Abbado’s son gives Vienna its first 21st century Trovatore
mainDaniele Abbado’s new setting of Il Trovatore, the first new production since 2001 in the house where his father was once music director, resets Verdi’s masterpiece intriguingly in the Spanish civil war.
Netrebko sings Leonore. Ludovic Tézier is Conte di Luna. Roberto Alagna sings Manrico. Marco Armiliato conducts.
Slipped Disc will be there.
An Opera Australia production by the late Elke Neidhart some years ago set Trovatore in the Spanish Civil War, so maybe not so intriguing.
I believe Andrei Serban’s production for Opera North was also set in the Spanish Civil War
Why don’t opera directors stage works as intended by composers?
They used to have one by Istvan Szabo with a Nazi/WWII setting. It was pretty desperate stuff.
Yes, in 1993, the one conducted by Zubin Mehta on opening night. He fled after that. Michael Halász conducted the subsequent performances. The great Cheryl Studer was the Leonora and Frederic Kalt was the Manrico.
I know. I was there on the opening night when Kalt’s voice cracked in spectacular fashion at the end of the stretta. He soldiered on admirably after the intermission.
Right. Also, Sergei Leiferkus was the Count di Luna and Agnes Baltsa was the Azucena. Very hostile claque in attendance that night.