Maria Stuarda
(Mary Stuart)

Gaetano Donizetti
Tragedia lirica in two acts, 1835.
Libretto by Giuseppe Bardari,
based on the play Maria Stuart by Friedrich von Schiller (1800).
First performed at La Scala, Milan, on 30 December 1835
English premiere: 1 March 1966.

In defiance of a ban by the King of Naples, Maria Stuarda premiered at La Scala in its unaltered form (at the insistence of the star Maria Malibran); but the ban was immediately enforced by the city. Plans were made for a production in London, but these were dashed by the death of Malibran. The work was not performed again until a 1958 production in Donizetti's home town of Bergamo. A critical edition of the work was developed and performed in Bergamo in 1989, restoring earlier cuts and emendments.

CHARACTERS

SYNOPSIS

Though dealing with historical figures, Maria Stuarda is pure fantasy, excepting the final, tragic end of the heroine. The plot describes a confrontation between Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots; and a romance between Elizabeth's favourite, Robert Dudley (Earl of Leicester) and Mary. Neither of these are documented facts.

Act 1

Scene 1: A gallery in the palace of Westminster.
After an intense prelude, the curtain rises on a festive chorus of courtiers awaiting the Queen, who soon enters. Elizabeth is perplexed however, for she has received a proposal of marriage from the King of France but is in love with the Earl of Leicester. Lord Talbot reminds her of the wretched fate endured by Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, held prisoner at Fotheringay Castle; whereas Lord Cecil, invoking reasons of the State, advises the Queen to have no mercy on her enemy.
Leicester now enters. After a brief encounter with the suspicious and jealous Elizabeth, he remains alone with Talbot, who tells him that he has been to see Mary and has received from her a portrait and a letter addressed to him.
Leicester is perturbed and moved, for he secretly loves the Queen of Scots. He is about to leave when Elizabeth appears. He tries to intercede with her on Mary’s behalf, but succeeds only in exacerbating the Queen’s jealousy. She nevertheless agrees to meet her enemy in person.

Scene 2: The park at Fotheringay.
Under constant watch, Mary Stuart enjoys a breath of freedom in the park at Fotheringay, where her thoughts turn nostalgically to her youth and to the now distant “fair shores of France”. Suddenly a chorus and a hunting fanfare are heard. Elizabeth and her retinue approach.
A duet between Leicester and Mary delays the fateful meeting between the two queens. But now Elizabeth enters with her numerous courtiers in attendance. She treats her rival with haughty contempt even though Mary has prostrated herself before her. Whereupon the Queen of Scots rises and reacts by insulting Elizabeth in front of all: an offence that can by now only render inevitable the sentence to execution of Mary Stuart.

Act 2

Scene 1: Gallery in the palace of Westminster.
The Queen is still in doubt. Lord Cecil seeks in vain to convince her to sign the death warrant. Elizabeth seems reluctant and confused, but as soon as she sees Leicester enter, she abruptly signs the document and hands it to Cecil. On hearing the Earl’s final attempt to persuade her to grant pardon, Elizabeth replies in a fury by ordering Leicester himself to witness Mary’s execution.

Scene 2: An apartment in Maria Stuart’s prison at Fotheringay Castle.
In her prison Mary awaits her sentence of execution. Cecil and Talbot enter, the former bearing the death warrant, the latter bringing some spiritual comfort to the condemned queen. During her duet with Talbot, the Queen of Scots confesses her sins and prepares to die like a Christian.

Scene 3: A room adjoining the place of execution.
The time for her execution has come. A mournful chorus prepares the condemned queen’s entry as she appears on stage “dressed in black, in great pomp and wearing her crown”. There follows a prayer sung by Mary and the chorus. When Cecil asks the condemned Queen to state her last wishes, Mary replies that she desires only forgiveness from all her enemies; from Heaven she will implore divine favour for England.
Leicester enters in despair, full of anger against Cecil and those present. Mary calms him by asking him to relinquish all thoughts of revenge and personally to lead her to the block.

Plot outline: © Teatro alla Scala