Donizetti �Anna Bolena� on Bluray � a MUST for opera lovers � riveting performa.

This disc goes up to the top of the list of close to 400 operas on video in the collection here. I�ve always admired Anna Netrebko but here she raises the bar even more. The singing frequently brought tears to my eyes, and it was not just the lovely Netrebko, the beautiful Elina Garanca is equally appealing in this Bluray and is capably backed up by D�arcangelo and others. The chorus work, orchestral accompaniment, the period costuming. Excuse me for raving but it had me transfixed. Netrebko has put on a little weight so is not quite as super slim as previously but, if anything, it has added a mellowness to her voice without losing any of the power of a great soprano. Her acting is utterly convincing.

If you love opera and the female voice in particular, you are guaranteed an enthralling experience. And the music itself, completely new to me, is a revelation in the best company that anything offered by Verdi or Puccini. Add in a plot based on history, and you end up with a great package.

I cannot commend this operatic performance too highly. You MUST add it to your collection.

John