Verdi’s Il Trovatore, which had its premiere in Rome in 1853, is the turbulent, emotion-charged story of a troubadour, his vengeful gypsy mother, and his devoted lover, who’s pursued aggressively by an evil commander. Unlikely coincidences and unreasonable characters define this Romantic opera, but that doesn’t matter: the real centerpiece is Verdi’s infectious score featuring melodic, well-known tunes like the “Anvil Chorus,” which is belted out to the beat of clanging metal tools.
In David McVicar’s Metropolitan Opera production, the action is set during the Peninsular War in Spain in the early 1800s (the original opera was set in the 15th century). Trovatore’s dark themes are heightened, to great effect, with bold, stark scenic design inspired by Goya’s etchings depicting the horrors of war (the distorted, open-mouthed faces from his 1821 painting “Pilgrimage to San Isidro” are featured on the show curtain). The towering and ominous sets include stairs leading from a solid gray wall of a castle, a hot and dusty gypsy camp on rocky terrain, and a caged dungeon surrounded by charred bodies of victims on stakes.
The tenor Marcelo Álvarez plays Manrico, the troubadour of the title and rebel forces leader, who was raised by a gypsy woman, Azucena (mezzo-soprano Marianne Cornetti). Azucena’s life is consumed by the memory of her mother, who was executed on accusations of witchery years ago. The baritone Zeljko Lucic is the army commander Count di Luna, who’s obsessed with Leonora, a beautiful noblewoman (soprano Patricia Racette). But she’s in love with Manrico. So, the Count plots to kill his rival, who’s in fact his brother, unbeknownst to both. There’s poison, stakes, swords, and guns galore.
There was gutsy, impassioned singing all around. Racette’s voice was warm, controlled, and powerful from her first aria, “Tacea la note placida,” in which she sings wistfully of her love for the troubadour. Lucic was an imposing Count, and his sound was rich and nuanced, especially in the lyrical aria “Il balen del suo sorriso,” where he describes his ardent passion for Leonora. Álvarez’s voice was filled with swells, shades and vibrant articulation, and he gave a soaring serenade in “Ah, sì, ben mio.” The Met’s new production of Il Trovatore is dramatic and fiery, and makes for a thrilling foray into a messy world of family ties, love, jealousy and revenge.
By Giuseppe Verdi, Produced by David McVicar, The Metropolitan Opera, Lincoln Center, www.metopera.org
