CONSIDERING THAT "IL TROVATORE" RECEIVED ITS WORLD PREMIERE IN ROME IN JAQNUARY 1853 AND EVER SINCE HAS HAD ALL THE LEADING WORLD CLASS SINGERS IN THE EACH OF THE LEAD ROLES FLAUNTING THEIR ULTIMATE BEST, IT IS NO WONDER THAT ITS POPULARITY IS AMONG THE THE TOP ECHELON OF OPERAS. CARUSO, ROSA PONSELLE AND RUFFO OF ONE GENERATION AND DEL MONACO,, FRANCO CORELLI, BJORLING, BASTIANINI, LEONARD WARREN, ROBERT MERRILL MILANOV, TEBALDI, AND LEONTYNE PRICE, A MORE CONTEMPORANEUS TROUPE HAVE ALL LEFT THEIR MARK OF HISTORIC PERFORMANCES. KUDOS TO THE PRINCIPALS, FROM THE VERY OPENING WITH CHRSTOPHOROS STAMBOGLIS AS FERRANDO, THE SPECTACULAR ANGELA MEADE AS LEONORA, THE ALWAYS EXCITING VOICE OF STEPHANIE BLYTHE, THE MANLY HEROIC TIMBRE OF MARCO BERTI AS MANRICO, THE RICH , FULL-TONED BARITONE OF ALEXEY MARKOV AS COUNT DI LINA AND MAESTRO DANIELE CALLEGARI, WHO PROPELLED THE LIVELY PERFORMANCE WITH VIGOROUS QUASI-FAST TEMPI WHICH RIGHTFULLY GAVE A SPIRITED SPONTANEITY Having sung the Manrico, I personally can testify to the sumptuous feast the role offers in dramaturgy, vocal range, and every expressable emotion. I direct the Richard Wagner Music Drama Institute, where vocal production, and all the acting roles of Shakespeare and the opera roles of Wagner. are taught. My composing skills I owe in great degree to Roger Goeb, the PUlitzer Prize winner who taught at Juilliard. My operas are "Shakespeare" and "The Political Shakespeare" using monologues in their original texts from the Bard's plays. www.WagnerOpera.com

Here's a chance for those who can attend the Met to hear "Il Trovatore" almost uncut, a rarity, as those of us with extensive recording collections can attest to. I liked Daniele Callegari's dynamic and fast tempos ... things happen very fast in "Il Trovatore"... and I also liked the accentuation and phrasing throughout. I never heard the two or three bars of music before the regular ending of the Act II "Soldiers' Chorus" before. The fortissimo tremolos in the 'cellos and contrabasses when Azucena tells Di Luna he killed his brother were thrilling and dramatic. I look forward to hearing anything the Maestro conducts in the future. I thought Angela Meade was again very impressive: I've never heard the cabaletta beginning "Di tale amor, che dirsi mai puo' ddlla parola" sung with the run from the high C down to the low A flat (right below middle C) either live or on historical or more recent recordings. Part of "Di Quella Pira" was cut: Leonora's part followed by the second stanza, picking up at "All'armi!" to the end. I don't know where the tradition started with having Manrico double Leonora's line at the end of Act II. at "sei tu ciel disceso, o in ciel son io conte", but I always like hearing the two together here anyway. I enjoyed Leonora, Count di Luna and Ferrando the most this afternoon, and as always, the chorus, but some persistent pitch problems presented themselves throughout in a couple of the principle characters.

Correcting a typo: "Le Trouvere" is not forgiving!

"Le Trouvere" ne pardonne pas... (is not gorgiving....)
Angela Meade is a gem...the rest, ahem...

unable to play this opera CAN ACCESS ALL OTHER QXR AND NYC FILES. I have refreshed multiple times.

CBC one of my very favorites. Hope the singers are up to it. Can't keep Price & Corelli out of my mind - they were magic together, Enjoy Beduzza!!!