This is insanely fun! Like listening to your high school production of The Mikado…if your high school had world class singers. I don’t imagine a piano reduction would suit many composers, but it does Donizetti no particular harm. I’ve always liked Ramey, and he’s great here. Liked Galvany, too—this is better than the studio Sutherland/Ramey!In my opinion, of course.

This is one of those performances that is just plain fun. I don't mean the singing isn't good. Some of the singing here - in fact, most of it - is thrilling. Orchestras and choruses are expensive so doing an opera with piano is a viable solution, especially when the singers are so passionate about what they're doing and loving every moment of it. Armen Boyagian is a great voice teacher and coach. He has many famous pupils, two of whom sing here. He is also a skilled pianist!Galvany has a cult following and rightly so. Her high notes are famous; here she gives us a huge top D at the end of Act One and a splendid E-flat to conclude the opera. But Galvany gives a lot more than high notes. She knows how to shape Donizetti's lines and bring out their elegiac expressiveness. She also can get very competitive, holding out high notes longer than her colleagues to make sure we know who the star is. Ramey already sounds ready for the Big Time. He would record this role with Sutherland over a decade later. Wayne Geis is a very good Percy; he is granted "Vivi tu", an aria almost always cut until fairly recently. He boasts excellent high notes and a terrific trill. Nancy Eton is a good Giovanna who must have rolled her eyes at Galvany's competitive streak. And Charles Handelman, a well-known NY opera lover, is on hand to sing Rocheford.There are many cuts and some moments just fade away, but somehow it all adds to the enjoyment. The sound is what you'd expect from this source.

Great fun and right well done. Every opera lover needs at least one recording of an opera with piano.

Unusual performance with young Ramey and Galvany in fairly good sound for the period.

A more or less complete ANNA BOLENA with piano accompaniment. To be taken seriously ? In this case, firmly, yes !!!All of the singers are committed to their roles and communicate real excitement.The star here is a very young Samuel Ramey as Henry VIII. His singing is so good that one doubly laments the fact that Donizetti didn't give this character an aria !Even when her singing isn't perfect, Marisa Galvany is one of those singers incapable of being boring. One or two defects aside, she is thrilling, and owns the final cabaletta.Nancy Eton as Giovanna fudges some coloratura, but is sturdy of voice.Wayne Geis as Percy has a really attractive sound.Armen Boyagian, the pianist is generally excellent. When you realize that he has played well for nearly two hours, you have to praise him for stamina as well as musicality.Missing are the Overture, opening chorus and Giovanna's little entrance aria. There are also numerous internal cuts and some passages that simply fade out. The overall sound quality is clear and listenable, without being up to modern standards.There is a full track listing.