Maria Stuarda
by Gaetano Donizetti



Joyce DiDonato stars as the martyred Mary, Queen of Scots, in Donizetti’s bel canto showcase.

A searingly dramatic setting of Friedrich Schiller’s play about Mary, Queen of Scots, and her political and personal rivalry with Queen Elizabeth I of England. These two fearsome rivals embody different perceptions of royalty, which were very much in direct conflict at that moment in time, and the opera’s drama is true to history in a way the facts are not.

The opera takes place in the late 16th century at the court of Queen Elizabeth I in London and at Fotheringhay Castle in central England, Mary’s final place of confinement. At the time of her death in 1587, she had been imprisoned by Elizabeth for more than 18 years.

For all the beauty of its orchestral writing, Maria Stuarda is a prime example of the mid-19th century bel canto style.



Start time: 10:00am on Capital Public Radio.
Approximate running time 2 hrs 53 mins.


Click in the "LINKS" area for more information on the Met website about Maria Stuarda including cast, synopsis, history and more.

Also, find a link to the Met Opera's information about the planned 2020-2021 season. 

This is the final Met Opera radio broadcast of the season. Opera broadcasts return in December.