Organization

Singer

Baritone

Leo Nucci

The Count of Luna

Claudio Sgura

Soprano

Norma Fantini

Leonora

Teresa Romano

Serena Farnocchia

Mezzo-soprano

Marianna Tarasova

Azucena

Mzia Nioradze

Irina Mishura

Tenor

Marcelo Álvarez

Manrico

Antonio Corianò

Bass

Deyan Vatchkov

Ferrando

Cristina Giannelli

Ines

Roberto Jachini Virgili

Ruiz

Enrico Rinaldo

An old Rom

Seung Hwa Paek

A messenger

Conductor

Yuri Temirkanov

Stage director

Lorenzo Mariani

Costume designer

William Orlandi

Set designer

Teatro Regio di Parma

Orchestra

Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Parma

Italian

Il trovatore -  (The Troubadour)

Parma

Italy

Teatro Regio

With the success of his opera "Rigoletto" in 1851, a new phase in Giuseppe Verdi's career began: now he no longer had to fight for recognition and success with every stage work under time pressure; he was established enough to be able to work more slowly. "Il Trovatore" was his first project of his own choice without being commissioned by a theatre. The Spanish play "El Trovador" by Antonio García Gutiérrez (1812-84) served as a template. When "Il Trovatore" premiered in Rome in January 1853 to great acclaim, Verdi was already working on his next worldwide success: "La Traviata".


The plot of "Troubadour" is often described as hopelessly convoluted; it goes back to the feudal dispute that broke out in 1410 over the throne of Aragon and escalated into a civil war. Two opposing parties meet there: the Infant Fernando of Castile, who has been elected king, and his adversary Count Urgel, represented in Verdi's opera by Count Luna and the troubadour Manrico. If one also takes into account that some important events in the plot are not shown on the stage but are only reported in stories, the plot runs quite clearly:
Prehistory
At the beginning of the 15th century, Spain was shaken by battles for the crown of Aragon. The young Count Luna fights on the side of the king, and the troubadour Manrico on the side of the rebels. About two decades ago, old Count Luna had a gypsy woman burned as a witch. Her daughter Azucena stole young Count Luna's brother in revenge, but in her confusion burned her own son and raised the kidnapped child (Manrico).
Act I
Luna's captain Ferrando tells the soldiers the story of the gypsy. - Count Luna loves Leonora, but her heart belongs to Manrico. When the two rivals meet, a duel ensues.
interlude
Manrico wins the fight against Luna, but an inner voice prevents him from killing the opponent. Soon after, Luna crushes Manrico's troops, who is now presumed dead. However, Azucena nurses him back to health.
Act II
Azucena tells Manrico the story of her mother and the kidnapped child. - Manrico learns that Leonora, who thinks he is dead, wants to enter the convent. He sets out to kidnap her and meets Luna's people there who have the same plan. Manrico and Leonora manage to escape.
III. act
Luna prepares an attack against Manrico's troops. His soldiers captured Azucena. He decides to set a trap for Manrico by faking Azucena's incineration. - During the wedding with Leonora, Manrico learns of his mother's fate and rushes off with his men to save her.
Intermediate
story Manrico's forces succumb; Leonora manages to escape. Count Luna is endowed with high powers and has Manrico and Azucena imprisoned.
Act IV
Leonora wants to buy Luna's release from Manrico with the promise of her love. Then she secretly takes poison and dies. Luna sees through her ruse and immediately has Manrico executed. Then Luna learns from Azucena that Manrico was his long-sought brother.


No other composer has gone through such a great artistic development as Giuseppe Verdi. The operatic history of the 19th century can be traced in an exemplary way by looking at the immense creative breadth from "Oberto" to "Falstaff". The name Verdi became synonymous with Italian opera. He could represent all human feelings in the melody, relaxed the rigid alternation between scene and aria, used the singing voice effectively and had a feeling for gripping drama. His work fascinates the tourists in the Arena of Verona as well as the modern musical theater directors, whose updates prove how much work of interpretation a good work of art can take.
The musician Verdi set new standards in opera, the politician Verdi was committed to the unity and independence of his homeland; the prisoner's chorus from "Nabucco" is considered the secret Italian national anthem. The financier Verdi knew how to capitalize on his talent, the patron Verdi founded the famous retirement home for musicians in Milan. And yet, as he said himself, he remained a farmer who felt most at home on his estate. No wonder that for a time almost no composer could get past Verdi when venturing into the field of opera. "Verdisation of the young" was what Eduard Hanslick mockingly called this phenomenon, which only came to an end with Puccini, Verismo and the successors to Wagner.

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