Andrea Bocelli's work in this Il Trovatore is remarkable. Power, nuance, accuracy, rich emotional range: his Manrico has all of these. If you take the word of those who for whatever reason want to see Bocelli fail (Jealousy? Inability to change an opinion? Ignorance of his current work? The mistaken notion that one person's success hurts another's chances?) and you miss this Il Trovatore, you are missing something phenomenal -Amazon-
Conductor Michael Hofstetter does a beautiful job bringing out the nuances from the Orchestra of Ludwigsburg Schlossfestspiele in Il Trovatore. This is evident from the thunderous roll of the timpani at the beginning of the opera, and the careful phrasing throughout the album. Every dynamic is observed, and the result is the high drama crucial to Verdi. The famous "Anvil Chorus" is another example of the orchestra's power to rouse the listener, as are the dark brass chords in the "Finale ultimo." The chorus, under the direction of Jan Hoffman, deserves equal praise.
Four internationally celebrated Verdians gather on the stage of The Royal Opera for an unforgettable night of music and drama. Tenor José Cura is thrilling as the freedom-fighting troubadour of the title; seductive baritone Dmitri Hvorostovsky is his nemesis Count di Lina; acclaimed soprano Verónica Vilarroel is the object of their love; and Yvonne Naef dazzles as the vengeful gypsy Azucena. Carlo Rizzi conducts, and Elijah Moshinsky’s lavish production, which updates the action to the mid-19th century, fills the stage with breathtaking fight sequences and grand sets.
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.
Joan Sutherland was at the height of her career when she took on the role of Leonora – arguably the most dramatic of all Verdi heroines – in 1983. Elijah Moshinsky’s production, in which he was ably supported by the Australian artist Sidney Nolans (set design), Luciana Arrighi (costumes) and Nick Chelton (lighting), was tailor-made for Sutherland, allowing Leonora to develop into a truly tragic heroine occupying the opera’s central ground. This performance at the Australian Opera, Sydney – and featuring a high quality cast under the baton of Richard Bonynge – was recorded by Australian Television on 2nd July 1983. Verdi’s powerful and passionate opera tells a tale of civil war and treachery.
Verdi can be a challenge both vocally and in terms of acting, but Pavarotti and Marton are sensational, and Milnes was still excellent although clearly near the end of his career. The lyric beauty is there side by side with the dramatic power. (Tony Adams)
Il Trovatore was always one of Herbert von Karajan‘s favourite operas. He conducted it at the very beginning of his career and his first studio recording in 1956 was made in Milan with Maria Callas and Giuseppe di Stefano, but „his“ Trovatore really made its mark in the legendary performances given at the Salzburg Festival in 1962, which formed the basis for this successful revival in Vienna. He once declared in an interview that what he loved about this opera was its archetypal human passions, its compression of highly dramatic situations into the smallest conceivable space and Verdi‘s genius for translating such situations into music.