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Dominic Gould

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2023

2018

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My absolute favourite recording of Maria, completely stunning, epic and marvelous! From SAX 2320. Some light pops and light distortion towards the end, but excellent for a 50+ year old ebay purchase :)
Images from the 1957 and 1958 live performances at La Scala.

Maria Callas as Anna
Monica Sinclair as Smeton
John Lanigan as Percy
Joseph Rouleau as Rochefort
Duncan Robertson as Hervey
with The Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus
Conducted by Nicola Rescigno
Composed by Gaetano Donizetti (1797-1848)

Recorded Kingsway Hall, London, 24 and 25 Spetember, 1958.

English Translation

Anna
You all weep? From whence are tears?
And on this, the morning of the wedding.
The King awaits me... The altar is covered with
flowers. Quickly, give me my chaste robes
— bedeck my head with my crown of roses.
Let Percy not know i t! The King forbids it.

Chorus
Oh, dark memory!

Anna
Oh... who weeps?
Who spoke of Percy?
I will not see him.
I must hide
from his sight.
In vain...
he is coming... accusing me...
screaming at me... Ah!
Forgive me, forgive me...
I am so unhappy.
Carry me from this depth of misery.
You are smiling? Oh, joy!
Do not believe, do not believe that I die
here deserted. No, no...
You are smiling. Percy?
Oh joy... oh joy!
Lead me
to the dear castle where I was born,
to the green plane trees,
to the quiet brook
that still murmurs
of our sighs...
Ah! there I forget
past griefs;
give me backone day
of my youth,
give me back one day 
of our love.
Lead me
to the dear castle where I was born,
give me back one day of our love,
just one single day of our love.

[Drums begin to roll. Hervey enters with the guards.
Anna is startled from her reverie.]

What is that sad sound? What do I see?
Hervey! The guards!...

Hervey [to the guards]
Go, and bring forth the prisoners
from their cells.

Anna
Oh! In what moment did delirium
leave me, oh heaven! Why do
I recover?

[Percy, Rochefort and Smeton are brought to the
courtyard by their guards.]

Rochefort and Percy
Anna!

Anna
Brother! ...And you, Percy! Forme...
for me you are dying!

Smeton [Rushing to Anna, throwing himself at her feet]
I alone... it was I who lost you...
I am damned.

Anna
Smeton...

Percy
Traitor!

Smeton
Ah, yes... so I am, and as such go to death
with a clouded name. I allowed myself
to be deceived by the King. I accused you
believing it would save your life;
but I believed lies, and wild desire, and the
hope I held deeply repressed in my heart for
a year. Damn me as well, if you wish...

Anna [abstractly]
Smeton, come here to me. Rise...
what are you doing? Why don't you play
your harp? Who has broken the strings?

Rochefort
Anna!

Percy
What are you saying?

Women
She returns to her wanderings...

Anna
A strumming sound comes forth from
the strings like the frozen cry of a
heart dying somewhere It is my
heart, breathing its last prayer to
heaven. Listen all of you!

Percy
Oh, cruel martyrdom!...

Rochefort
She is delirious.

Anna
Heaven grant me at last some rest
from my long suffering. Let my
final bit of life carry some hope at last.

Smeton, Percy and Rochefort
Merciful heaven, prolong this delirium,
so that the beauty of her soul
may awaken resting in you.

[Bells are heard ringing, and the sound of a cannon.
Anna recoils in confusion, straining to grasp their
import.]

Anna
Festive sounds? What can it be?
Tell me! ...Where am I? Tell me!

Smeton, Percy and Rochefort
Acclaimed by the happy populace is
the new queen...

Anna
Silence! Silence! Ah... silence...
To fully complete the crime
only Anna's blood is truly needed.

Chorus
Heaven spare this wounded heart
of the burden she can no longer know.

Anna
Wicked couple, deepest revenge
I do not call upon in this fatal hour.
To the tomb, opened for me and awaiting
me, I descend with pardon on my lips.
May this grant me clemency and favor
and the judgment of a merciful God!

[Anna faints. The sheriffs arrive to take
the prisoners.]

Maria Callas - Anna Bolena Mad Scene SAX 2320 1958

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Anna Boleyn

Dominic Gould

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