Instead of their romance helping bring peace between the combattants, their deaths exact the vengeance to which Azucena has devoted her life, and the cycle of violence surely continues. Manrico, an effective warrior for the rebel side, and Leonora, a woman of importance in the enemy sovereign’s court, have fallen in love. In “Trovatore” the vengeance motive transcends the love motive. Azucena and her dying mother both cry out for vengeance. The preceding events that we must know about are narrated in arias sung by Ferrando and by Azucena (the arrest and execution of Azucena’s mother the kidnapping and disappearance of an infant di Luna the accidental death by fire of Azucena’s infant son) or by Leonora (the arrival of a mysterious knight who wins a tournament and whom she has crowned victor and that knight’s subsequent night-time appearances to serenade her).ĭirector Miller has created effective flashbacks to the grisly deaths of Azucena’s mother and infant son through means of prominent silhouetted pantomimes that take place on a scrim at the back part of the stage. Much of the story that “Il Trovatore” is concerned with has taken place before the opening curtain. Miller’s presentation of the symbols of savagery (bodies are piled in the di Luna courtyard the ashes of the infant di Luna are carried around in a silver urn and are even used ritualistically).
Their excesses require that the sons and daughters of the both sides dedicate their lives to vengeance. ĭirector Dan Miller presents the events of “Trovatore” as the violence of two military and social forces engaged in warfare lasting more than a generation. Meade has established herself internationally as a performer of the first rank in the bel canto repertory. Washington State soprano Angela Meade’s performance displayed an ethereally beautiful voice in Leonora’s arias Tacea la notte placida and D’amor sull’ali rosee.
My review of the previous evening’s performance contains both my general comments on the production and for all of the performers except for the four artists discussed below. This report is of Sunday matinee, which was the Seattle Opera debut for each of the opera’s four principal artists – Angela Meade, Martin Muehle, Michael Mayes and Nora Sourouzian – who are scheduled also to sing the performances of January 19, 23 and 26, 2019. The Seattle Opera’s production of Verdi’s “Il Trovatore” casts two artists for the principal roles, each singing four of the eight scheduled performances, while other cast members perform their role eight times.
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