Set in 16th century Europe, Gaetano Donizetti's colorful opera explores the turbulent life of Mary Stuart, the Queen of Scots. Marked by scandal, intense rivalry, and ultimately execution, Stuart's tumultuous life has become a popular subject of books, television, film, and theatre. In this production, Donizetti captures the essence of the Queen's being through music that expresses a wide range of emotions. With her powerful voice and commanding stage presence, soprano Janet Baker depicts Stuart as a highly conflicted person. While ambitious, greedy, ruthless, and defiant, she also demonstrates signs of repentance, shame, sorrow, and melancholic woe. Stuart's complex character is further developed through a fictitious scene in which she confronts her ultimate nemesis, Elisabeth I, right before her untimely death.