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Music by Guiseppe Verdi
Libretto by Salvadore Cammarano
Conducted by Giacomo Sagripanti
Directed by Adele Thomas
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| Agnieszka Rehlis |
Il Trovatore, one of Verdi’s greatest compositions hails back to a golden age of fabulous storytelling. By todays’ standards this yarn of passion, jealousy, a gypsy’s curse and suicide - not forgetting the misogyny - would not even make it past a first draft. But Cammarano’s lyrics and Verdi’s music lift this melodramatic narrative into an evening of beauty that is driven by a spectacular cast.
Michael Fabiano is Manrico, Aleksei Isaev is his rival in love, the Count di Luna. Rachel Willis-Sørensen sings the role of Leonora, the object or both men’s desires, while Agnieszka Rehlis sings Azucena. If you are familiar with the story, you will understand the interactions of those characters. If you’re new to the tale - just head to the Royal Opera House to discover them for yourselves - you won't be disappointed!
While Giacomo Sagripanti conducts magnificently and Adele Thomas’ direction is assured and perceptive, the curiously clad Chorus prove a dystopian distraction.
Playing on a handful of dates until March 22nd - and with the Anvil Chorus too, what’s not to love about this operatic treat?
Photo credit: Camilla Greenwell
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