GIUSEPPE VERDI
IL TROVATORE
CONTENTS
P.
4
SYNOPSIS P.
7
FEELING THE HEAT OF THE SOUTH DANIELE ABBADO IN AN INTERVIEW P.
10
BIOGRAPHY SALVADORE CAMMARANO P.
12
LET THE TROUBADOUR HAVE HIS STRENGTHS...
P.
18
TROVATORE WITH AND WITHOUT A SWORD OLIVER LÁNG P.
24
THE REVENGE VIRUS AND ITS ARCHETYPES ROTRAUD A. PERNER P.
30
A TRUE STORY KONRAD PAUL LIESSMANN P.
36
IMPRINT
GIUSEPPE VERDI
IL TROVATORE OPERA in four parts Libretto SALVADORE CAMMARANO
ORCHESTRA
piccolo / flute 2 oboes / 2 clarinets 2 bassoons / 4 horns 2 trumpets / 3 trombones cimbasso / percussion violin I / violin II viola / cello / double bass 2 horns / small drum organ / harp / bells
STAGE MUSIC
WORLD PREMIÈRE 19 JAN 1853 Teatro Apollo, Rome AUSTRIAN PREMIÈRE 11 MAY 1854 Kärntnertor Theatre PREMIÈRE AT THE HOUSE ON THE RING 21 SEP 1869 Vienna Court Opera DURATION
3H
INCL. 1 INTERMISSION
I L T ROVAT OR E
SYNOPSIS Long ago, the previous Spanish Count di Luna had an old woman burned at the stake because he believed she was responsible for bewitching his younger son, little García. Out of revenge, Azucena, the old woman’s daughter, abducted García. Shortly thereafter, the charred skeleton of a child was found. The old count refused to believe that García was dead and, shortly before he died, made his older son swear never to give up looking for his missing brother. Fifteen years later, civil war was raging in Spain, and the remaining older son – now Count di Luna – had become a soldier. The troubadour Manrico, who believes himself to be Azucena’s son, is fighting for the other side. Manrico and di Luna also find themselves confronting each other in the field of love: both are in love with the lady-in-waiting Leonora, who for her part loves Manrico. One night Leonora hears Manrico singing close by in the palace garden; she runs to meet him. Confused in the dark, she throws herself into the arms of the man whom she recognises too late as Count di Luna. Thus, he finds out that Leonora is in love with Manrico. Manrico also comes running, whereupon di Luna challenges him to duel. Di Luna is defeated, but Manrico spares his life. Sometime later, Manrico is present when Azucena experiences a vision in which she once again lives through the terrible death of her mother at the stake. Half out of her mind, Azucena admits that she vengefully thrust a child into the flames – but through a terrible mistake she burned her own child and not the abducted child. She is however able to allay Manrico’s mounting doubts: he is her son.
Previous pages: SCENE
4
SYNOPSIS
When Leonora receives the false report that Manrico was defeated in the duel, she decides to enter a convent. To prevent her from doing so, di Luna plans to kidnap her. However, he is stopped by Manrico, who takes the opportunity to flee with Leonora to Castellor castle, of which he has been appointed commander. When Azucena tries to make her way to Manrico, she is captured by di Luna’s followers. Manrico sets out to free her, but also falls into the hands of his enemy. In despair, Leonora offers herself to di Luna if he will pardon Manrico. Di Luna happily accepts this proposition, little knowing that Leonora has taken poison to avoid having to spend her life with the Count, whom she does not love. She manages to inform her beloved Manrico about his pardon before dying in his arms. Furious, di Luna orders that Manrico be executed. The execution has scarcely taken place when Azucena spits the words at him: “that was your brother.”
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