Lucia di Lammermoor
The Opera
Il Trovatore (The Troubadour) is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Leone Emanuele Bardare and Salvadore Cammarano, based on the play El Trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez.
History
Il Trovatore was first performed at the Teatro Apollo, Rome on 19 January 1853 and was immensely popular with some 229 productions wordwide in the following three years. In fact, in Naples, for example, where the opera in its first three years had eleven stagings in six theaters, the performances totaled 190.
During the 1854-55 season while in Paris, Verdi agreed to a French translation of the opera for the Théatre des Italiens and he made several revisions to it (including adding ballet music for Act 3), but with most of these focusing on the music of Azucena and the finale of Act 4. As Le trouvère the opera received the first of many performances on 12 January 1857.
Synopsis
Before the opera opens, the old Count di Luna, sometime deceased, had two sons nearly of the same age. One night, when they still were infants, and asleep, in a nurse’s charge in an apartment in the old Count’s castle, a gypsy hag, having gained stealthy entrance into the chamber, was discovered leaning over the cradle of the younger child, Garzia. Though she was instantly driven away, the child’s health began to fail and she was believed to have bewitched it. She was pursued, apprehended and burned alive at the stake.
Her daughter, Azucena, at that time a young gypsy woman with a child of her own in her arms, was a witness to the death of her mother, which she swore to avenge. During the following night she stole into the castle, snatched the younger child of the Count di Luna from its cradle, and hurried back to the scene of execution, intending to throw the baby boy into the flames that still raged over the spot where they had consumed her mother. Almost bereft of her senses, however, by her memory of the horrible scene she had witnessed, she seized and hurled into the flames her own child, instead of the young Count (thus preserving, with an almost supernatural instinct for opera, the baby that was destined to grow up into a tenor with a voice high enough to sing "Di quella pira").
Thwarted for the moment in her vengeance, Azucena was not to be completely baffled. With the infant Count in her arms she fled and rejoined her tribe, entrusting her secret to no one, but bringing him up—Manrico, the Troubadour—as her own son; and always with the thought that through him she might wreak vengeance upon his own kindred.
When the opera opens, Manrico is grown; she has become old and wrinkled, but is still unrelenting in her quest of vengeance. The old Count has died, leaving the elder son, Count di Luna of the opera, sole heir to his title and possessions, but always doubting the death of the younger, despite the heap of infant’s bones found among the ashes about the stake.Act 1
Scene 1: The guard room in the castle of Luna
Ferrando, the captain of the guards, orders his men to keep watch while Count di Luna wanders restlessly beneath the windows of Leonora, lady-in-waiting to the Princess. Di Luna loves Leonora, and is jealous of his successful rival, the troubadour Manrico. In order to keep the guards awake, Ferrando narrates the history of the count to the guard.
Aria: Di due figli vivea padre beato / "The good Count di Luna lived happily, the father of two sons"
It appears that a gypsy had once bewitched the little brother of the count, making the child weak and ill, and for this had been burnt alive as a witch. Dying, she had commanded her daughter Azucena to avenge her, which she did by carrying off the younger brother. Although the burnt bones of a child were found in the ashes of the pyre, the father refused to believe in his son's death; dying, he commanded Count di Luna to seek Azucena.
Scene 2: Garden in the palace of the princess
Leonora confesses her love for Manrico to her confidante, Ines.
Tacea la notte placida / "The peaceful night lay silent"… Di tale amor / "A love that words can scarcely describe"
When they have gone, Count di Luna hears the voice of his rival, Manrico, in the distance: Deserto sulla terra / "Alone upon this earth".
While Leonora in the darkness mistakes the count for her lover, Manrico himself enters the garden, and she rushes to his arms. The count recognises Manrico as his enemy, who has been condemned to death, and compels him to fight. Leonora tries to intervene, but cannot stop them from fighting.
Trio: Di geloso amor sprezzato / "The fire of jealous love"Act 2
Scene 1: The gypsy's camp
While Manrico sits at the bedside of his mother, Azucena, the gypsies sing.
Anvil Chorus: Vedi le fosche notturne / "See! The endless sky casts off her sombre nightly garb..".
Azucena is the daughter of the Gypsy burnt by the count and, although old, still nurses her vengeance.
Aria: Stride la vampa / "The flames are roaring!"
The Gypsies break camp while Azucena confesses to Manrico that after stealing him she had intended to burn the count's little son, but had thrown her own child into the flames instead.
Aria: Condotta ell'era in ceppi / "They dragged her in bonds"
Manrico realises that he is not the son of Azucena, but loves her as if she were indeed his mother, as she has always been faithful and loving to him. Manrico tells Azucena that he defeated Di Luna in their duel, but was held back from killing him by a mysterious power.
Duet: Mal reggendo / "He was helpless under my savage attack"
A messenger arrives and reports that Leonora, who believes Manrico dead, is about to enter a convent and take the veil that night.
Although Azucena tries to prevent him from leaving in his weak state—
Ferma! Son io che parlo a te! / "I must talk to you",
Manrico rushes away to prevent her from carrying out this purpose.
Scene 2: In front of the convent
Di Luna and his attendants intend to abduct Leonora and the Count sings of his love for her.
Aria: Il balen del suo sorriso / "The light of her smile" … Per me ora fatale / "Fatal hour of my life"
Leonora and the nuns appear in procession, but Manrico prevents Di Luna from carrying out his plans and instead, takes Leonora away with him.Act 3
Scene 1: Di Luna's camp
Chorus: Or co' dadi ma fra poco / "Now we play at dice"
Di Luna's soldiers bring in the captured Azucena. She is recognised by Ferrando, and Di Luna sentences her to be burnt.
Scene 2: A chamber in the castleLeonora and Manrico live only for each other.
Aria, Manrico: Ah si, ben mio coll'essere / "Ah, yes, my love, in being yours"
As they are about to take their marriage vows, Ruiz, Manrico's comrade, reports that Azucena is to be burned at the stake. Manrico rushes to her aid.
Stretta: Di quella pira l'orrendo foco / "The horrid flames of that pyre"
Leonora faints.Act 4
Scene 1: Before the dungeon keep
Leonora attempts to free Manrico, who has been captured by Di Luna.
Aria: D'amor sull'ali rosee / "On the rosy wings of love"; Chorus & Duet: Miserere / "Lord, thy mercy on this soul"
Leonora begs Di Luna for mercy and offers herself in place of her lover. She promises to give herself to the count, but secretly swallows poison from her ring in order to die before Di Luna can possess her.
Duet: Mira, d'acerbe lagrime / "See the bitter tears I shed"
Scene 2: In the dungeon
Manrico and Azucena are awaiting their execution. Manrico attempts to soothe Azucena, whose mind wanders to happier days in the mountains.
Duet: Ai nostri monti ritorneremo / "Again to our mountains we shall return"
At last the gypsy slumbers. Leonora comes to Manrico and tells him that he is saved, begging him to escape. When he discovers she cannot accompany him, he refuses to leave his prison. He believes Leonora has betrayed him until he realizes that she has taken poison to remain true to him. As she dies in agony in Manrico's arms she confesses that she prefers to die with him than to marry another.
Quartet: Prima che d'altri vivere / "Rather than live as another's"
The count enters to find Leonora dead in his rival's arms and orders Manrico to be led to execution. Azucena arises and when Di Luna shows her the dead Manrico, she cries in triumph:
Egli era tuo fratello! / "He was your brother..You are avenged, oh mother!"
At the same time as Azucena, the count screams in despair
E vivo ancor! / "And I must live on!".