The Tudor Queens

Soprano Diana Damrau assumes the crowns of three different Tudor queens, the central characters in operas by Donizetti: Anne Boleyn (Anna Bolena), Mary, Queen of Scots (Maria Stuarda), and Elizabeth I (Roberto Devereux).

"She commands a voice that seems to have no limits," wrote the Neue Zürcher Zeitung when Damrau sang Maria Stuarda at the Zurich Opera: "Her coloratura is stunning, her vocal range impressive, and her dynamic shadings are breathtaking. Damrau is in a class of her own."

The soprano describes the three queens as "strong, vulnerable women who have to subordinate their personal desires to the duties of the Crown ... Life-and-death decisions are part of their daily life."

With Antonio Pappano and the Orchestra and Chorus of Rome's Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, she performs the climactic final scene of each work. In each case, the queen is in extremis: Anne and Mary are both awaiting execution, while Elizabeth (Anne's daughter and Mary's antagonist) has sent the man she loves to his death. "To interpret this music the singer needs to be absolutely committed and trusting," says Damrau, "but also ready to take risks."