Il trovatore (The Troubadour) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Leone Emanuele Bardare and Salvatore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez. A troubadour ( IPA:, originally) was a composer and performer of Occitan Lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100&ndash1350 Opera is an art form in which Singers and Musicians perform a Dramatic work (called an opera which combines a text (called a Libretto A libretto is the text used in an extended Musical work such as an Opera, Operetta, Masque, sacred or secular Oratorio and Salvatore Cammarano (born Naples, 19 March 1801 - died Naples 17 July 1852) was a prolific Italian Librettist A play, or stageplay, is a form of Literature written by a Playwright, almost always consisting of Dialogue between Fictional characters Antonio García Gutiérrez ( July 5 1812, Chiclana de la Frontera, Cádiz &mdash August 6 1884, Madrid) was a
It was first performed at the Teatro Apollo, Rome on 19 January 1853. The Tor di Nona &mdash now a small area in Rome 's Rione V called " Ponte " which lies in the heart of the city's historic center between Rome ( Roma ˈroma Roma is the capital city of Italy and Lazio, and is Italy's largest and most populous city with more than 2 Events 1419 - Hundred Years' War: Rouen surrenders to Henry V of England completing his reconquest of Normandy. In 1857 Verdi revised the opera for Paris as Le trouvère and added a ballet. Click here for Indian Rebellion of 1857 Year 1857 ( MDCCCLVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the Ballet is a formalized form of Dance with its origins in the French court further developed in France and Russia as a Concert dance
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Performance history
On many different occasions, this opera and its music has been featured in various forms of popular culture and entertainment. Scenes of hilarious comic chaos play out over a performance of the opera in the Marx Brothers's film, A Night at the Opera, while, on a more serious note, the opening sequence of Luchino Visconti's 1954 film Senso features a performance at La Fenice. The Marx Brothers were a popular team of sibling Comedians who appeared in Vaudeville, stage plays film and television A Night at the Opera is a 1935 Comedy film starring Groucho Marx, Chico Marx, Harpo Marx, Kitty Carlisle, Luchino Visconti di Modrone, Count of Lonate Pozzolo ( November 2, 1906 - March 17, 1976) was an Italian Senso is a 1954 Film adaptation of Camillo Boito 's Italian Novella, Senso, by the Italian Teatro La Fenice ("The Phoenix " is an Opera house in Venice, Italy. Noting that the opera is very easy to produce, Enrico Caruso once said that "All you need is the four best singers in the world. Enrico Caruso (born Errico Caruso; February 25 1873 &ndash August 2 1921) was an Italian Opera singer "
As a staple of the standard operatic repertoire, it appears on Opera America's list of the 20 most-performed operas in North America[1], at number 17. Opera America, officially OPERA America, is a service organization in North America promoting the creation presentation and enjoyment of Opera.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, January 19, 1853[2] (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Count di Luna, a nobleman in the service of the Prince of Aragon |
baritone | Giovanni Guicciardi |
| Manrico, a troubadour and officer in the army of the Prince of Urgel |
tenor | Carlo Baucarde |
| Azucena, a gypsy, supposedly Manrico's mother | mezzo-soprano or contralto | Emilia Goggi |
| Leonora, noble lady, in love with Manrico and courted by Di Luna |
soprano | Rosina Penco |
| Ferrando, Luna's officer | bass | Arcangelo Balderi |
| Ines, Leonora's confidante | soprano | Francesca Quadri |
| Ruiz, Manrico's henchman | tenor | Giuseppe Bazzoli |
| An old gypsy | bass | Raffaele Marconi |
| A messenger | tenor | Luigi Fani |
| Leonora's friends, nuns, the Count's lackeys, warriors, Gypsies | ||
Synopsis
- Place: Biscay and Aragon (Spain)
- Time: Fifteenth century. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. The tenor is the highest male voice within the Modal register, just above the Baritone voice This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. This article is related to a series of articles under the main article Voice type. Population Of the 1133444 people who live in Biscay about 35% live in the capital Bilbao and 88% in its metropolitan area. Aragon ( Spanish: "Aragón") is an autonomous community of Spain. Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. [3]
Act I: The Duel
Scene 1: The guard room in the castle of Luna (The Palace of Aljaferia, Zaragoza, Spain)
Ferrando, the captain of the guards, orders his men to keep watch while Count di Luna wanders restlessly beneath the windows of Leonora, lady-in-waiting to the Princess. The Aljafería Palace ( Arabic: قصر الجعفرية Qasr Aljafariya Spanish: Palacio de la Aljafería) is a fortified palace built during the Zaragoza, also called Saragossa in English, is the capital city of the Zaragoza province and of the autonomous community and former Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Di Luna loves Leonora, and is jealous of his successful rival, the troubadour Manrico. A troubadour ( IPA:, originally) was a composer and performer of Occitan Lyric poetry during the High Middle Ages (1100&ndash1350 In order to keep the guards awake, Ferrando narrates the history of the count to the guard. (Aria: "Di due figli vivea padre beato") It appears that a gypsy had once bewitched the little brother of the count, making the child weak and ill, and for this had been burnt alive as a witch. The Romani people (singular Rom, plural Roma as a Noun; also known as Romanies or Roma people) are an ethnic group with origins Dying, she had commanded her daughter Azucena to avenge her, which she did by carrying off the younger brother. Although the burnt bones of a child were found in the ashes of the pyre, the father refused to believe in his son's death; dying, he commanded Count di Luna to seek the gypsy.
Scene 2: Garden in the palace of the princess
Leonora confesses her love for Manrico to her confidante, Ines. ("Tacea la notte placida". . . "Di tale amor"). When they have gone, Count di Luna hears the voice of his rival (Manrico, behind the scenes: "Deserto sulla terra"). While Leonora in the darkness mistakes the count for her lover, Manrico himself enters the garden, and she rushes to his arms. The count recognises Manrico as his enemy, who has been condemned to death, and compels him to fight. Leonora tries to intervene, but cannot stop them from fighting (Trio: "Di geloso amor sprezzato").
Act 2: The Gypsy Woman
Scene 1: The gypsies' camp
While Manrico sits at the bedside of his mother, Azucena, the gypsies sing the famous Anvil Chorus (Chorus: "Vedi le fosche notturne"). The Anvil Chorus is the English term for the Coro di zingari ( Italian gypsy chorus) a piece of Music from Act 2 Scene She is the daughter of the Gypsy burnt by the count and, although old, still nurses her vengeance. (Aria: "Stride la vampa") The Gypsies break camp while Azucena confesses to Manrico that after stealing him she had intended to burn the count's little son, but had thrown her own child into the flames instead (Aria: "Condotta ell'era in ceppi"). Manrico realises that he is not the son of Azucena, but loves her as if she were indeed his mother, as she has always been faithful and loving to him. Manrico tells Azucena that he defeated Di Luna in their duel, but was held back from killing him by a mysterious power (Duet: "Mal reggendo") A messenger arrives and reports that Leonora, who believes Manrico dead, is about to enter a convent and take the veil that night. Manrico rushes away to prevent her from carrying out this purpose.
Scene 2: In front of the convent
Di Luna and his attendants intend to abduct Leonora and the Count sings of his love for her (Aria: "Il balen del suo sorriso" . . . "Per me ora fatale"). Leonora and the nuns appear in procession, but Manrico prevents Di Luna from carrying out his plans and instead, takes Leonora away with him.
Act 3: The Son of the Gypsy Woman
Scene 1: Di Luna's camp
(Chorus: "Or co' dadi ma fra poco") Ferrando brings in the captured Azucena. She is recognised by Di Luna and sentenced to be burnt.
Scene 2: A chamber in the castle
Leonora and Manrico live only for each other. (Aria, Manrico: "Ah si, ben mio coll'essere") Ruiz, Manrico's comrade, reports that Azucena is to be burned at the stake. Manrico rushes to her aid (Stretta: "Di quella pira l'orrendo foco"). Leonora faints.
Act 4: The Punishment
Scene 1: Before the dungeon keep
Leonora attempts to free Manrico, who has been captured by Di Luna (Aria: "D'amor sull'ali rosee", Chorus & Duet: "Miserere"). Leonora begs Di Luna for mercy and offers herself in place of her lover. She promises to give herself to the count, but secretly intends die first by taking poison (Duet: "Mira, d'acerbe lagrime").
Scene 2: In the dungeon
Manrico and Azucena are awaiting their execution. Manrico attempts to soothe Azucena, whose mind wanders (Duet: "Ai nostri monti ritorneremo") At last the gypsy slumbers. Leonora comes to Manrico and tells him that he is saved, begging him to escape. When he discovers she cannot accompany him, he refuses to leave his prison. He believes Leonora has betrayed him until he realizes that she has taken poison to remain true to him. As she dies in agony in Manrico's arms she confesses (Aria: "Tu vedrai che amore in terra") that she prefers to die with him than to marry another. (Quartet: "Prima che d'altri vivere") The count enters to find Leonora dead in his rival's arms and orders Manrico to be led to execution. Azucena arises from her couch and when Di Luna, dragging her to a window, shows her the dying Manrico, she cries in triumph: "He was your brother. You are avenged,oh mother!" The opera ends with the count screaming in despair, at the same time as Azucena, "E vivo ancor!" ("And yet I am still alive!")
Selected recordings
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Thank you--> Luciano Pavarotti, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI ( October 12, WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes --> Dame Joan Alston Sutherland, OM, AC, DBE (born 7 November 1926 The American Opera singer Marilyn Horne (b January 16 1934 Bradford Pennsylvania) is a Mezzo-soprano who is particularly associated with Richard Bonynge, CBE (last name pronounced "bonning" (born 29 September 1930 is an Australian Conductor and pianist The Kingsway Hall, Holborn, London, built in 1912 was the home of the West London Mission of the Methodist Church, and eventually became one The National Philharmonic Orchestra is a British Orchestra created exclusively for recording purposes Piero Cappuccilli ( November 9, 1929 - July 12, 2005) was an Italian operatic Baritone WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes --> José Plácido Domingo Embil KBE (born January 21, 1941) better Raina Kabaivanska (Райна Кабаиванска ( December 15, 1934) is a Bulgarian opera singer one of the leading lirico-spinto Sopranos Fiorenza Cossotto is an Italian Mezzo soprano. She is considered by many to be one of the great mezzo-sopranos of the 20th century WikipediaWikiProject Classical music#Biographical_infoboxes --> Herbert von Karajan ( April 5 The Vienna State Opera ( Wiener Staatsoper) located in Vienna, Austria, is one of the most important Opera houses - and opera companies - in The Vienna Philharmonic (in German: die Wiener Philharmoniker) is an Orchestra in Austria, regularly considered one of the finest in the formerly, is a Japanese company that manufactures electronic materials Electronic components and recording and data-storage media, and markets them globally Giorgio Zancanaro ( May 9, 1939) is an Italian Baritone, particularly associated with the Italian repertory especially Verdi. WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes --> José Plácido Domingo Embil KBE (born January 21, 1941) better Rosalind Anne Plowright OBE (born 21 May 1949) is an English Opera singer who spent much of her career as a Soprano but later returned Carlo Maria Giulini ( May 9, 1914 &ndash June 14, 2005) was an Italian conductor, and violist. The Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia is one of the best-known orchestras in Italy. Deutsche Grammophon is a German classical Record label. The company has long been known for its high standards of audio fidelity. Vladimir Chernov (born September 22, 1953) is a Russian Baritone, particularly associated with the Russian and Italian Opera repertories WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes --> José Plácido Domingo Embil KBE (born January 21, 1941) better Aprile Millo (born April 14, 1958) is an American Lirico spinto soprano of Italian and Irish ancestry best known WikipediaWikiProject Opera#Infoboxes --> Dolora Zajick (born 24 March 1952 in Salem Oregon) is an James Lawrence Levine (born 23 June 1943) is an American orchestral conductor and pianist. The Metropolitan Opera Association of New York City, founded in April 1880 is a major presenter of all types of opera including Grand Opera. is a multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato Tokyo, Japan, and one of the world's largest Media conglomerates with com product reference number.
References
- ^ OPERA America's "The Top 20" list of most-performed operas
- ^ List of singers taken from Budden, Julian: The Operas of Verdi (Cassell), vol 2, p. 58.
- ^ The plot description is adapted from The Opera Goer's Complete Guide by Leo Melitz, 1921 version and from Osborne: The Complete Operas of Verdi.
- The Opera Goer's Complete Guide by Leo Melitz, 1921 version.
- Osborne, Charles. The Complete Operas of Verdi. Da Capo Press, New York. ISBN 0-306-80072-1
External links
- Recordings of Il trovatore rated
- MP3 Creative Commons Recording
- Libretto
- Aria database
- Further Il trovatore discography
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