V DAYS : C NIGHTS :ANNA BOLENA

ANNA BOLENA  :CALLAS  NIGHTS
4 April 1957

I was determined,a role and nights that remain in the history of music,my V Days.C Nights.It happened to be Anna Bolena,Luchino's Traviata and Sonnambula were sublime,but not good enough,they were near genius. 

From the first rehearsal I knew that Visconti's fourth production at La Scala was going to be it, The conductor was Gianandrea Gavazzeni ,Giulietta Simionato sang Jane Seymour,Nicola Benois' designs were magnificent,"all shades of greys to complement music and drama'.Gaetano Donizetti wrote Bolena  for me,it premiered on 26 December 1830 at the Teatro Carcano in Milan and died a natural death,for Bolena you need a soprano that act and sing with her voice,body and soul.Before me there was none,apres moi le deluge.

Bolena's final days,a mother in despair,a woman dies in the hands of the man who swore her eternal love.She was history,I wanted to do her justice,pride and splendour in everything Anna did.I prayed,opened my channels,felt the emprise,the power within me,acted with fury,beyond anyone's imagination.

Obsessed by day, possessed by night, I sang and made history:my Bolenas belong to the history of Opera.