Young Sam Ramey tears up the stage as the villainous Henry VIII, determined to rid himself of his second wife, Anna Bolena (Renato Scotto) and marry Giovanna Seymour (Susanne Marsee). At the time of this performance in 1975, Sam had only recently made his debut as Zuniga in "Carmen" at the New York City opera. The part of the villainous king requires a powerful, flexible bass and Ramey delivers in spades. His fans will definitely want this live Philadelphia recording. His voice is excellent throughout.Renata Scotto sings the doomed Anna Bolena, and has some very lyrical passages. However, her top notes sound pinched-off and shrill, and this nearly ruins her biggest moments, most especially her mad scene. It sounds like someone is butchering a hog off-stage, although I might be of the minority opinion here, as the audience is generous in its applause. What a shame. I’m very fond of Scotto and I think she could have salvaged this performance if she hadn’t put so much pressure on those terminal screeches.Giovanna Seymour is sung by Susanne Marsee and she is wonderful, offering glowing top notes and exciting coloratura throughout. Her duets with Ramey are the highlight of this two-CD set. They both sound young and in love.Stanley Kolk does a yeoman job with the difficult tenor role of Lord Riccardo Percy. He has a light, pleasant tenor with a tightly controlled vibrato, and only the occasional pinched note at his top. Scotto tends to overpower him in their duets together, but not lamentably so. Julius Rudel conducts the chorus and orchestra of the Philadelphia Opera in a precise, luminous performance of Donizetti’s great bel canto opera.

It was Giuditta Pasta who, in 1830, created the rôle of the ill-fated queen in Donizetti's masterpiece, "Anna Bolena," the character of whom bears little resemblance to the treacherous historical figure. In 1957, Maria Callas scored one of her greatest triumphs with the rôle at the Teatro alla Scala, in Luchino Visconti's production. Leyla Gencer, Beverly Sills, and Renata Scotto followed as important interpreters of Bolena.In November of 1975, Mme Scotto assumed the part for the Dallas Civic Opera. The following month, James DeBlasis staged the work for the Opera Company of Philadelphia, with Scotto, Susanne Marsee, and Samuel Ramey in the leading rôles, with the late Julius Rudel conducting; the recording under review emanates from the electrifying performance of December 16th. The soprano presents a gripping account of the eponymous part. She was entering the phase of her really great career as one of the important singing-actresses of the era. She was to have sung the opera again, in 1979, for the San Francisco Opera, but the management rather infamously changed it to "La Gioconda." By then, we would have probably experienced a "come scritto" traversal, since that had happily become her wont. Here, we have the usual cuts and interpolations of the time.Miss Marsee's interpretation of Giovanna (Jane) Seymour is thrilling. The greatest singing-actress among mezzo-sopranos, she is heard here in extremis, and is heart-rending in her unfortunate predicament as one of the countless victims of Enrico (Henry) VIII. Having sung the rôle opposite Miss Sills, she is a suitable rival for La Scotto, as well. In fact, though her répertoire extended from the Baroque to dodecaphony, she considered this (in 2012) to be "the most difficult opera I sang because of the length of the rôle and the tessitura."As the cruel Enrico, Samuel Ramey makes a towering impression, heard here only two years after his New York City Opera début, and in his only appearances opposite Mme Scotto. The voice seems limitless in size and force. The remainder of the cast is excellent, and Rudel conducts with his accustomed distinction.