Il Trovatore - DVD

Verdi's opera of passion, blood, fire and vengeance comes to the stage in an atmospheric production by David Bosch. A quartet of world-class singers bring the principal characters of this searing opera to life. Gregory Kunde stars as the troubadour Manrico, with Lianna Haroutounian as his courageous lover Leonora. Vitaliy Bilyy is the tyrannical Count di Luna, the man who wants Leonora for himself, and Anita Rachvelishvili is Azucena, the mysterious gypsy woman unable to reveal the secret that torments her. Richard Farnes conducts the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House and Royal Opera Chorus in this exploration of love, cruelty, intense passion and revenge. InchThe evening's musical credentials are unequivocally outstanding. The soloists are very strong with two performances standing out in particular. The first comes from Vitaliy Bilyy who is making his Royal Opera debut as the Count di Lunaand who combines a deep, rich and secure baritone with a suitably commanding presence... The second comes from Anita Rachvelishvili as Azucena who displays a rich and nuanced mezzo-soprano, and whose voice and acting mark out the weight of sorrow and resolve that she constantly carries...Inch (Opera Online)

Jose Cura, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Yvonne Naef, and Veronica Villaroel star in this Royal Opera House production of the Verdi opera conducted by Carlo Rizzi.

Love and revenge are fatally interwoven in Il trovatore, and barely any character survives the somber action. Based on a Spanish play in the tradition of gothic horror, it proved to be a triumph for Verdi. Within a few years it saw performances in major opera houses across the world and remains one of the most popular operas in international repertoire.