For Leonora, the song of the troubadour Manrico holds the promise and glow of love; Manrico's rival Count Luna perceives in it threat and danger. Verdi's opera is a celebration of Italian opera singing at its best - so it is no coincidence that the title character is a singer himself. And yet for the composer, Azucena, Manrico's mother, was the real protagonist. Il trovatore is rich in dramatic intricacies and intense emotions, which Verdi abruptly juxtaposes in images and scenes. Tragedy relentlessly unfolds before our eyes and ears until the truth is revealed in the opera's final seconds.
Production: Annilese Miskimmon
Stage: Alex Eales
Costumes: Herbert Murauer
Lighting: James Farncombe
Dramaturgy: Ralf Waldschmidt
Chorus: Eberhard Friedrich