Giuseppe Verdi
“IL TROVATORE”
Premiere
9.5.2024
Conductor: Enrico Dovico (Italy)
Director: Ivan Popovski
Scenographer: Miodrag Tabachki (Serbia)
Costume designer: Marija Pupuchevska
Assistant conductor: Katerina Stojkovska
Assistant director: Trajko Jordanovski, Ljupka Jakimovska
Assistant costume designer: Angela Bogeska
Concert master: Kliment Todoroski
Choir master: Gjurgjica Dashikj, Jasmina Gjorgjeska
Accompanists: Elena Siljanovska, Janinka Nevcheva, Andreja Naunov, Jordan Petrushevski
Stage managers: Ljupco Polizov, Dragan Kostadinović, Marko Pavlevski
Prompter: Nevena Georgieva
PERFORMING:
Manrico: Zoran Sotirov
Count di Luna: Marjan Jovanoski
Leonora: Sandra Mitrovska
Azucena: Sanja Anastasia (Serbia)
Ferrando: Vladimir Sazdovski
Ruiz: Dejan Stoev
Ines: Ana Rojdeva
An old gypsy: Tihomir Jakimovski
A messenger: Jane Dunimagloski
The choir and orchestra of the National Opera and Ballet
Opera in 4 acts ( 8 scenes)
Libretto by S. Cammarano, on A Gutiérrez tragedy “El Trovador”
First performed – January 19, 1853 in Rome Italy
“Il Trovatore” premiere, when the audience greeted the performance with standing ovations, was one of the most successful premiere nights Verdi ever had. The story of the opera is extremely complex and not always logical, but Verdi manages with his music to make it subtler by emphasizing the most important moments of the drama. One of those moments counterbalance between the liberty of the Gypsy camp and the count of Luna brutal violence. The tunes of the Gypsy songs and the Manrico cabaletta turned into patriotic songs and hence moved to the city streets, and that was not without reason. The entire opera is interweaved with a specific melodic luxury and inspiration, but some music-dramaturgic effect ( for instance joining the several action views during the Miserere in the IV Act) are opening new prospects for the musical theater.
SYNOPSIS
Spain, XV century
Ferrando, the old soldier, narrates an ancient story of the kidnapped children, when the truth and imagination are intertwined.
In front of the Leonora’s castle, Manrico, the troubadour, and the count of Luna challenges each other. The gypsy camp. Manrico’s mother Azucena tells a story of an event from the past: her mother was alive burnt at the stake so she, Azucena, kidnapped the old count’s son. Manrico is perturbed and rises suspicion – is he the son of the Gypsy…
Leonora is lied that Manrico is dead. She decides to enter a convent. Count of Luna plans to abduct her. Manrico arrives with his soldiers and defeats Luna. Finally Manrico and Leonora can be together.
In the meantime, count of Luna prepares for his revenge. The lookouts at the count Luna military camp take a prisoner, a gypsy that Ferrando recognizes: she is Azucena, guilty of kidnapping count of Luna brother. Manrico hurries to save his mother, but he is taken prisoner due to his sluggish attack.
Leonora, realizing that Manrico is captured, decides to rescue him and offers herself to the count in exchange for her beloved’s life. Luna gives her permission to see Manrico for the last time. Leonora sucks delayed-action poison from a gem to keep herself from him. She arrives to the prison delivering the news of the freedom to Manrico and dies in her arms. Infuriate Luna orders the execution of Manrico. Azucena tells Luna – too late – that he had executed his own brother.