So, anyway, this week I want to write about Verdi's "Il Trovatore," "The Troubadour." Considered one of Verdi's three greatest operas (the other two being "Rigoletto" and "La Traviata"), this dark and dramatic work was written in 1854. Verdi, of course, was known for using very dark themes in his operas, and I'd say this one about tops the scale in that regard; it tells "A story of gypsy vengeance and mistaken identity." Set in 16th-century Spain, the opera is divided into four "Parts:" "The Duel," "The Gypsy," "The Gypsy's Son," and "The Ordeal." The opera opens as Count de Luna's guards tell the tale of his sad past: the Count once had a brother who, while still a baby, grew sick. An old gypsy woman who was found near the baby's cradle was accused of cursing him and burned at the stake, but the gypsy's daughter stole the Count's baby brother. A child's skeleton was found in the ashes of the flame the gypsy had burned in, but the Count's father insisted that the baby boy was still alive and made the Count swear never to stop looking for his brother. Next, we see the Count's preparations to woo the fair Leonora thwarted by his enemy, the Troubadour Manrico, who Leonora is in love with. Leonora comes out of her chambers, and in the darkness mistakes the Count for the Troubadour. A bit of hectic madness ensues, the misunderstanding is cleared up between Manrico and Leonora, but Count de Luna demands a fight, and Manrico is willing to give him satisfaction. The two go off to have a duel, and the first "Part" ends. In the next part, a bandaged Manrico and a caravan of gypsies are seen working merrily away to the tune of a very famous chorus, "Chi de gitano" or the "Anvil chorus." But their merriment does not last long; Azucena, an old gypsy woman, sings a haunting aria narrating the death of her mother, who was burned at stake [*HINT HINT HINT*]. Azucena then can only repeat the words her mother said before she died: "Avenge me! Avenge me!" The gypsies leave to seek other amusements, leaving Azcena and Manrico alone. Manrico asks his mother what is the matter, and she tells an even darker tale as she goes through the finer details of what happened the day her mother was burned. Moments later, Manrico receives intelligence that Leonora, who thinks Manrico is dead, is about to join a nunnery. Despite his mother's warnings, Manrico leaves to stop Leonora before he loses her forever. Little does he know that the Count is already there, poised to kidnap Leonora. Manrico, however, has brought help, and the Count's forces are outnumbered. Manrico wins the day and takes Leonora back to his hideout. Thus ends the second part.
Phew... *stretches* Two more parts to go. Deep breath! On we go!
So... Third part: Azucena wanders off to look for Manrico and gets captured by Count de Luna, who recognizes her as the gypsy who stole his baby brother. He imprisons her, plotting revenge. Meanwhile, Manrico and Leonora are preparing to be married, when someone comes and tells Marnico that De Luna is planning on burning Azucena at stake. Manrico rushes off to go save his mother, and the third part ends. And now, the finale. The fourth and last act opens with Leonora and one of Manrico's comrades outside de Luna's castle. Manrico has been captured, and de Luna intends to execute him as well as the gypsy. Leonora has come to see if she can reason with de Luna and save Manrico. She finds de Luna and pleads with him to no avail. "Kill me, drink my blood, trample my corpse, but save the Troubadour!" She says, but the Count will not comply. Finally, she kneels down and offers herself to the Count in exchange for Manrico's life. The Count is all too eager to accept that bargain, and makes her swear to it. While the Count arranges Manrico's release, Leonora drinks a dose of poison she had hidden in her ring, and says in sottovoce, "You will have me... but cold and dead!" Meanwhile, Manrico and Azucena are contemplating their respective demises in their prison cell. Azucena fears the stake more than anything in the world, but Manrico manages to get her to lie down and sleep, to dream of happy times. Then, Leonora comes in and attempts to convince Manrico to leave, but he will not go without her. He suspects that she has sold the love she swore was his. He curses her for her infidelity, but she keeps trying to get him out, until she faints and explains, "I chose to die yours rather than live as another's." Manrico immediately repents of his accusations, and the Count, having entered in the background, sees that Leonora has betrayed him. As Leonora breathes her last, the Count sends Manrico to the stake. Just then, Azucena wakes up, and tries to stop the Count from killing Manrico-- minutes too late. "He was your brother!" She cries, "Mother, you are avenged!" The Count, horrified, screams, "And I must live on!" and the opera ends.
Wow. That took really long. Would you have ever guessed that Manrico was the Count's long-lost brother?? [*wink*] So, some notes about the opera: the "Anvil Chorus," Azucena's aria "Stride la Vampa," Manrico's arias "Ah, si, Ben Mio" and "Di Quella Pira" and the Count's aria "Il Balen del Suo Sorriso" are all very famous. The duet between the Count and Leonora in the fourth act is pretty standard amongst singers specializing in Verdi, too. But I think these songs are all better when you hear them in context. Verdi once said that in order for a production of "Il Trovatore" to be successful, "All you need are the four greatest singers in the world." So, what recording do I have to offer you today?
Here it is, folks! The RCA Victor 1970 recording of "Il Trovatore" starring Placido Domingo in the title role, Leontyne Price as Leonora, Fiorenza Cossotto as Azucena, and Sherrill Milnes as the Count de Luna. Zubin Mehta conducts the New Philharmonia Orchestra and John McCarthy directs the Ambrosian Opera Chorus.
This collection of recordings, as far as I have experienced, is fabulous. Great casts, excellent sound quality, and very reasonably priced. Heck, the recording of "I, Pagliacci" from this series only costs $8 new on Amazon! I think this one was $11 or maybe $15. Either way, the RCA Victor Opera Treasury collection is great, so if you find other operas from it, they'll probably be really good purchases. Let's talk about the cast...
As I have said, I love Placido Domingo. He is not only a great singer but a marvelous actor. His performance here is so incredible-- it's mostly what made me fall in love with this recording (I rented it from a library before I owned it).
Fiorenza Cossotto is absolutely amazing as Azucena. Her voice is dark and mysterious, with a great vibrato, good consistency, and good heavens, what control! She sounds haunting without sounding cold. She's a great singer, and she is perfect for this role.
I have always had a fondness for Sherrill Milnes. A lot of people say he sang incorrectly for a long time (which is true-- I've heard it in videos on Youtube), but in all the studio recordings I have of him, he sounds great. He is as versatile and as great at acting as Domingo. He's very reliable as baritones go, and he does a great job as the Count.
Hm... Leontyne Price... I like her voice, and she has a great range, etc. etc. etc., but I don't think she's the greatest Leonora. I feel like Price's voice is a little bit dark for the role, or maybe her voice was just stressed during the recording session. Her high notes sound stressed and a bit stretched out to me, but no weaker than her lower-register bits, which is a good thing. Price's voice is stable, powerful, and flexible. She's not half bad as Leonora, but I would definitely recommend that you explore Youtube, etc., and listen to other Leonoras first. Sandra Radvanovsky is a good one, for example. But, this recording is still fantastic, and I highly recommend it! The chorus is wonderful, the conducting is wonderful, and all around, it's just a beautiful recording of "Il Trovatore."
With that, I bid you farewell until next week.
Your friend and fellow opera-lover,
~R.M.
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