Donizetti's Mary, Queen of Scots (Maria Stuarda)
English Touring Opera, Spring 2005
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English Touring Opera is currently touring Donizetti's Maria Stuarda, renamed by them Mary, Queen of Scots. Dates and venues can be found are at http://www.englishtouringopera.org.uk/tourdiary.php Reaction from members and critics has been very positive. |
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The Times speaks of "The odds are against the success of this new ETO repertoire — small orchestra, in English, no Joan Sutherland — but it is dynamite" ( http://www.timesonline.co.uk/ - search on Donizetti, unfortunately the review is only available free for 1 week) and The Guardian says that it " lays bare the work's ambiguities more powerfully than many previous stagings" http://www.guardian.co.uk/arts/reviews/story/0,,1436818,00.html
The cast includes:-
Mary (Anne Mason)
Elizabeth (Jennifer Rhys Davies, also Sarah Rhodes in some later performances)
Leicester (Nicholas Ransley)
Talbot (Charles Johnson)
Cecil (Andrew Rupp)
The director was James Conway, the designer Soutra Gilmour and conductor Noel Davies.
The pictures of the production were taken by Keith Pattison and provided courtesy of English Touring Opera.
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Elizabeth and the crown
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Elizabeth at Prayer
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Mary and Leicester
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The confrontation between Elizabeth and Mary
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Another view of the confrontation between Elizabeth and Mary
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A further view of the confrontation between Elizabeth and Mary
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Cecil delivers the judgement to Mary |
Queen of dissent: Mary Stuart and the opera in her honour by Carlo Coccia, by Alexander Weatherson gives the background of the opera and, in particular, its relationship to an earlier Mary Stuart opera by Coccia.