Il Trovatore
by Giuseppe Verdi

Verdi’s thrilling depiction of life on the edge features Maria Agresta as the noble heroine, Leonora, Yonghoon Lee as the troubadour who loves her, Quinn Kelsey as his rival, and Anita Rachvelishvili as the Gypsy Azucena, whose bloodthirsty curse propels the story.

Il Trovatore is a turbulent tragedy of four characters caught in a web of family ties, politics, and love. The score is as melodic as it is energetic, with infectious tunes that are not easily forgotten. The vigorous music accompanies a dark and disturbing tale that revels in many of the most extreme expressions of Romanticism, including violent shifts in tone, unlikely coincidences, and characters who are impelled by raw emotion rather than cool logic.

The opera is originally set in northern Spain in the early 15th century, during a time of prolonged civil war. The Met’s production places the action during the Peninsular War (1808–1814) when Spain and its allies were fighting the forces of Napoleon.

Conductor: Marco Armiliato

Cast:

Leonora: Maria Agresta

Azucena: Anita Rachvelishvili

Manrico: Yonghoon Lee

Di Luna: Quinn Kelsey

Ferrando: Štefan Kocán

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Start time: 10:00 AM on Capital Public Radio.
Approximate running time 2 hrs 46 min