Anna Bolena - Brussels ’Theatre Du Monnaie’ (9th May 1993) - Rare Video

This video recording of Donizetti’s ’Anna Bolena’ provides a further opportunity to see a rare staged production with Nelly Miricioiu in another of her signature title roles. Though the overall quality of this best edited video is sometimes poor (audio is better), this authentic live staged portrayal of Anna (performed together with an excellent cast) was described in the translated review of the Premier on the 4th May by OPERWELT in June 1993, as follows: “She made the closing scene a happening. It is one of those rare moments when you felt what it meant for bel canto opera to suddenly become music of expression. What often seemed like her singing ability - a morendo, a fil di voice, crescendo and decrescendo, mezza voci, messa di voce, are completely integrated into her presentation. The fact that Miricioiu can present all these in a pure musical way, lies in the richness of colour in her voice, that she uses, and like Callas earlier, in a manner of dramatic detail.“ Also another reviewer John McCann of the Premier (OPERA Magazine 1993) ): “As for Miricioiu it is hard to imagine the heroines role being done more excitingly or affectingly. and it was impossible to detect any lack of beauty in the perfectly produced seamlessly threaded legato of her final scene and she has a technique second to none for a part such as Anna’s, whilst the voice itself, is Callas like in timbre , encompassing a range of expression from gleaming half-light to a bright beautiful controlled full throttle“ Later in 1993 she sang seven performances in the role at Washington Opera and a WETA-FM transcript extract (THE VOCAL WORLD) reported following on 13th November by Fred Calland about the premier: “Miricioiu really accomplished vocal miracles of interpretations that we might expect from her, considering the beautiful impressions she created in our minds with her Violetta and Manon portrayals, but somehow caught us so much more by surprise, that as we followed her like ideal operagoers into deeply emotional regions where great questions about dying, about living, about the mystery of life, about “readiness“ of facing fate....... all the things that make opera such a vital necessity in our civilization.“ Finally a translated extract from 1996 Guide De L’ Opera by Harald Rosenthal & John Warrack and French Edition by Roland Mancini & J. J. Rouverouk: “She sang French repertoire including Margherita, Thias, Valentina in Les Huguenots where she revealed another facet of her art, with a secure dramatic sense and agility that does not sang in Salzburg where she dominated the cast...... She sang Anna Bolena (Amsterdam) and Ermione (Brussels), roles where she distinguishes herself from all her rivals....... A remarkable Mireille in Tolouse..... She is often compared to Maria Callas for her diversity, dramatic instinct and her commitment. In Anna Bolena the agility was perfection...... The total ignorance of the media about this lady, in spite of the international press, is something that is unique in our epoch.“