Lyrita are proud to present this re-issue of Mary, Queen of Scots to coincide with Thea Musgrave’s 90th birthday celebrations.

‘Mary has been a fascinating subject to work with. It was interesting and challenging to find a path through all the well-known facts about her life, in order to be able to envision her with fresh eyes and gradually to shape my own portrait of her. My interest in her as a subject was first aroused by a basic idea of Amalia Elguera, (who had written the libretto for my previous opera The Voice of Ariadne) and on whose play Moray the opera is based. Here the emphasis lies, as the title implies, on Mary’s half brother James Stewart. I soon decided that in the opera, although the chief protagonist would be James, the central character must be Mary herself.’ – Thea Musgrave

This recording of a live performance on 2 April 1978 Norfolk, Virginia, at the gala performance for the Metropolitan Opera.

Cast:
- Mary, Queen of Scots: Ashley Putnam (soprano)
- James Stewart, Earl of Moray: Jake Gardner (baritone)
- Henry, Lord Darnley: Jon Garrison (tenor)
- James Hepburn, Earl of Bothwell: Barry Busse (tenor)
- David Riccio: Kenneth Bell (bass-baritone)
- Lord Gordon: Francesco Sorianello (bass)
- Cardinal Beaton: Carlos Serrano (baritone)
- Earl of Morton: Robert Randolph (baritone)
- Earl of Ruthven: Pietro Pozzo (tenor)
- Mary Seton: Gloria Capone (soprano)
- Mary Beaton: Nancy Boling (soprano)
- Mary Livingstone: Ann Scholten (mezzo-soprano)
- Mary Fleming: Pamela Scott (mezzo-soprano)