Rating: 
Summary: SUTHERLAND IS STILL SUTHERLAND
Review: In a perfect world, there would have been a video "Anna Bolena" with Maria Callas, but with that out of the question, I find this Sutherland version quite good. True --- her voice is not what it would have been ten years earlier ------ but it's still an impressive instrument quite capable of commanding the role. Secondly, she sounds considerably better here than she does on the London studio recording of 1987 (recorded three years after this performance). The supporting cast here is excellent, the orchestra plays well for Bonynge, and the picture is pretty good. I'm a great Callas admirer, but I truly find Sutherland's contribution to the art of bel canto to be as basic and fundamental as was Callas'. This is an excellent "Anna Bolena" , and if there are those who have a problem with Sutherland's downward transposition of the final scene by a whole step, they should simply give this performance a pass. Personally, I'm glad that Sutherland took this role into her repertoire, even at this late stage of her career. Is there any soprano out there today who could duplicate her accomplishment? If so, where are they??
Rating: 
Summary: Too old - Too late
Review: I bought this in the hope of a good video of my favourite Donizetti-opera. And Sutherland was famous for ANYTHING belcanto... But here she's too old and it was too late. She's transposing and slowing down the madscene... Something she has never done before... A gorgeous production with a strong cast except for Sutherland...
Rating:
Summary: Strong cast and authentic staging
Review: I think this a very authentic production of the opera, from staging to customes. A delight for opera purists.For the casting, Joan is still amazing at her age. It is true that she does not possess the stamina at the end of the opera (listen to her last note and compare with her Decca CD recording), but in average, this is still Joan's typical great performance. James Morris handles his role brilliantly, and acts as if he were a king ^_^. I think the tenor Michael Myers' timbre is a bit too dark for my taste, but his overall vocal and acting skills are still admirable nonetheless. Other smaller roles are mostly very capable, including Ben Heppner taking up Hervey. A minor criticism is that, in the year 1984, they are still recoring in mono! I do not understand this, and this may scare away some audiophiles. By setting up my surround sound system, I manage to get a more spatial sound stage. And after about 3 minutes after the overture, I totally forget about this audio deficiency since it is really an enjoyable opera performance.
Rating:
Summary: More info needed
Review: If you want to hear and see what Joan Sutherland was really about, don't buy this Anna Bolena, she sounds old and tired. She was close to 60. If you want to hear why La stupenda caused such a sensation during her operatic reign as the Queen of bel canto, I would recommend the following VHS tapes. The "Voice of Firestone" The "Bell Telephone Hour" The "Age of bel canto"
Rating:
Summary: Not Sutherland's golden sound anymore
Review: If you want to hear and see what Joan Sutherland was really about, don't buy this Anna Bolena, she sounds old and tired. She was close to 60. If you want to hear why La stupenda caused such a sensation during her operatic reign as the Queen of bel canto, I would recommend the following VHS tapes. The "Voice of Firestone" The "Bell Telephone Hour" The "Age of bel canto"
Rating: 
Summary: Sutherland/Morris/Forst Triumph in Bel Canto Classic
Review: On May 22, 1984 Joan Sutherland gave her very first performance as Donizetti's Anna Bolena in Toronto. Two performances later, on May 28, the performance was televised with the premiere cast and quite a premiere cast it was: James Morris as Henry VIII, Judith Forst as Jane Seymour, Michael Myers as Percy and in the small role of Hervey, the as yet unknown Ben Heppner. Pirate videos have been floating around for years of this performance but what a treat it is to see this mint copy looking as if it were being telecast today! Sumptuous costumes and appropriately stern sets along with excellent camera work help the singers to bring their characters vividly to life. Even though Sutherland was definitely in her later years, there is plenty of voice left to cope with the many vocal as well as dramatic challenges of this role. It is also a great opportunity to see James Morris as Henry -- a role he rarely performed and never recorded. The role offers no vocal difficulties that Morris cannot master and he is visually the antithesis of the overweight letcher we expect Henry VIII to be. Richard Bonynge conducts with sensitivity and style, bringing a "rightness" to this performance which many modern day bel canto performances rarely deliver. As with VAI's Norma -- subtitles are permanent and not optional but this is a small drawback which can be easily overlooked and indeed a plus for those who are hearing this opera for the first time. This DVD comes highly recommended not only as an aural but a visual treat as well. Many thanks to VAI for releasing its recent DVD's (Great Opera Stars on the Bell Telephone Hour and NORMA) -- keep them coming!
Rating:
Summary: Sutherland/Morris/Forst Triumph in Bel Canto Classic
Review: On May 22, 1984 Joan Sutherland gave her very first performance as Donizetti's Anna Bolena in Toronto. Two performances later, on May 28, the performance was televised with the premiere cast and quite a premiere cast it was: James Morris as Henry VIII, Judith Forst as Jane Seymour, Michael Myers as Percy and in the small role of Hervey, the as yet unknown Ben Heppner. Pirate videos have been floating around for years of this performance but what a treat it is to see this mint copy looking as if it were being telecast today! Sumptuous costumes and appropriately stern sets along with excellent camera work help the singers to bring their characters vividly to life. Even though Sutherland was definitely in her later years, there is plenty of voice left to cope with the many vocal as well as dramatic challenges of this role. It is also a great opportunity to see James Morris as Henry -- a role he rarely performed and never recorded. The role offers no vocal difficulties that Morris cannot master and he is visually the antithesis of the overweight letcher we expect Henry VIII to be. Richard Bonynge conducts with sensitivity and style, bringing a "rightness" to this performance which many modern day bel canto performances rarely deliver. As with VAI's Norma -- subtitles are permanent and not optional but this is a small drawback which can be easily overlooked and indeed a plus for those who are hearing this opera for the first time. This DVD comes highly recommended not only as an aural but a visual treat as well. Many thanks to VAI for releasing its recent DVD's (Great Opera Stars on the Bell Telephone Hour and NORMA) -- keep them coming!
Rating:
Summary: A Powerful Performance - Now that's opera
Review: Opera is the most satisfying of all the arts. It brings the best of all worlds together- acting, drama, singing, orchestral music and even dance in the case of some operas, Gaetano Donizetti's operas were very popular and have become established bel canto traditions in many theateres all around the world. Bel canto operas flourished in the early 19th century, most significantly in Italy but they soon made their way to France and Germany and even Russia (Wagner himself was influenced by some bel canto opera techniques and even Tchaikovsky's highly romantic tragic opera "Eunege Onegin" shows bel canto influence. Donizetti was the most gifted of the bel canto composers, able to write arias and ensembles of powerful dramatic context as well as emotionally touching and beautiful to hear. For bel canto operas only the best singers must take part. Casting the perfect bel canto heroine is trying sometimes, since very few sopranos of the 20th century exercized a skilled combination of beautiful vocals and dramatic acting. Only Maria Callas and later Beverly Sills would be the best bel canto heroines. Joan Sutherland- This is Australian soprano, who was married to conductor Richard Bonynge, has been hailed for her beautiful voice. It is beautiful. It is smooth, gracefull, rich, full and very round and heavy. Her voice is always at home in bel canto operas. It is non wonder then that she is most recognized for her performances in Lucrezia Borgia, Lucia Di Lammermoor and in this DVD, the role of Anne Boylen. As the tragic queen, she manages to portray a vast range of emotions and visually the whole production is impressive. Joan Sutherland is older in this video, which was filmed in the 80's but her dramatic persona is quite convincing. Her facial contortions, her cries and her grace make her very believable as the historic Anne Boylen. This opera was Donizetti's first big hit, earning him prestige in the Italian theater of San Carlo. He would produce and deliver operas to a favorable public for years to come. The story of Henry 8th's merciless and cruel treatment of Anne is performed well. Henry 8th is sung by a bass-baritone (the archetypical opera villain voice) and strides with regial tyranny as the real king would have done. He has no actual arias but his talents are showcased in various recitatives with Jane Seymour (a mezzo soprano with some dramatic textures) and in the ensembles. Jane Seymour in this opera is a performance delivered rather well, despite some strains now and then, especiallly in the duet with Anne. Highlights in this opera include the quintet and sextets of Act 1 and 2, the romantic duet between Percy and Anne and of courses Anne's final scenes- the Mad Scene and her execution. It was Anne's Mad Scene that preceeded and echoed the later and more famous Mad Scene of Lucia Di Lammermoor, Donizettis most popular masterpiece. Both Ann and Lucia hallucinate of marriage, speak of lost love and are completely overwhelmed by melancholia, arias and roulades accompanied by the sounds of flutes. Although Lucia's Mad Scene is better musicallly and dramaticallly, Annes Mad Scene is quite dramatic as well. Her most challenging aria comes in the end in "Coppia Iniquia" in which she awaits her execution and plunges into roulades and exclamations against the terrible crime of her death. I personally prefer Beverly Sills in the role of Anne Boylen, but there exists only a recording of it on cd and in the box set of the Three Tudor Queens. Beverlys live performance of Anne Boylen was never filmed but it must have been a sensation and the best interpretation. Joan Sutherland is a good singer but she falls short on acting credibility.
Rating:
Summary: Great Anna Bolena
Review: This Anna Bolena originates from Toronto, Canada, 1985, and it has a spectacular Joan Sutherland for the title role, along with James Morris as Enrico, and Judith Forst as Giovanna. Bonynge conducts with wonderful Donizetti style(Italiainate), and the rest of the principles are excellent. Buy it and enjoy. A few cuts, but check out B Sills' recording for the complete(near?) of this fabulouis opera!
Rating:
Summary: Close to 60----------Sutherland was still " La Stupenda"
Review: This Anna Bolena recording does not have the best audio or visual quality that we really desire.However, it is an extremely important document and shows why Dame Joan was still "La Stupenda" at age close to 60 !It is ashame that the Met refused to mount this opera for Sutherland during her raving success around the world-a great lost for New Yorker!This is a must for any opera lover---------including fans of Dame Joan.
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