Giuseppe VERDI (1813-1901)
Il Trovatore (1853)
Manrico - Franco Corelli (tenor); Leonora - Leontyne Price (soprano); Count
Di Luna - Mario Sereni (baritone); Azucena - Irene Dalis (mezzo); Ferrando
- William Wilderman (bass); Ines - Teresa Stratus (soprano); Ruiz - Charles
Anthony (tenor)
The Metropolitan Opera Orchestra and Chorus/Fausto Cleva
rec. live, matinee performance, Metropolitan Opera, 4 February 1961. Mono
SONY CLASSICAL 88697 910062 [65.22 + 59.30] 
Claimed on the jewel box as “the first time on CD”, this matinee performance
of Verdi’s eighteenth opera was one of the series that marked the Metropolitan
debut of both Leontyne Price and Franco Corelli. Price was to have a long
and distinguished career at the theatre whilst the tall, handsome but nervous
and egotistical Corelli was to leave many gaps in what might have been a similar
career path.
If Corelli had problems going on stage and facing the public, Verdi had more
with the composition and staging of Il Trovatore. It was the second
of his great middle-period trio of Rigoletto, Il Trovatore and
La Traviata, all premiered over a two year period from March 1851. Il
Trovatore was originally intended for librettist Cammarano’s home-town
theatre of the San Carlo in Naples. However, the theatre found Verdi’s fee
too steep for their cash-strapped situation. The composer proposed the opera
be premiered in Rome if the censors accepted Cammarano’s libretto. At that
point Verdi learned, through a friend, of Cammarano’s death. The Young poet
Emmanuele Bardare, who had converted Rigoletto into Clara di Perth
for Naples, undertook the completion of the libretto. Verdi paid Cammarano’s
widow the full fee, plus a premium, as she was poorly provided for. These
delays explain the near contemporaneously composed Il Trovatore and
La Traviata reaching the stage within six weeks of each other.
The various additions to the libretto of Il Trovatore required of Bardare
show Verdi was intent on a two-diva opera, with the voices concerned being
of distinctly different ranges and colour. Needless to say the Rome censor
quibbled about detail. The stake might be too vivid a reminder of the Inquisition
and the words of the Miserere were altered, as strict liturgical phrases
were not allowed. With these relatively minor problems sorted Il Trovatore,
was premiered at the Teatro Apollo, Rome, on 19 January 1853. It was a resounding
triumph with the final scene being encored in its entirety. There were however
odd cavils about the gloomy subject and the number of deaths. The opera spread
rapidly and was even parodied with baby-swapping figures in two of Gilbert
and Sullivan’s most popular works. Six weeks later, with an entirely different
orchestral patina and key, and vastly different requirements for the tenor
and soprano, La Traviata was premiered in Venice.
Il Trovatore requires significantly heavier voices than Rigoletto
and La Traviata. Leontyne Price in particular went on to become the
non-pareil lyrico spinto soprano of her generation singing Leonora
all over the world alongside her admired Aida and Forza del Destino
namesake. In this performance she is distinctly tentative in her approach
in her entrance aria Tacea la notte in placida (CD1 Tr.5) and not ideally
steady. She is far more secure in the act four scene starting with the conversation
with Ruiz and continuing through D’amor sull’ali rosee and the Miserere
(CD2 Trs.9-11). Corelli too sounds effortful in Ah! si, ben mio (CD
2 Tr.6) but hits, and makes a meal of the money note at the conclusion of
the one verse of Di quella pira (CD2 Tr.8) which is loudly applauded.
The response of the two principals is perhaps not helped by the conductor’s
lack of impetus and vibrancy.
Verdi might have wanted the work to be for two principal female voices. Whilst
Price went on to realise a distinguished career in the role of Leonora Irene
Dalis as Azucena is barely adequate and somewhat blowsy. She is in no way
comparable with Fiorenza Cossotto on the RCA 1970 recording where, alongside
Price’s Leonora, and with Mehta’s conducting, she realises Verdi’s dream.
Mario Sereni is adequate as Luna, managing a steady if undistinguished Il
balen (CD1 Tr.18) whilst William Walderman is a somewhat woolly-toned
Ferrando (CD1 Trs1-3 and CD 2 Trs.1-2).
The leaflet has a brief synopsis and detailed track-listings and timings.
There are frequent interruptions for applause and the sound varies with stage
movement, depth and presence. There are cuts to the score traditional to the
period.
As I have indicated, if you want Price as Leonora go for the mid-priced RCA
which also has the additional strengths of a steady and virile Domingo as
Manrico and Sherrill Milnes as a fine Di Luna. There are also distinguished
studio recordings featuring Jussi Björling and Zinka Milanov in far better
sound in March 1952 (see review)
and from DG a 1962 La Scala-based stereo recording conducted with a touch
too much affection by Tulio Serafin. Its great virtue is that it is blessed
with an all-Italian cast to join the vibrant La Scala chorus. Notable are
Carlo Bergonzi as Manrico and the young Fiorenza Cossotto as Azucena (DG 453
118-2).
Robert J Farr
This is strictly only for lovers of live recordings and first performances
by favourite singers.