Amazon Music Opera: Il Trovatore

Amazon Music’s Il Trovatore is an opera in four parts by Giuseppe Verdi, with an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano. It was based on the play El trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. The first performance was given at the Teatro Apollo in Rome on 19 January 1853.

Introduction

Il Trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with an Italian libretto largely written by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez. It was gutiérrez’s most popular play, and one which Verdi himself had considered setting to music. The first performance given of the opera, on 19 January 1853 at the Teatro Apollo in Rome, was received with enthusiasm by both critics and public alike.

Thus began one of the most troubled periods of Verdi’s creative life, a time which saw him uncharacteristically slow in producing new operas – only five were to appear over the next twelve years – as he sought to perfect his craft. In spite of this, however, he continued to enjoy enormous success with a series of masterpieces which included La Traviata (1853), Rigoletto (1851), Il Trovatore and La Forza del Destino (1862).

What is an Amazon Music Opera?

An Amazon Music Opera is an opera that is produced by Amazon Music. The first Amazon Music Opera was Il Trovatore, which debuted in November 2018.

The concept of an Amazon Music Opera is to create a new way to experience opera, by making it more accessible and engaging for a wider audience. An Amazon Music Opera is shorter than a traditional opera, with a running time of around 45 minutes. It is also more focused on the story, rather than the music, with the aim of making it more understandable and entertaining for everyone.

Il Trovatore was directed by Francesco Gabrielli and starred Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli in the lead role of Manrico. The opera was recorded live at the Teatro Regio di Parma in Italy, and was made available to stream on Amazon Music Unlimited and Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories.

What is Il Trovatore?

Il Trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with an Italian libretto largely written by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El trovador (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez. It was gutiérrez’s most successful play, one which Verdi preferred for its imaginative and poetic qualities over his serious drama.

What is the story of Il Trovatore?

The story of Il Trovatore is set in medieval Spain and concerns the love triangle between the Gypsy woman Azucena, the Count di Luna, and Manrico, the Count’s enemy.

Azucena tells Manrico that she is his mother, and he pledges his life to revenge her wrongful execution. In the gypsy camp, Azucena tells him the story of how she came to be there.

A belief prevalent at the time held that if a mother burned her child’s body, her own life would be prolonged. Azucena had intended to burn the body of di Luna’s brother, but mistakenly burned her own son’s instead.

When di Luna demands that Azucena be burned at the stake, she is saved by Manrico, who then kidnaps di Luna’s betrothed, Leonora. Di Luna unsuccessfully attempts to save her from Manrico by besieging the castle where they are hiding. In the end, all four main characters die.

What are the main characters in Il Trovatore?

Il Trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano. The story is set in Spain during the 14th century. It tells the story of love and revenge during the tragic times of the Inquisition.

The main characters in Il Trovatore are:
-Manrico: A troubadour and rebel against the Count di Luna. He is in love with Leonora.
-Leonora: A noblewoman who is loved by both Manrico and the Count di Luna.
-Count di Luna: A nobleman who is jealous of Manrico and determined to have Leonora for himself.
-Azucena: A gypsy woman who is mother to Manrico. She was previously imprisoned by the Count di Luna’s men and seeks revenge upon him.

What is the music of Il Trovatore like?

Il Trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano. It was based on the play El Trovador (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez. The premiere took place at the Teatro Apollo in Rome on 19 January 1853.

The music of Il Trovatore is characterized by Verdi’s use of Il trovatore: An Operatic Masterpiece | Authentic Self-Expression through Singing grandiose melodies, dramatic choruses, and impassioned arias, as well as his skillful orchestration.

What is the libretto of Il Trovatore?

Il Trovatore is an epic opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with an Italian libretto by Salvadore Cammarano. The libretto was based on a play, El trovador, by Antonio García Gutiérrez. The play itself was based on the poem El trovador (1836) by Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra.

The opera tells the story of the families of two feuding noblemen in 15th century Spain. One family, the Gypsies, are outcasts who live on the margins of society. The other family, the Trovatores, are a proud and noble clan. The two families are brought together by a tragic series of events, culminating in a final duel between the men of each clan.

The opera is noted for its passionate and dramatic music, as well as its striking visual design. It is one of Verdi’s most popular works, and continues to be performed around the world to this day.

What is the history of Il Trovatore?

Il Trovatore is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with an Italian libretto largely written by Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El trovador (1836) by Antonio García Gutiérrez. It was gutiérrez’s most successful play, one which Verdi scholar Julian Budden describes as “a high flown, sprawling melodrama flamboyantly exotic in location and murderous in action”.

The first performance of Il Trovatore took place at the Teatro Apollo in Rome on 19 January 1853 and was an immediate success. Despite the apparent simplicity of its story and the small number of principal characters, this opera has always been one of Verdi’s most popular works; he himself declared that it was his best composition. Il Trovatore is now part of the standard operatic repertoire worldwide and is regularly performed.

What are some of the famous recordings of Il Trovatore?

Il Trovatore is one of the most popular and oft-performed operas of all time, and there are many excellent recordings to choose from. Here are a few of the most famous (and controversial) recordings of Il Trovatore:

-The 1951 recording featuring Maria Callas, Giuseppe Di Stefano, and Tito Gobbi is considered by many to be the definitive recording of the opera. Callas’s performance as Leonora is particularly lauded.
-The 1964 recording featuring Placido Domingo, Joan Sutherland, and Sherrill Milnes is also highly regarded, although some consider Sutherland’s voice to be too light for the role of Leonora.
-The 1985 recording featuring Jessye Norman, Luciano Pavarotti, and Leo Nucci is controversial because of the use of synthesized orchestra sounds, but many consider it to be a moving performance nonetheless.

Conclusion

Amazon Music Opera: Il Trovatore is a delightful and quite moving opera that should be in every music lover’s collection. It tells the story of a tragic love triangle against the backdrop of the Spanish Inquisition, and features some of Verdi’s most beautiful and dramatic music. The cast is excellent, and conductor Antonio Pappano gets superb performances from everyone involved. This album is highly recommended.