Giving History a Bel Canto Twist

WEARING a black dress and clutching a Bible, the mezzo-soprano Joyce DiDonato walked stiffly on the stage of the Metropolitan Opera during a recent rehearsal for Donizetti's "Maria Stuarda," which will open on New Year's Eve and be broadcast Live in HD on Jan. 19. First kneeling, then standing, her aching movements in the final scenes reflected the...