il Trovatore

Leonora, the main female character of Il trovatore, embodies like no other Verdian heroine absolute devotion and faithfulness, until her ultimate sacrifice to save her lover. One of the most tragic roles of the bel canto repertoire, it is very vocally demanding, requiring a wide ambitus and virtuosity. Having triumphed in Leonora on all world stages, Maria Callas bade farewell to the role in this stunning recorded version, conducted by Karajan and surrounded by a five-star vocal cast.

In memory of Elena Obraztsova (7 July 1939 – 12 January 2015)

Giuseppe Verdi - Il Trovatore [BluRay Untouched]
Marcello Alvarez / Sondra Radvanovsky / The Metropolitan Orchestra & Chorus / Marco Amiliato
MPEG-4 AVC, 1080p, 1.78:1 | DTS-HD MA 5.1, PCM Stereo @ 24Bit | Full Artwork: 193 MB
Label/Cat#: Deutsche Grammophon # 00440 073 4797 GH | Country/Year: Europe 2012 | Size: 45,01 GB | 5% Recovery Info
Genre: Classical | Style: Opera, Romantic, HiDef

…These performances come together brilliantly in this impressive recording. With the nicely balanced Met orchestra reproduced effectively here, the sound sometimes evokes the carefully voiced balances of studio recordings. Yet this is a live performance in which the musicians’ fine interactions add to the excitement. While some would hold that Il trovatore requires the finest principals for an effective performance, this recording also suggests that the sense of theatricality Verdi infused in this score affects the singers and drives them to give the intensely moving performances found in this exceptional release. More than that, the visual dimensions are enhanced with shots and angles that take the viewer to the stage. It is difficult not to become involved in this production through this well-crafted disc.

A great debut makes an impression that remains in your memory for a lifetime. But how often do you hear two amazing debuts in one performance? That’s what happened more than forty years ago when Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli made simultaneous Met debuts in Il Trovatore before a delirious public. A week later, the February 4, 1961, Saturday matinee Trovatore was broadcast live on the Texaco-Metropolitan Opera radio network. New York had been hit by a major snowstorm, but the house was packed with an enthusiastic audience, alerted by the reviews to the sensational new singers.

Between 1960 and 1981, the music label Deutsche Grammophon recorded the eight greatest operas composed by Verdi at La Scala in Milan, the home of Italian operas. World’s leading singers and conductors were involved in the recording. The result provides you with the best possible way to get familiar with Verdi’s operas....

Verdi, child of the people, king of popular opera, began life as the son of an innkeeper. He was brought up in modest circumstances. He first received lessons from the village priest, who was amazed by the young musician’s talents. Verdi’s musical education was rounded and complete: at the age of sixteen, the composer wrote fugues, masses and symphonies, which he would later destroy. As he met with reticence in Milan, he settled in Busseto where he fell victim to the pettiness of the town. However, his strong willpower enabled him to pursue his musical path without paying heed to what people said.