Afternoon at the Opera

Il Trovatore

 
three cast members performing on stairs on the stage

metopera.org

From The Metropolitan Opera website

In a remarkable career spanning six decades in the theater, Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901) composed 28 operas, at least half of which are at the core of today’s repertoire. Salvadore Cammarano (1801–1852) was one of the foremost librettists of his day. He collaborated with Donizetti (Lucia di Lammermoor, among others) and wrote the text for La Battaglia di Legnano and Luisa Miller for Verdi. After his death the Trovatore libretto was completed by fellow writer Leone Emanuele Bardare (1820–after 1874).

Verdi’s thrilling drama stars Angela Meade as Leonora, the young noblewoman at the center of the story, and Marcello Giordani as Manrico, the troubadour of the title. Dolora Zajick is the mysterious Gypsy Azucena and Juan Jesús Rodríguez sings Count di Luna, Manrico’s rival. Marco Armiliato conducts Sir David McVicar’s Goya-inspired production.

“Marco Armiliato drew sensitive, supple playing from the Met orchestra.”—New York Times