazione con la cantante più sensazionaledel suo tempo, si offrì di comporre una nuovaOuverture; un duetto, da lui composto perBuondelmonte (per sostituire il duettoElisabetta–Leicester nell’Atto I di MariaStuarda) fu serbato e divenne il duettoMaria–Leicester nell’Atto II. Malgrado lareintegrazione del duetto Elisabetta–Leicester,l’effetto di aggiungere all’opera il nuovo duettodal Buondelmonte fu quello di spostare il centrodell’attenzione su Maria in maniera più chemai pronunciata, ed uno dei risultantiproblemi per la direzione dell’esecuzionemilanese fu il rifiuto dell’altra primadonna,Sofia Schoberlechner, di cantare la parte di


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Elisabetta. Come la Schoberlechner disse allaMalibran, “Ora appunto che vi scrivo mi sidanno le parti scritte per la Del Sere a Napolidella Maria Stuarda, consistenti in una sortitadi introduzione, un duetto col tenore e unterzetto!!! in tutto il secondo atto. Poteteimmaginarvi mia buona amica in che stato iomi trovi.” L’incapacità della direzione di trovareuna sostituta realmente efficace per il ruolo diElisabetta contribuì a condannare l’opera ad unesito piuttosto indifferente; e quando la censuramilanese notò che la Malibran stava sfidando lesue istruzioni (continuando a chiamareElisabetta “vil bastarda”, a portare l’ordine delVello d’Oro intorno al collo, ad inginocchiarsiper fare la sua confessione a Talbot), ulteriorirappresentazioni vennero bandite.

Mentre Donizetti stava contribuendo adintrodurre un nuovo clima morale nell’operaitaliana, la stuttura formale entro la quale eglilavorava era stata da lui ereditata: la grande egenerosa fonte di questa sua eredità era Rossini.Come disse lo stesso Donizetti in alcune notemanoscritte, apparentemente preparate per unaconferenza a Vienna, “Dopo lui (parlo perl’Italia) ogni altro compositore ha vissuto, e viveo colla scienza o col gusto, o colla pratica, natedallo stile creato da questo genio.”

Per un pubblico moderno il più evidente

debito che la generazione di Donizetti deve aRossini sta nel ritmo drammatico delle variescene che costituiscono un’opera. Da luiappresero ad articolare lo spettacolo teatrale inmodo da rendere la musica volta a volta unquadro scenico, azione drammatica e melodiaardente. Quello che è stato spesso chiamato il“Codice Rossini” può essere illustrato dallacavatina di Maria nell’Atto II, una scena piùdel solito vicina a Schiller giacché lo stessopoeta tedesco incluse dei versi lirici peresprimere la gioia della regina nell’evaderenell’aria fresca del parco.

Poiché c’è stato un cambiamento di scena,dal palazzo di Whitehall a Fotheringhay, lamusica comincia con un preludio strumentaleanimato, che evoca la luminosa ariositàdell’ambiente e l’impetuosa vivacità con cuiMaria si affretta attraverso gli alberi. Cerca dipersuadere Hannah a condividere la sua gioianella bellezza che le circonda, il suo recitativodivenendo sempre più come una canzone, finquando sfocia in un’aria, il cantabile “Oh nubeche lieve” (You murmuring breezes that roundme are flying) – parafrasando il secondo versodella poesia di Schiller, “Eilende Wolken!Segler der Läfte” – in cui Maria ricorda la suafelice infanzia in Francia. Lontani corni dacaccia la richiamano al presente; è la partita dicaccia di Elisabetta e fra un momento le due

regine s’incontreranno. Questa animatatransizione (tempo di mezzo) conduce adun’energica ed infine brillante cabaletta, “Nellapace del mesto riposo” (In the peace of mygloomy seclusion), nella quale Maria si sforza aprepararsi per l’imminente dura prova. Ècantata due volte, con uno sviluppo orchestraledella musica di caccia che separa le dueaffermazioni. Questo schema di preludiostrumentale (ad evocare l’ambiente), recitativo(a spiegare la situazione), cantabile (perriflettere), tempo di mezzo (per dare un motivoad un cambiamento nello stato d’animo), ecabaletta (per fronteggiare il futuro) si risentepiù volte nel corso dell’opera.

Lo schema non era una camicia di forza mauna forma di stilizzazione che accelerava la composizione delle opere (il paragrafointroduttivo di questo saggio sottolinea laragione per cui tale procedimento eradesiderabile!), ed aiutava il pubblico a seguire,capire e godere l’opera. Per esigenzedrammatiche gli elementi di questo schemapotevano essere fusi od omessi; nelle scened’insieme, movimenti aggiuntivi tendevano adaccumularsi intorno alla struttura di base, peresempio un tempo d’attacco quale quello diElisabetta e Talbot che conduce al trio all’iniziodell’Atto III. Di solito un tale tempo d’attacco– spesso anche un tempo di mezzo – farà uso

del parlante, uno stile di canto declamatorio oretorico sostenuto su temi orchestrali. Siamusicalmente (a causa della sua varietà), siadrammaticamente (per l’eccitante impulso checostruisce) il “Codice Rossini” rendeva un buonservizio a compositori, esecutori e pubblico.All’interno delle sue apparenti costrizioniDonizetti lavorava con infinite risorse. Un suoparticolare distintivo è presente nella cabalettalenta ed affettuosa (per esempio, quella diLeicester “Se fida tanto” (If she dare trust inme)) o in quella dove la seconda affermazione èopportunamente variata. La fuggevole svolta neltono maggiore della seconda dichiarazione diMaria, “Ah! se un giorno” (Though you oncemade a vow to protect me), mentre si preparaad essere condotta al patibolo, è un esempiotipicamente semplice ma eloquente – un sorrisofra le lacrime, forse, oppure un’espressionedell’intima serenità che ha finalmenteraggiunto.


Maria Stuarda – La versione dellarappresentazione allestita nel 1982 dallaEnglish National OperaIl materiale vocale (da tempo fuori stampa) cheabbiamo usato per questa esecuzione è quellodell’edizione Gérard, pubblicato a Parigi e


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sostanzialmente lo stesso che fuoriginariamente pubblicato da Cottrau aNapoli.

La partitura autografa di Donizetti èapparentemente scomparsa senza lasciare tracciae il nostro materiale d’orchestra è quellooriginariamente usato per l’allestimentodell’opera al Festival di Camden nel 1966.Questo materiale fu tratto da una copiamanoscritta della partitura appartenente alConservatorio di Napoli, ottenuta da JeremyCommons d’accordo con le autorità del SanPietro a Majella, alle quali dobbiamo la nostrasincera gratitudine. L’edizione Gérard noninclude l’Ouverture né le varie altre aggiunte emodifiche che il compositore dovette in seguitoscrivere per l’esecuzione dell’opera alla Scala. Inosservanza della pratica, normalmente accettata,della trasposizione di certe parti per adattarsialle esigenze dei singoli cantanti in queste operedel bel canto dell’Ottocento, abbiamo noi stessifatto uso di questa convenzione. Ciò ha l’effettosemplicemente di ridurre la tessitura vocale deinostri giorni a quella prevalente al tempo diDonizetti, allorché mezzosoprani eccezionali,quali Maria Malibran, erano in grado di cantareruoli che oggidì sarebbero classificati persoprano, al tono orchestrale più basso allora inuso generale. È forse il caso di osservare che letrasposizioni sono tuttora usate regolarmente

senza esitazioni in molte opere correntementein repertorio quali Il barbiere di Siviglia,Norma, La sonnambula, Il trovatore e La traviatae persino in La bohème.

Questa produzione di Maria Stuarda èritenuta la primissima data in inglese e si ebbela sensazione che il librettista di Donizetti,Giuseppe Bardari, si fosse preso certe libertàcon la storia britannica (seguendo l’esempio diSchiller e di molti altri drammaturghi elibrettisti); libertà che non sarebbero state deltutto accettabili ad un pubblico di oggi cheascoltava un’opera basata su un soggetto tantonoto, eseguita in inglese. Donizetti e il suolibrettista subirono ulteriori restrizioni nel lorolavoro causate dal numero limitato di cantantidisponibili per la rappresentazione napoletana,con il risultato di astrarre certi personaggistorici con risultati piuttosto curiosi.

Un particolare incidente nell’opera concerneGeorge Talbot, il protestante Conte diShrewsbury, fido membro della corte diElisabetta, a cui viene dato l’incarico disorvegliare la prigionia di Maria Stuarda. Nelgiorno stesso dell’esecuzione capitale di Maria,Talbot, secondo Bardari, si rivelaimprovvisamente come un prete cattolico edascolta l’ultima confessione della regina. Fuquesta scena che mise in furia i censori italianidel tempo allorché la rappresentazione dei

sacramenti della Chiesa sulla scena erarigorosamente proibita. Questo impossibiledénouement (che sorse dalla fusione dei duepersonaggi, Talbot e il giovane Mortimer diSchiller) è stato spogliato di qualsiasisignificato sacramentale o religioso nellapresente produzione. Nell’opera di Donizettic’è un forte legame sentimentale fra Maria eLeicester, ma ritenendo questo elemento nonprecisamente storico la sua presenza è stataridimensionata nel testo.

Come ben sappiamo le due regine nons’incontrarono mai nella vita reale, ma la storiaregistra che, nonostante esse abbiano spessotentato un incontro, tali tentativi vennerosempre frustrati all’ultimo momento da eventifuori del loro stesso controllo. C’è perciò unacerta giustificazione per il coup de théâtre diSchiller, con l’immaginario confronto che creauna scena così possente e toccante nel drammae nell’opera.

L’ambientazione della prima metà dell’operaè stata anticipata all’anno 1571, in cui Mariafu imprigionata a Chatsworth, e il puntoculminante viene raggiunto con l’immaginarioincontro di Elisabetta e Maria. La partesuccesiva dell’opera tratta gli ultimi eventi dellavita di Maria a Fotheringhay quando essa èalfine condannata a morte per la sua complicitànel complotto di Babington di assassinare

Elisabetta. Queste alterazioni hanno richiestosolo alcuni adattamenti al testo per riguardoalla verosimiglianza storica, mentre la musicastessa resta inalterata.

© Tom Hammond

La trama

Atto IIl palazzo di Whitehall, 1571La Corte è radunata e attende con impazienzal’arrivo della Regina Elisabetta che si prevedeannunci le sue nozze con il Duca di Anjou.Elisabetta entra e rivela che è tuttora indecisase sia il caso di unire i troni d’Inghilterra eFrancia con questo matrimonio, ma assicura lasua Corte che agirà solo per il bene del suopopolo. A parte, comunque, Elisabetta confessache la sua libertà d’azione è ristretta dal suoamore segreto per un altro (Leicester). Talbot ei suoi cortigiani implorano pietà per MariaStuarda, ora imprigionata a Chatsworth, ma ilgeloso cuore di Elisabetta favorisce la vendetta,opzione incoraggiata da Cecil. Entra Leicestered Elisabetta gli ordina di portare il suo anelloall’ambasciatore francese in pegno della suaprovvisoria accettazione della proposta dimatrimonio. Profondamente offesa dalla suaindifferenza a questa notizia la regina parte e


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lascia Leicester con Talbot. Talbot parla di unincontro con Maria nella sua prigione econsegna a Leicester un ritratto insieme ad unalettera di lei in cui implora il suo aiuto.Nonostante gli avvertimenti di Talbot delrischio che ciò comporta, Leicester giura diliberare Maria anche a costo della propria vita.Quando Elisabetta rintra e affronta Leicesteressa sospetta dalla sua agitazione che egli abbiaricevuto un messaggio segreto da Maria, edesige che Leicester le mostri la lettera che ha inmano. Leicester obbedisce ed allo stesso tempoprega per un incontro delle due regine.Malgrado la rabbia di Elisabetta alle altereaspirazioni di Maria alla corona d’Inghilterra enonostante la sua intensa gelosia degli affetti diLeicester la lettera di Maria e le preghiere diLeicester la commuovono e, con riluttanza,acconsente a visitarla.

Atto IINel parco di Chatsworth, tre mesi dopoMaria sta passeggiando nel parco diChatsworth con la sua dama di compagnia,Hannah Kennedy; lo scenario della natura lericorda la sua giovinezza in Francia. Al suonodella Real Caccia Maria intuisce che Elisabettaè vicina e il timore d’incontrare la cuginas’impadronisce di lei. Entra Leicester e dice chela caccia è solo un pretesto per la visita di

Elisabetta; raccomanda a Maria di mostrarsidocile di fronte a Elisabetta se vuole sperarenella grazia. Maria si allontana rapidamente daElisabetta che si avvicina con Cecil e i suoicacciatori, ma Talbot la riconduce alla presenzadella regina. Come le due regine si trovanofaccia a faccia per la prima volta, l’una senteun’immediata ostilità verso l’altra, ma Maria siumilia e chiede pietà. Elisabetta, di rimando, èaltera e sdegnosa ed accusa Maria ditradimento, omicidio e scostumatezza. Spintaall’esasperazione Maria denuncia Elisabettaquale figlia bastarda di Anna Bolena. Infuriatadagli insulti di Maria, Elisabetta chiama leguardie e fa ricondurre Maria in prigione.

Atto III Scena 1Il palazzo di Whitehall, sedici anni dopo (1587)Cecil fa pressioni su Elisabetta perché firmi lacondanna a morte di Maria, a seguito della suacomplicità nel complotto di Babington diassassinare la regina, ma Elisabetta è tuttoraindecisa ed esita a condannare un monarca cheha ricevuto il sacro crisma. Alla fine Cecilriesce a persuadere Elisabetta a firmare ildecreto, e nello stesso momento appareLeicester. Avendo appreso che Maria è stata giàcondannata a morte fa un ultimo tentativo disalvarla accusando Elisabetta di crudeltà e

gelosia quando essa si rifiuta di cedere. Laregina ordina poi che Leicester assistaall’esecuzione di Maria.

Scena 2L’appartamento di Maria nel castello diFotheringhayMaria piange la sua sorte e riceve la vista diTalbot e di Cecil; quest’ultimo le consegna lasentenza di morte e la lascia sola con Talbot ilquale le comunica la decisione di Elisabetta cheLeicester sia presente all’esecuzione. Maria sidispera ed immagina di vedere i fantasmi diDarnley e del giovane Rizzio. Talbot la esorta aporre la sua fiducia nel cielo e ad affrontare lamorte con rassegnazione.

Scena 3Una stanza nel castello di Fotheringhay vicinoalla sala dell’esecuzioneLa folla in attesa è piena d’orrore ai preparativiper l’esecuzione. Quando Maria entra, nellasua veste regale, si accomiata dal popolo che siunisce a lei in un’ultima preghiera per ilperdono divino. Si sente un colpo di cannone eCecil annuncia che il momento dell’esecuzionesi avvicina. Maria perdona Elisabetta e pregaper il benessere dell’Inghilterra. Entra Leicesterin stato di agitazione e Maria cerca di calmarloma al secondo colpo di cannone protesta la sua

innocenza e chiede a Leicester di sostenerlamentre l’ora della morte si avvicina. Si sente ilterzo colpo di cannone ed a questo segnaleMaria viene condotta al patibolo.

© English National Opera

Janet Baker ha cantato con i più insignidirettori ed orchestre del mondo e inciso dischiper tutte le principali compagnie. Nata nelloYorkshire ha iniziato i suoi studi con HeleneIsepp e continuato poi con Meriel St. Clair.Nel 1956 vinse il secondo premio nel concorsoKathleen Ferrier e da allora ha acquistato famainternazionale di artista di pari rango in campolirico, oratoriale e liederistico. Fra le sueinterpretazioni degne di nota si includono ilruolo di Didone di Purcell a Aldeburgh conl’English Opera Group nel 1962, quello diprotagonista ne The Rape of Lucretia di Britten(1964 e 1970) e di Kate in Owen Wingrave.

Per la Royal Opera House ha cantato Vitellia(La clemenza di Tito), Alceste di Gluck; perGlyndebourne Diana/Jupiter (La Calisto diCavalli), Penelope (Il ritorno d’Ulisse in patria diMonteverdi); per la Scottish Opera Didone (Lestroyens di Berlioz), e per la English NationalOpera il suo repertorio si è esteso daMonteverdi al Werther di Massenet includendoil Julius Caesar di Handel e Marguerite ne


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The Damnation of Faust di Berlioz. La sua inter-pretazione più recente per questa compagnia èstata in questo allestimento di Mary Stuart. Haricevuto numerose onorificenze, fra le quali ilPremio Shakespeare di Amburgo nel 197l elauree honoris causa dalle università di Londra,Birmingham e Oxford. Nel 1970 ha ricevuto iltitolo di Commendatore (CBE) e quello diDame Janet Baker (DBE) nel 1976. La suacospicua discografia comprende l’Ariodante e ilJulius Caesar di Handel, Orfeo ed Euridice diGluck, Das Lied von der Erde di Mahler enumerosi dischi di recitals.

Rosalind Plowright ha fatto una carriera digrandissimo rilievo. Ha studiato al RoyalNorthern College of Music e al London OperaCentre vincendo borse di studio dallefondazioni Peter Moores e Peter Stuyvesant. Lasua incisione del 1984 di Leonora (Il trovatore)con Placido Domingo, diretta da Carlo MariaGiulini, è stata nominata per un PremioGrammy. Nello stesso anno ha debuttato allaRoyal Opera House nel ruolo di Maddalena(Andrea Chénier) con Jose Carreras e in Aidacon Luciano Pavarotti.

Rosalind Plowright ha cantato in un grannumero dei più prestigiosi teatri lirici; i suoiruoli hanno incluso Suor Angelica (La Scala),Leonora ne Il trovatore (Verona), Ariadne e

Medea (Teatro della Bastiglia, Parigi),Desdemona e Amelia (Vienna State Opera),Madama Butterfly (Houston Grand Opera),Santuzza (Berlin Staatsoper) ed in Stiffelio allaFenice di Venezia. Per la English NationalOpera ha cantato in Othello, Mary Stuart, TheTurn of the Screw (per quest’ ultima opera havinto un Premio Olivier) e nel The Cloak diPuccini. I suoi dischi includono l’ oratorioElija di Mendelssohn, I racconti di Hoffmanndi Offenbach, e di Verdi, Otello e Il trovatore.

David Rendall ha studiato al Royal College ofMusic e a Salisburgo. La sua carriera si è estesaa teatri lirici e sale di concerti di tutto ilmondo dove ha interpretato ruoli comeIdomeneo, Tito e Belmonte, così come Taminodi Mozart, Lensky (Metropolitan di NewYork); Alfredo, des Grieux e Rodolfo (RoyalOpera House, Covent Garden); ha inoltrecantato a San Francisco, Santa Fe, al MozartFestival di Parigi, a Glyndebourne ed inconcerti con Karajan, Bernstein, Levine,Barenboim, Mehta, Ozawa e molti altri insignidirettori.

In tempi recenti David Rendall ha iniziatoad interpretare ruoli più pesanti quali GabrieleAdorno, Alvaro, Cavaradossi, Hoffmann,Werther, Oedipus Rex, Luigi (Il tabarro diPuccini) e Othello per compagnie quali la

English National Opera e a Glyndebourne,Francoforte, la Bastiglia e Strasburgo. La suaricca discografia include Ariodante di Handel,Die Kathrin di Korngold, Così fan tutte diMozart, La rondine di Puccini, The Apostles diElgar e la Nona sinfonia di Beethoven.

Alan Opie è nato in Cornovaglia e ha studiatoalla Guildhall School of Music and Drama e alLondon Opera Centre. Per molte stagioni hafatto parte della English National Opera comeprimo baritono ed ha inoltre cantato per tuttele principali compagnie liriche britannichecomprese la Royal Opera House, CoventGarden, Glyndebourne Festival Opera e OperaNorth. Ingaggi all’estero lo hanno portato aiteatri lirici di Bayreuth, Parigi, Amsterdam,Chicago, Monaco di Baviera, Berlino, Vienna,Brusselle, nonché alla Scala e al Metropolitandi New York.

Alan Opie ha vinto un Premio Grammy perla sua incisione di Peter Grimes (per Chandos)ed ancora per Die Meistersinger (con la ChicagoSymphony Orchestra diretta da Solti). Gli altrisuoi dischi includono The Barber of Seville,Pagliacci e La bohème (tutti per la Chandos/Peter Moores Foundation), The Rape ofLucretia, Gloriana e Troilus and Cressida (la cuiproduzione venne sponsorizzata dalla PeterMoores Foundation ed incisa da Chandos).

John Tomlinson è nato nel Lancashire e si èlaureato in ingegneria civile a Manchesterprima di vincere una borsa di studio per ilRoyal Manchester College of Music. Hacantato regolarmente con la English NationalOpera sin dal 1974 e con la Royal Opera dal1976; ha cantato inoltre per Opera North,Scottish Opera, Glyndebourne Festival eTouring Operas e per Kent Opera. Fra i suoiprimi ruoli figurano Figaro, Masetto, Hunding,Hagen, Pimen e Re Enrico (Lohengrin).

Ha cantato al Festival di Bayreuth sin dal1988 nei ruoli di Wotan (Das Rheingold e DieWalküre), il Viandante (Siegfried ), Titurel eGurnemanz (Parsifal ) e Re Marco (Tristano eIsotta). Altri ruoli includono Hans Sachs (DieMeistersinger), Landgraf (Tannhäuser), Hagen(Götterdämmerung) e Baron Ochs (DerRosenkavalier). La sua discografia include ilciclo del Ring, La forza del destino e La traviatadi Verdi, brani dal Boris Godunov diMussorgsky e Der Rosenkavalier di Strauss (perla Chandos/Peter Moores Foundation).

Angela Bostock è nata nello Cheshire ed hastudiato al Royal Northern College of Musice al London Opera Centre. Ha cantato per laRoyal Opera in Gianni Schicchi, e nei ruoli di Gerhilde (Ring) ed Ellen Orford (PeterGrimes); Marianne (Der Rosenkavalier) per


Opera North; First Lady (Il flauto magico),Flora (La traviata), Marcellina e Musetta per laEnglish National Opera. I suoi dischiincludono il Libro ottavo di madrigali diMonteverdi.

Sir Charles Mackerras è nato nel 1925 negliStati Uniti da genitori australiani ed hastudiato a Sydney e a Praga. In opera hadebuttato come direttore al Sadler’s WellsTheatre dove diresse la sensazionale primaesecuzione britannica della Kát’a Kabanová diJanácek, rappresentazione che inserì Janáceknel corrente repertorio britannico. È statodirettore stabile dell’ opera di Amburgo dal1966 al 1969 e direttore artistico del Sadler’sWells (poi English National) Opera dal 1970 al1977 e della Welsh National Opera dal 1987 al1992 per la quale diresse, fra l’altro, di nuovoJanácek con grande successo. L’allestimento e laregistrazione di Osud vennero sponsorizzatidalla Peter Moores Foundation così come ildisco de La volpe astuta. Sir Charles Mackerras

è direttore ad honoris della Scottish ChamberOrchestra, direttore emeritus della WelshNational Opera, direttore principali della SanFrancisco Opera e dalla stagione 1998/99direttore artistico dell’Orchestra of St. Luke’sdi New York.

Sir Charles Mackerras ha intrapreso estesericerche nella pratica esecutiva della musicadel Settecento e Ottocento esercitandoprofonda influenza nell’interpretazione deinostri giorni. La sua vasta discografia includeun assai premiato ciclo di opere di Janácek conl’Orchestra Filarmonica di Vienna, Gloriana diBritten (che ha vinto un premio Gramophone)e con la English National Opera il Julius Caesardi Handel e La traviata.

Sir Charles Mackerras ha ricevutol’onorificenza di Commendatore (CBE) nel1974 e il titolo di Sir per la sua attività dimusicista nel 1979. Gli è stata inoltre conferitala medaglia al merito della Repubblica Ceca edè stato nominato Companion of the Order inAustralia.

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Reg

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Elizabeth andMary Stuart


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Reg

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Mary Stuart Alan Opieas Cecil

Reg

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on

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David Rendallas Leicester


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COMPACT DISC ONE

Prelude

Act IA Gallery in the Palace of Whitehall. Lords andLadies await the arrival of Queen Elizabeth.

ChorusLet us wait here,our Royal Lady will soon be with us.Now the Council at last has ended,she will rejoin us.By such charm and grace attended,she inspires each loyal heart.How the news would so delight us,if we heard that love by chancehad charmed her royal heart.

A VoiceMake way for Her Majesty!

ChorusEngland’s star would shine more gloriouswere the God of Love victoriousand we saw our gracious Sovereignwed the Royal Prince of France.What a triumph if our Sovereignwere united with the Prince of France.Festive revels and loud rejoicingwould re-echo through the Court.Our happy song would praise the joy,praise the joy that Love had brought.

(Enter Queen Elizabeth with her attendants.)

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ElizabethYes, but the French Prince is seeking both my heart and my Kingdom. I have not yet decidedwhat answer I shall give him. But, if the welfareof all my loyal subjects calls for this marriage,than I will do my duty. I will reign as theSovereign of the realms of France and England,justly and securely.(If fortune one day should send to mesome English heart to treasure,bidding me dress in my bridal arrayto wed him before the altar,this foreign consort would steal awayall my precious liberty.Too well I see what this could mean,what barriers would surround me.My heart would no more be free to choose,if love should smile on me.)

TalbotIn this moment of rejoicing,shall the suffering of Mary Stuartstill reproach us here today?

ChorusShow some pity for your prisoner,let your heart be moved towards her!

ElizabethNo! No!I’d not expected to suffer thison such a joyous morning.How dare you ask me to waste mytears on that misguided creatureand her unhappy fate?

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CecilNo, no, let the axe end the life of that traitorwho wakens such memories of strife and terrorwho still, in her prison, can hold men enslaved.

Talbot and ChorusMercy!

ElizabethBe silent! Her fate has not yet been resolved.May the light of wisdom and justice,shine from Heaven to guide and protect me,for if God Himself direct me,then some mercy I may show.(But if she has dared to rob meof my hopes of love and allegiance,then my righteous hour of vengeanceMary Stuart soon shall know!)

Chorus(Let us hope our gracious Sovereignmercy and pardon may bestow.)

Cecil (to Elizabeth)There is danger if you dareto think of mercy for your foe.

ElizabethAh, may the light of wisdom and justice, etc.But, where is the Earl of Leicester, is he not amongst us? Why has he then chosen to be absent on this festive occasion?

CecilHere he is.

(Leicester enters and kisses Elizabeth’s hand.)

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ElizabethMy Lord, I was just asking for you.

LeicesterHighness, forgive me for my tardy arrival.Command me!

ElizabethTake this. Go, bear this royal token to the Dukeof Anjou’s Envoy; bid him return to France onthe instant and say, the Queen of England willwed his Master(looking at Leicester)(He does not even falter.)But, it must be understood that I yet may refusehim. I shall retain my freedom. Take the ring!Obey me!

LeicesterI obey you.

ElizabethSo be it.

(Elizabeth exits with Cecil and her attendants. Talbotdraws Leicester aside for a private conversation.)

LeicesterDid you not ask to see me, earlier today?

TalbotI did.

LeicesterWhat was the reason?

TalbotI have news for you. I bear a most precious

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message. Listen to all I tell you. I’ve been to visitmy prisoner.

LeicesterYour prisoner?

TalbotI have seen the unhappy Mary Stuart.

LeicesterAh! Be more cautious, these very walls have ears.How was she? Tell me.

TalbotAn angel full of love, radiant as ever, still sogenerous and noble.

LeicesterOh, she has suffered too much injustice!What did she say to you? Come, tell me!

TalbotFirst of all, can you promise to be true to hercause?

LeicesterTell me! I promise!

TalbotShe commanded me to give you both this letterand this portrait. From her hand, I humblyreceived them, when she kissed them throughher tears.

LeicesterStill so fair!

TalbotI saw her deep emotion when she spoke your

name.

LeicesterThen she trusts me!(looking at the portrait)I remember these lovely features,so disarming, so enchanting.She’s still the fairest of all creatures,as the day when first we met.In her portrait, I see before me,all those promised joys fate denied me,charms that filled my heart with yearning,smiles I never could forget.

TalbotNow her life is full of sorrow,she has turned to you for aid.Every day brings some new terror,all her hopes have been betrayed.

LeicesterOh, what memories still hover round her.I would give my life to save her.

TalbotNow her life is full of sorrow, etc.

LeicesterI remember these lovely features, etc.

TalbotWill you help her?

LeicesterI will free her, or I’ll die by her dear side.

TalbotIf you fail in this adventure,then your life will be at stake.

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LeicesterEvery fear and every danger,I’ll defy for her dear sake.Yes, I will free her!If she dare trust in me,she needs me still. All she may ask of me,I shall fulfil.Should it have been ordainedthat I must perish,then for her I cherishI proudly bow to fate’s command.

TalbotI know she needs you today.Let her not suffer,if when you’d save her,all the doors are barred.

(Talbot leaves as Elizabeth approaches from anotherdirection.)

ElizabethDo I disturb you?

LeicesterNo! No!… (Did she hear us?)

ElizabethTalbot brought you some private message?

LeicesterIt’s true. (She’s curious.)

Elizabeth(I hardly dare to trust him. That womancorrupts her jailers.)

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Leicester, I’m certain some word has come fromMary Stuart for you this very morning!

LeicesterWhy these suspicions, when Talbot’s name ishonoured here at your Court?

ElizabethYet… I read you too plainly. Out with the truth!Come, tell me!

LeicesterYour Highness…

ElizabethYou will not answer? I understand…

LeicesterNo, do not go… have patience. Stay a moment.This letter…

ElizabethGive it to me!

LeicesterAs you desire! Here it is. See, I am kneeling andyield it to you. She begs me to implore you forthe favour of a meeting.

ElizabethStand up, dear Robert. You’re too zealous for hercause. If that proud woman still thinks to winme over, her hopes are useless.(She reads the letter from Mary Stuart.)(How affecting…)

Leicester(Is she relenting?)

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ElizabethI’m to visit her in prison?

LeicesterYes, Your Highness.

ElizabethNow, where’s the glory of theQueen of three dominions?

LeicesterLike a meteor in the darkness,her bright star has flamed and died.

ElizabethWith the loss of fortune’s favours,she now suffers for so much pride.

LeicesterOh, have pity, I now implore you.My poor heart…

ElizabethWhich she possesses! Is that not so?

Leicester(Her words unnerve me.)

ElizabethHere at the Court, they all believe it.

LeicesterThey’re deceived then.

Elizabeth(He is lying.)

LeicesterI took pity on her fate.

Elizabeth(He still loves her, he still loves her…Let him take care!)Is she lovely? Answer!

LeicesterYes!

ElizabethYes? Yes? Yes?

LeicesterYes!(He lowers his eyes as the Queen stares at him.)When I first looked upon her face,full of such sweet perfection:there stood a creature full of grace,passing all recollection.Like some bright angel from above,she seemed so divinely fair.Radiant in peace and happiness,radiant in grief and despair.

ElizabethYes, she’s an angel,if you maintain that she excels all others.Though from the filthand shame of prison barshe still ensnares her lovers.

LeicesterBut… but…

ElizabethI know that she’s a flattererwho drives men wild with desire!

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LeicesterYour Highness…Let me… tell you…

Elizabeth(If you still love her,you faithless man,well then, take care,for you play with fire!)

LeicesterRadiant in peace and happiness, etc.Your Highness…

Elizabeth(He dares to plead for her.)

LeicesterHave pity, grant her wish.

ElizabethHow then? Tell me!

LeicesterYou’ll meet one morning, in the park nearby hercastle, as the Royal Hunt is passing and you rideinto the forest.

ElizabethRobert, you desire this?

LeicesterMost dearly.

ElizabethSo be it! (Is this wise?)You may command me!(aside)

(My arrogant rival has long sought to rob meof crown and of sceptre, kind Heaven has given

me.And now from her prison she grows more

ambitiousand longs to deprive me of one I hold most dear.For so much presumption, she’ll suffer, I swear!)

LeicesterYour Highness, have mercy, forgive her, I

implore you.Her beauty will charm you when she appears

before you.As you are her sister, let mercy inspire you.Let hate be forgotten, the way now lies clear.

ElizabethSilence! Silence…Now where’s her glory,her boast of three dominions?Where is it? Yes, where?(My arrogant rival…) etc.

LeicesterCome, show her compassion, ’tis all that I ask.To calm her despair, your Highness, I beg you.

Act II

The Park at Chatsworth. Three months later

HannahWhy run so fast, my lady?

MaryWhy? Why should I not enjoy all this ecstasy so

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long denied me? You see, the open skies ofHeaven are my jailers. Oh, how enchanting, howprecious all this delight that shines around me.

Hannah (What sorrow waits for you there inside that

castle.)

MaryHannah, there in the distance all nature’s flowersseem to flourish in such glorious profusion.They’re smiling, they bid me welcome.The breeze that comes to greet mefrom the fair shores of France,bids me laugh and be joyfulas in those happy days of youth,long vanished.You murmuring breezesthat round me are flying,come, bear my devotion,my tears and my sighing,away to that havenI once called my home,that haven of love and joyI once called my home.You white clouds of Heaven,oh, stay for a momentand bear me away to France,away from this torment,but you will not hear me,and onward you roam,away to that havenI once called my home, etc.

(Hunting horns off-stage)

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MaryWhat tumult! Those voices!

Chorus (off-stage)When hunters come riding,the quarry that’s hidingwhere bushes are thickest,flies off through the forest.Then down by the river,he’s mirrored in silver.Come on, let us hurryand capture the prize.

HannahSurely that means that the Court is out hunting!

MaryNow the sounds re-echo nearer.See those horses!

Chorus (off-stage)Gloriana! Gloriana!

MaryAh! How that name makes me shudder!

HannahEngland’s tyrant has passed on her way.

MaryIn the peace of my gloomy seclusion,she’d torment me with new dreams of terror.Though I’d meet her… I am lost in confusionand I dare not remain and confront her.Stay, oh, stay on your throne in your splendour,never call me to stand in your presence.I’m bereft now of friend or defender,by all the world I am scorned and despised.

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HannahShe’s returning! Be careful! Avoid her!

MaryAvoid her?My resentment could not be disguised.

HannahCome, avoid her and be well advised.

MaryAh! What torment!In the peace of my gloomy seclusion, etc.

Hannah and LadiesLet us go! Do not stay!Your true thoughts could not be disguised!(Exeunt)

MaryIf I stayed here my resentmentcould ne’er be disguised!

(Enter Leicester)

MaryAh! May this joy not deceive me.Dear Leicester, you here? You here?

LeicesterOne who’d help you comes to break all yourchains and to release you.

MaryThen, you are here at last? Here to release me.Shall I then regain my freedom? My heart willscarcely let me believe this is true!

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LeicesterElizabeth has come here to see you. This hunt isbut a pretext, for the sake of appearances so youmust show her deference… Be humble…

MaryI, show her deference?

LeicesterDo as I ask you.

MaryOh, God! How slavish! How servile!Come, rescue me from such a shameful meeting.

LeicesterIf you trust me, then, remain here!

MaryHow can I?

LeicesterYou must not lose hope!

MaryLong by the world forsaken,a prey to bitter anguish,here in my lonely prisonI am condemned to languish.Haunted by cruel fortune,I knew not night or day.Now only your devotioncan charm my fear away.

LeicesterDo not despair, dear lady,her Majesty could free you…

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MaryThere’s no hope!

LeicesterAnd when she read your letter,I knew that she would see you.

MaryShe’d release me?

LeicesterShe let a tear escape her,…

MaryAh heav’ns!

Leicester…then turned her glance away.If you will trust and obey me,fate may be kind today.

MaryAh!… Dare I hope?Long by the world forsaken, etc.

LeicesterShe let a tear escape her, etc.

Mary (with sarcasm in her voice)All too well I surely know her!

LeicesterMercy’s voice may yet inspire her.

MaryNot for one who might dethrone her.

LeicesterYou are certain? Then I assure you,

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if she’s deaf to your entreaties,I’ll avenge your cause myself!

MaryThat is madness. What can you do?Such a risk I’ll not allow.

LeicesterI will have revenge, I vow!Yes, yes, I vow!

MaryAh! Though my spirit never falteredat the sight of death around me,do not give me cause to find youstand in peril of your life.I had only hoped to find youever faithful and devoted,in the hope you’ll be my saviour,come to help defend my cause.

LeicesterHere I pledge my life and honour,and to Heav’n above I swear it;you will rise from your misfortuneswhich have robbed you of all that was yours.And though I’ve no throne to bring you,nor the hope of a royal title,you will know that the help I offered,had unbarred your prison doors.

MaryIn the hope you’ll be my saviour, etc.

(They leave in opposite directions. Enter Elizabethand the royal hunting party.)

Elizabeth (to Leicester)What place is this then?

LeicesterNear her castle.

ElizabethOh, Leicester, why did you bring me?

LeicesterAll is well! Your prisoner will be broughtto your presence very shortly, by worthy Talbot.

ElizabethWhat sacrifices I have made to please you… and

spoil you!Tell all these men to leave us, let them wait at adistance! It’s far too crowded, there’s hardly roomto breath.

Cecil (aside, to Elizabeth)Observe, your Highness, how your subjectsadore you. You know too well for whose fairhead they would ask you.

ElizabethSilence!

Leicester (advancing)Madam, remember, I brought you here that youmight stay and comfort your royal sister in hergreat sorrow. Your Highness could change her sadexistence into one full of joy, if you so wished to.

Elizabeth (aside)I despise her! All his thoughts are for that

woman.

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Talbot (off-stage)Come now…

Mary (off-stage)Stop! Release me!Take me back into the castle!

(Mary enters with Talbot and her women.)

AllHere she is!

MaryWhat torture!

(Short silence. The two queens observe one another.)

ElizabethReport has not failed me,she’s proud and imperious;that haughty demeanourI will not endure.Yet here in my presenceher terror is clear.

MaryI read on her featuresmy own condemnation;that merciless tyrantis harsh and severe.My spirit is brokenwith terror and fear.

ElizabethShe stands silent and tremblingwhen danger is nearthat haughty demeanour

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I will not endure.Yet here in my presenceher terror is clear.

TalbotThe Queen has not shown usher royal displeasure.We know that her angeris harsh and severe.Her yearning for vengeancehas crushed this poor creatureso perfect and pure.

HannahMy mind is numbed with terror,with gloomy foreboding.What new night of horroris now drawing near?Heaven spare my ladyfrom new grief and fear.

LeicesterUpon her pallid forehead,I see all her sorrows.The stars in their courseswill not deign to hear.Oh, could I but save herfrom all this torment and fear.

CecilA just retributionwill soon fall upon her.The moment of triumphand vengeance is near.For such as her

eternal damnation is near.For traitors like her,damnation is near.

Leicester (to Elizabeth)Bid her welcome!

Elizabeth (to Leicester)No, no! I’ll not meet her.

Talbot (to Mary)Let us leave here.

Mary (to Talbot )My courage is failing.

Elizabeth (to Leicester)She’s too haughty!

LeicesterShe stands here before you,a down-trodden victim of fate!

(Mary kneels before Elizabeth.)

MaryDead to justice, throne and kingdom,here in the dust, I kneel before you.I have come to ask your pardon;do not spurn me, I implore you.No, for surely I’ve suffered enoughwith all the shameand disgrace you’ve caused me.Raise up a lonely exilewho has placed her trust in you.Yes, your Highness,

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has placed her trust in you.Come, forgive her, come yourHighness, raise up etc.

Cecil (to Elizabeth)Have a care, do not believe her,she can never speak the truth.

Elizabeth (to Mary)No! I’ve longed to see you humbled,in the dust you’ll find your place.

Mary(Oh, what torture!)But who has turned you against me?

ElizabethWho? Yourself! Your presumption,your haughty spirit, odious and heartless!

Mary(Must I hear more?)

ElizabethFind your answer, shameless woman,in your desecrated marriageand the man who was your husband;in his Ghost that yells for vengeance;in your kisses and your embraces;and in your heart,which for love’s debased delights,stooped to murder and betrayal,ever scheming some new crime.

Mary(Help me, Leicester!Let me leave here while there’s time.)

LeicesterOh God! Be careful.

CecilTake my advice and never trust her,she can never speak the truth.

Leicester (to Mary)Come, be calm, I do implore you,there’s still hope, let me assure you.Do not think it would bring dishonourto receive a royal favouror some grace that Heaven hasso many other times denied.

ElizabethWhat brave language you speak before me!Tell me. Leicester…

LeicesterWhat can I say?

ElizabethWhere are love’s fair charms still hiding,and those glances, so confiding?If so many sing her praises,surely they’ve enjoyed her favours!

Mary(Oh, how cruel!I will stand no more, I swear!)Ah, dear Leicester.

ElizabethYes, the name of Mary Stuartis dishonoured evermore!


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Leicester (to Mary)Oh, God! Be careful!Restrain your anger.

MaryYou’d insult me, foul-mouthed usurper?

AllWhat presumption! Lady, be careful!

ElizabethSilence!

MaryAh no! Shameless daughter of a harlot!

Talbot(Heaven help her!)

MaryHow dare you speak of dishonour?You licentious, painted creature.How I blush for your behaviour!You’ve dishonouredthe throne of England,royal bastard, all these years!

ElizabethSoldiers, come here!

AllThis is madness, may Heaven help her.From this hour no hope remains.Her cause is lost for evermore!

ElizabethGo, prepare yourself for sentence,26

go, await our final judgment.You will not escape my vengeance,that I firmly prophesy.Take away this crazy womanwho condemns herself to die.(Exit.)

CecilHeaven on highhas condemned this woman,her last moment on earth is nigh…

MaryThanks to Heaven, at last she’s left me,now I am able to breathe again.At my feet her pride was humbled,all her virtue proved a lie!

HannahWhat imprudence! You are lost now!You’ve insulted a royal lady.Any moment she’ll have vengeance,that is useless to deny.

LeicesterI have lost you, foolish woman,when I’d hoped for your salvation.Though I proved your faithful saviour,fate has set my plans awry.

TalbotOh, what imprudence! You are lost now.You’ve insulted England’s Sovereign.You must fear her royal vengeance,that is useless to deny.

ChorusYou have heard our Sovereign’s order,with her wish you must comply.Come, we charge you, stay no longer,on vain hopes no more rely.A traitor’s shameful death awaits you,your last hour on earth is nigh.

(Elizabeth returns.)

ElizabethGo, arrest that foolish woman,who condemns herself to die!

MaryYes, my triumphcalms the shame of days gone by.

LeicesterWe part now, my beloved,to meet again on high.

Hannah and TalbotIn your torment and terror,who will deign to hear your cry?

CecilFor this traitor and all her crimes,Heaven’s judgment now is nigh.

ChorusYou have heard, etc.

(Mary is taken away by guards and soldiers.)

COMPACT DISC TWO

Act III

Scene 1The Palace at Whitehall. The Queen is seated at atable on which a paper is lying. Cecil stands nearby.

CecilStill pensive? Still delaying? And Mary Stuartstill lives and breathes? She who’d bring thewhole of Europe in league against you. She whoconspired with Babington to assassinate yourHighness.

ElizabethThese words you utter make all my vauntedpower weigh hard upon me, though she is guiltyof treason. If I signed this, who would defendme from false accusers?

CecilThe Almighty, your devoted country and allthose Kingdoms where men of honour praiseyour many virtues. All the crimes of your rival,her treacherous nature, all her foul slanders willcount against her.

ElizabethNo more!… Silence! She insulted and shamed me.How that proud woman too plainly revelled inher triumph. What poisoned looks she gave me!Dear faithful Cecil, I long for peace, but she stillmakes strife between us.

CecilWere she no longer living, peace would be certain.

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ElizabethThen let her perish. I’ll sign it.(She takes up the pen to sign the paper, then stops,undecided.)While she’s living I’m still in danger,how I long to see her dead and buried.But my conscience will not condemn her,all my thoughts are dark and clouded.That poor creature still seems to haunt me;she alarms me, terrifies me,she has robbed me of my courageand my precious peace of mind.Oh, gentle heaven, inspire thy servantwho cannot leave her doubts behind.

CecilWhy this sudden change of feeling?What has put you in this confusion?Never fear that words could tarnishyour fair name and reputation.For the slanders she has uttered,for the evils you have suffered,every English heart now calls for vengeance,fired by love and hate combined.Sign this warrant, so that Princesmay admire your strength of mind.

ElizabethYes!

(Leicester approaches. Elizabeth, seeing him, rapidlysigns the paper and gives it to Cecil.)

LeicesterYour Highness!3

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Elizabeth (indifferent)You do but speed her execution.

LeicesterOh God, you mean it?(He sees the paper.)Then this paper?

CecilIs her sentence.

LeicesterYou’ve condemned her?

ElizabethYes, we’ve condemned her, you faithless man!I’m avenged now!

LeicesterSo you condemn a blameless woman!

ElizabethDare you still say that?

LeicesterAh! In this sad hour be generous,spare her this last degradation:grant me your royal favouror sign my own condemnation.No one can make you take her life,you still are free to choose.Spare her life, oh, be generous.

CecilYou need not heed this traitor,now you are out of danger.Ah! Though she aspired

to your Kingdomyou now need fear no longer.Clearly her final day on earthwill be your first day of peace.

ElizabethYou’ll plead in vain for mercy,I’ll never change or waver:when death has claimed that traitormy own poor life is safer.Fed by her bloodmy sovereign power will flourishthroughout the years.

LeicesterYou have conspired a sister’s deathand signed her condemnation.

ElizabethAnd you yourself shall witnessher final degradation:for death will claim your loverafter that solemn momentwhen the cannon will have thunderedits third and fearful call.

LeicesterYou name me as witness?

ElizabethSay no more! No hope for mercy remains.

LeicesterYour Highness!

ElizabethGo, stay no longer. those eyes of yours betray you.

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There I read all your terror and anguish:go, prepare a grave to hide your mad infatuationwhen that woman herself is no more!Leave me, you traitor!

LeicesterI obey you, and see all too plainly,you are burning with jealous resentment.Yet of friendship, of compassion and protectionthat poor woman, I swear, can still be sure.

CecilGracious Highness, be calm, I implore you,Turn your thoughts to your coming years of

splendour.This day, I’m certain will prove still more

gloriousthan your Kingdom has ever known before.

LeicesterYou have conspired against her life,you’ve signed her condemnation.Yes, I see there too plainlyall your jealous resentment.I obey you.

ElizabethSilence!You do but speed her execution.Go, you traitor!Go, stay no longer, etc.

LeicesterHighness! I obey you,and see all too plainly, etc.


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CecilYour Majesty!Gracious Highness, come, be calm,I implore you, etc.

Scene 2Mary Stuart’s apartment in the prison ofFotheringhay Castle.

MaryElizabeth will continue to mock and insult meeven when I’m buried. Her actions disgrace andshame her. The viper! Am I not also a daughterof the Tudors? Viper! But there’s Leicester,perhaps her fury has turned on him and puts hislife in danger. Ah, to those who love me I stillbring misfortune.(She sits down and weeps. Enter Cecil, with thesentence, and Talbot.)What brings you here?

CecilI am the bearer of sad and terrible news. ThisRoyal Warrant means that your earthly sorrowssoon will be ended.

MarySo thus it is in England. Monarchs are tried andsent to the scaffold. You traitors! This is a forgery.

CecilThis seal here…

MarySilence!

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CecilBut…

MaryBe silent! Leave me! Talbot, remain here.

CecilShall I send for a minister to guide you on yourlast solemn journey?

MaryI would not see him. I’ll live and die a strangerto your rituals.

(Exit Cecil.)

Mary (throwing herself into Talbot’s arms)Oh faithful Talbot!

TalbotI have obtained Her Majesty’s permission to waitand be with you as your last hour approaches.

MaryAh, yes, come, cheer me, comfort my spirit nowin my hour of anguish.

TalbotAnd yet with what composure I observed youreceive your cruel sentence.

MaryOh Talbot, my eyes surely betrayed my terror.My heart beat wildly. What of Leicester?

TalbotHe is to be present at your death. He acts aswitness. Her Majesty commands it.

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MaryPoor wretched Leicester, to be condemnedto suffer such a cruel form of torture. Thatjealous woman may now rejoice but soon thevengeance of Heaven will strike her down.

TalbotBe careful!

MaryExiled from Scotland, my Kingdom and myreligion, here, in her country, I sought a peacefulrefuge. All I found was a prison.

TalbotWhat are you saying? Has Heaven not sent youcomfort to ease your burden?

MaryAh no, Heaven rejects me.Nightmares and visionsof all my past transgressionshave kept me from Heaven.Memories, murders,phantoms divide us,They call up the deadfrom their slumbersfrom the graveyard.They bring me backthe gory spectre of Darnley.(raving)Talbot, do you not see,not see young Rizzio?There lies his broken body!

TalbotAh, may this troubled soul of yours find release.(solemnly pointing to Heaven)Soon you will enter the realms of immortality,start on your journey, free from all sin, free fromall earthly longings.

MaryYes, I will cleanse my conscience, deep in thefountain of my blood and my tears. I’m ready toask for pardon at the cross of my Redeemer.

TalbotTrust in Him.

MaryYour dear voice comes from Heaven to console me!Once all the radiant joys of youthenchanted my existence.Day followed day, bringing me delightsthat vanquished all resistance.Then guilty love enslaved my souland drove me down to Hell.My husband spurned our marriage bed,my love had no power to win him.Poor Darnley, unhappy man,because of me they killed him.Oh, how his cry of miseryhaunts my anguished heart.Ah, turbulent phantom, go, rest in peace,for now my death approaches.May you at last be pacifiedby all my tears and my sighing.Oh, grant me hope and blessing,and pray to God for me.

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TalbotMay the Lord grant you His pardonand set your spirit free.There still remains another charge which you must answer.

MaryAh, tell me.

TalbotYou conspired with Babington the traitor.

MaryAh! He misled me, I meant no treason.

TalbotTell no lies, for God is mighty,he chastises those who defy Him.From His knowledge nothing is hidden.Man’s deceptions serve no purpose.

MaryNo, I never turned from my Saviour,never lost my hope of forgiveness:but a veil of doubt and confusionuntil now has blinded my reason.I believe in Him, dying,I swear it, I, a sinner,beg for His grace to Heaven.

TalbotGod has heard your prayer for pardon,rest at last in his embrace.

MaryYes, yes.

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TalbotGo, leave this world of grief behind,here in this earthly prisonarise to join God’s heavenly hostround His celestial throne.When far above all mortal joysyou will at last have risen,you will forget those anguished yearsthat you have suffered here alone.

MaryNow that this feeble heart of minesoon will be stilled for everin Heavens above, that peace I’ll find,my life has hardly known.If by too many sighs and tearsthis soul of mine was nurtured,sorrow will end for me todaywhen death has claimed his own.

Scene 3A room adjacent to the place of execution. At theback a large, closed door. Night

Chorus of Scottish Refugees (severally)You saw them?Too plainly.What grim preparations,the platform,the headsman,the dark gloomy chamber.Outside therethe people are surginground the stairway

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that leads to the scaffoldto witness her shame.Those savage barbariansare waiting for bloodshedand vengeance,the blood of this woman,the victim of fortune.This cruel injustice,a Queen’s execution,brings lasting dishonouron England’s fair name.(Hannah enters.)Hannah!

HannahDo not disturb her. Speak more softly.

ChorusThe Queen will soon be here.

HannahBroken but courageous she soon will join you.But these lamentations must not intrude uponher grief.

ChorusThen silence.

(Mary enters, dressed in black, wearing her crownand carrying a long candle. Talbot accompaniesher.)

MaryI see you all once more.

ChorusYet we must lose you.

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MaryFar happier days wait for me.

ChorusAh!

MarySoon I must leave you and this grief-strickencountry. Free from misgivings I return to myCreator.

ChorusOur tears we cannot hide.

MaryCome, no more weeping! My friend, always sofaithful, you will share my last moment. Takethis my kerchief which I have bathed with tears,and bind it gently around my weary eyelids inthat sad moment when they must close forever.(She gives Hannah the handkerchief.)And still I hear you weeping. Belovedcompanions, come join with me, and send toHeaven one last despairing cry for mercy and forpardon.

(All kneel around Mary.)

Mary, Hannah and ChorusOh, deign to hear our prayer, merciful Saviour!From every earthly care grant us release.Comfort an erring soul with your forgiveness,for in your grace alone, I shall find peace!O Heaven, hear me!

MaryTears serve no purpose, Heaven inspires me. Ah!

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ChorusNo more remember all your transgressions,freed from your torment, freed from your sorrows,you will find pardon in Heaven above.No more recalling long years of anguish,you will find pardon in Heaven above.Have mercy and hear our prayer.

MaryFreed from my torment, freed from my sorrowsI go to the realms of eternal love.

(The first salvo of the cannon is heard from the Castle.)

AllThe signal!

(The door at the back is opened. A grand staircasecan be seen: at the top guards and justice officialswith torches. Cecil comes forward from the stairs.)

CecilMy men are ready. Your hour of death is nearing.The Queen has ordered that we should grantyou your final wishes. Speak then!

MaryI had not expected her to show me suchcompassion. First grant me one small favour.Let Hannah walk beside me to the scaffold.

CecilThat she may do.

MaryAs you grant me the first of my wishes, onemore would I ask of you.

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Death hovers near me, so take my pardonto one who wrongs me and takes my life.Say that I wish her long years of splendour,say no more turmoil will stem from me.I pray that England and her fair Sovereignbe ever glorious and ever free!Ah! Let no remorse rise up to haunt her.My death will surely end all our strife.Death hovers near me, etc.

Hannah, Talbot and ChorusCruel misfortune shows no compassion,though love and kindness shone through her life.

CecilShe will be punished for her presumption,we shall find peace after years of strife.

(Enter Leicester, then the Sheriff and the justiceofficials.)

TalbotLeicester approaches.

MaryAh, dismal assembly waits here to greet him.

Leicester (to Mary)Merciless fortune.I find you the victim of cruel injustice,condemned to the scaffold.

Mary (to Leicester)Robert, hide your despair!Farewell now for ever!

CecilThe hour approaches.

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15 LeicesterSo once again fate comes to part us.You shall not suffer this degradation.

CecilThe hour approaches.

LeicesterStand aside, you coward!

(As Cecil starts to lead Mary away, Leicester kneelsand throws his arms around Mary’s knees. Talbot ison Mary’s other side and he comforts her byshowing her a crucifix.)

MaryRobert!

LeicesterI warn you! You heartless villains!

MaryWhy run this danger?

LeicesterBeware God’s anger, for he avenges the innocent!

(Second salvo from the cannon. The Sheriff descendswith his retinue of officials who surround Mary.)

ChorusAh! Could I butoffer my own existenceto satisfy your merciless hate!

Cecil (signalling Mary to walk)It’s time now!

LeicesterCowards!

Mary (turning to Leicester who faces her)Ah, Robert! Support me.(She takes his arm.)Though you once made a vow to protect meand to bear me away from my prison.Now you lead me to die on the scaffoldas your final confession of love.(turning to the others)May the blood of an innocent womancalm the righteous displeasure of Heaven.Then this perjured dominion of Englandmay not suffer the fearful scourge of the Lord!

Leicester, Talbot, Hannah and ChorusHeaven has inspired her in face of misfortune. Ah!

CecilNow for England, the future is certain. Yes!

MaryHannah! Stay near me! Dear Leicester, farewell.Ah! Though you once made a vow, etc.

(Third cannon shot. On the staircase appear theexecutioner with the axe and his four assistantsdressed in red. All the spectators are horrified.)

AllThough she’s blamelessdeath and shame prove her reward.

CecilYes, for England the future is certain.That vile schemer has earned her grim reward.

(Mary, supported by Talbot and surrounded byguards, walks towards the door. Leicester covershis face with his hands.)

Tom Hammond

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Opera in English on Chandos

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CHAN 3004 CHAN 3003


CHAN 3007

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94 95


CHAN 3010CHAN 3006

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CHAN 3014(3)


9796


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9998

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Booklet photos of the ENO production by Reg Wilson

A production with the ENO at the London Coliseum with major financial assistance from Shell UK Ltd

The Text of ‘Mary Stuart – The 1982 ENO Performing Version’ and the libretto by Tom Hammond arereprinted by permission of the ENO Benevolent Fund

Stage producer John Copley

Producer John FraserEngineers Stuart Eltham & Michael SheadyRecording venue ‘Live’ from the London Coliseum; 1, 10, 14 & 22 April 1982Front cover Photo of Janet Baker as Mary Stuart in the ENO production by Reg WilsonBack cover Photo of Sir Charles Mackerras by Zoe DominicDesign D.M. CassidyBooklet typeset by Dave PartridgeBooklet editor Kara ReedCopyright Copyright Control

1982 & 1999 Digitally remastered by Chandos Records Ltd1999 Chandos Records Ltd

Chandos Records Ltd, Colchester, Essex, EnglandPrinted in the EU

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Chandos 20-bit RecordingThe Chandos policy of being at the forefront of technology is now further advanced by the use of 20-bitrecording. 20-bit has a dynamic range that is up to 24dB greater and up to 16 times the resolution ofstandard 16-bit recordings. These improvements now let you the listener enjoy more of the natural clarityand ambience of the ‘Chandos sound’.

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CHANDOS DIGITAL 2-disc set CHAN 3017(2)

Gaetano Donizetti (1797–1848)

Mary Stuart

Libretto by Giuseppe Bardari after SchillerEnglish translation by Tom Hammond

Mary Stuart ................................................................ Dame Janet Baker mezzo-sopranoQueen Elizabeth I .............................................................. Rosalind Plowright sopranoRobert Dudley, Earl of Leicester......................................................David Rendall tenorSir William Cecil ............................................................................ Alan Opie baritoneGeorge Talbot, Earl of Shrewsbury ................................................John Tomlinson bassHannah Kennedy ...................................................................... Angela Bostock soprano

English National Opera Orchestra and Chorus Sir Charles Mackerras conductor

COMPACT DISC ONETT 71:47

COMPACT DISC TWOTT 64:19DDD

Recorded live at the London Coliseum

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CHANDOS RECORDS LTD. p 1982 & 1999 Digitally remastered by Chandos Records Ltd. Colchester . Essex . England c 1999 Chandos Records Ltd. Printed in the EU

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