Palace Intrigue

When Anna Bolena had its première in 1830 it was Donizetti’s first unquestionable operatic triumph; but unlike such later successes as Lucia di Lammermoor or L’Elisir d’Amore, it has spent the last century on the fringes of the repertoire. Its relative neglect is not perhaps unjustified: while L’Elisir can coast on charm and Lucia is often able to thrive on the strength of its taut dramatic construction, Anna Bolena demands a group of singers whose technical skill and charismatic presence can transcend a sprawling libretto that often flirts with emotional implausibility.

In Federica Lombardi the new production at the Deutsche Oper had exactly the voice it needed to transform the evening into an event, and the strong support of Vasilisa Berzhanskaya and René Barbera (as Giovanna Seymour and Riccardo Percy) allowed scene after scene to…