Il Trovatore Clips

For those who were not in Berlin like me, Here are a couple of clips that were put on Youtube. Enjoy!

Gaston Rivero To Sing Manrico

After a number of days without a Manrico at the Berlin State Opera, the company has announced that Gaston Rivero will sing the role. Daniel Barenboim scrambled for a tenor to sing the title role and with all the big superstars busy, Rivero was the only singer available. We wish him good luck!

2014 Salzburg Festival Plans

Alexander Perriera has previewed the 2014 Salzburg Festival and promises a lot of surprises. The director said that he is planning a new production of Il Trovatore with Anna Netrebko, Placido Domingo and Francesco Meli. He is also planning a new production of Der Rosenkavalier with Zubin Mehta conducting. There will also be a Don Giovanni production and Scubert's Fierrabras. On the concert schedule there will be a full cycle of Bruckner sypmphonies, conducted by the likes of Daniel Barenboim, Riccardo Muti, Daniele Gatti, Riccardo Chailly, Philippe Jordan, Bernard Haitink and Christoph Eschenbach. No details have been revealed yet but more will come in November. 

Anna Netrebko to Sing Lady Macbeth at the Met

Anna Netrebko has revealed her future plans for the upcoming season. She revealed that she has already signed a contract with the Met to sing Lady Macbeth and that she will do a new production of Il Trovatore in Salzburg. She also said she would sing Manon Lescaut with Riccardo Muti conducting and would also sing Adriana Lecrouveur. She also plans on singing the role of Elsa in Lohengrin and the four last songs. For more information click here.

Il Trovatore Live Stream

On July 5th the Bayerische Staatsoper will present Il Trovatore on their Live Stream TV. The opera stars Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros, Elena Manistina and Alexey Markov. Paolo Carignani conducts the new production by Oliver Py. For more information on the Live stream click here.

Anna Netrebko in Il Trovatore

Today Anna Netrebko gave us a preview of "Tacea la Notte." She will make her role debut as Leonora this November. I am posting both arias on this page. Please tell us what you think of Netrebko's Leonora so far.


2013 Red Square 

2011 Sommer nachtsmusik Concert

Duet with Hvorostovsky 

Berlin Il Trovatore Pictures from Wiener Festwochen

The first image of Il Trovatore from Berlin has been revealed. The images come from the Wiener Festwochen. From the looks of the pictures, Philipp Stolzl has set the work in the Elizabethan times. It should be interesting to see Placido Domingo and Anna Netrebko in these frocks.  

Blythe is ill!

Elena Manistina will make her Met debut as Azucena in the Saturday, January 19 evening performance of Verdi’sIl Trovatore, replacing Stephanie Blythe, who is ill.

Netrebko vs Domingo in Il Trovatore

According to La Cieca it was announced that Placido Domingo will sing Il Conte di Luna in Il Trovatore alongside Anna Netrebko in November. The production would be staged in Berlin and would mark the role debut of Netrebko and Domingo in their respective roles. A Tenor and Mezzo have yet to be revealed. 

Meade to the Rescue

“Angela Meade will sing the role of Leonora in tomorrow afternoon’s performance of Verdi’s Il Trovatore, replacing Patricia Racette, who is ill. The performance will be broadcast worldwide over the Toll Brothers-Metropolitan Opera Radio Network. As previously scheduled, Meade will also sing the role on Wednesday, January 16.”

Met Opera Review: "Splendid Cast Salvages Routine Staging"

(For October 12, 2012 performance)

For years, Il Trovatore was absent from the Met repertoire due to poor productions. But over the last few years, the opera has been one of the Met’s most popular repertory staples. The David McVicar production was inaugurated on February 16, 2009 to rave reviews. Critics clamored over how the production maintained the steady pace of this fast moving melodrama. But the greatest praise that McVicar received was for finally giving the Met an appropriate Trovatore Production.

Three years later, the appeal is still there, but it has certainly faded. Gone is the energy that had carried it through its first season. Back then, the sets were vibrant with mood and tone. Now their minimalism looks dull and bland. The one scene that still packs a punch is the gypsy encampment at the start of Act 2. The activity of the famous Anvil Chorus and the bright colors add stark contrast to the muted and gray colors of the other scenes. Obviously Trovatore is a dark drama and an appropriate palette is necessary, but many of the sets feel tacked on and unfinished. Act one’s castle is passable if only because the soldiers and narration of Ferrando help the cause. But the second scene which sets up the main conflict between Di Luna and Manrico for Leonora’s love is bare and lacking in any dynamism. The rotating set does help speed up the proceedings, but does not necessarily enlighten or refresh them.

It is completely unfair to blame McVicar’s sets for the routine vibe that the set gave off last Friday. Trovatore is undoubtedly a hard sing for all those involved, but stage director Paula Williams was either rushed to direct anything or ultimately had no ideas and was disinterested in the material. When there was some staged action it lacked authenticity and felt tacked on. It would immediately be easy to blame the actors, but I don’t honestly believe it was their fault. The direction seemed disinterested and lacked the energy of the drama unfolding onstage

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Guanqun Yu makes her Met debut earlier!

The Met has just announced that: Guanqun Yu will make her Met debut as Leonora in Verdi’s Il Trovatore on September 29 matinee, replacing Carmen Giannattasio who is ill.”

Il Trovatore opens tomorrow!

The Celebrated soprano Carmen Giannattasio makes her long awaited Met debut in the role of Leonora in Verdi's Il Trovatore. Veteran mezzo Dolora Zajick returns to her signature role as Azucena, Gwyn Hughes Jones sings the title role of Manrico and Franco Vassallo sings the Count. Danielle Callegari conducts the acclaimed David McVicar production. 

For more information on Il Trovatore check out our preview linked here.

To find out more about Il Trovatore DVD click here.

To find out more on Carmen Giannattasio click here.

More Met pictures

The Met released more pictures today and I have a feeling there will lots to come as the season opening comes closer. The following show more L'Elisir d'Amore and more backstage of Turandot and Il Trovatore.

Il Trovatore Preview 2012-2013 Season

David McVicar's crowd pleasing Trovatore returns with a cast of up and coming stars which include Gwyn Hughes-Jones, Carmen Giannattasio and Alexey Markov

The Production

For years the Met had suffered from terrible productions of Il Trovatore from Fabrizio Melano and Grahm Vick. They were unable to tell the story that has become known for its complicated plot and its complex characters. In 2009, 6 years after the last Trovatore had been shown, the Met unvealed a new production by David McVicar and quickly became a critic and audience darling. The production has only missed one season and has been easily cast. Set in the Spanish Civil War, McVicar's sets uses a rotating turntable to easily move the action forward. The backdrops draw inspiration from “The Disasters of War,” Goya’s series of etchings and give the production a consistent and harrowing look. Having seen the production twice I was absolutely convinced the first time by its direction, and its imagery. As critics stated I believed the Trovatore "curse was broken." However the second time I was bored as the sets looked like drab and ultimately failed to provide any new insight. I don't know if it was because the cast was nothing special or because the production is ultimately a one shot deal. However what I do know is no matter how good a production is, the cast is ultimately what matters when it comes to this opera.