Il Trovatore
Introduction
Welcome to the Carlo Felice Theater. We’ll take you on a journey through Il trovatore, an intense opera that tells a story of love, revenge, and intertwined destinies.
It is a four-act opera with music by Giuseppe Verdi.
The libretto is by Salvadore Cammarano and is based on the tragedy El trovador by Antonio García Gutiérrez.
Il trovatore was first performed in Rome, at the Teatro Apollo, on January 19, 1853.
The Opera in brief
Il trovatore is one of the most beloved and iconic works in the international opera repertoire. Together with Rigoletto and La traviata, it forms the famous “popular trilogy,” which marks the pinnacle of Giuseppe Verdi’s artistic maturity.
The opera is a sweeping melodrama that celebrates the values of chivalry: honor, military courage, and a tragic, all-consuming love. The score is full of vigor and transforms a plot thick with mystery into a whirlwind of legendary melodies that have been moving audiences for over a century.
Set in 15th-century Spain, the story revolves around two men, enemies in love and war, but deeply bound by a terrible secret kept by a gypsy woman…
Main Characters on Stage
Manrico is the troubadour—a poet who sings love songs while accompanying himself on the lute, but he is also a rebellious warrior—a tenor.
Leonora, a noble lady-in-waiting in love with Manrico – soprano
The Count of Luna (son of the late Count of Luna), a powerful nobleman—baritone
Azucena, a gypsy with a tragic past – contralto
Ferrando, commander of the Count’s army – bass
Ines, Leonora’s confidante – soprano
Ruiz, a soldier in Manrico’s band – tenor
An Old Gypsy – Bass
A Messenger – Role for tenor
Chorus of Leonora’s friends and nuns, relatives of the Count di Luna, soldiers, and Gypsy men and women
Plot
Part One – The Duel
We are in the Aljafería Palace, in Biscay.
Ferrando, captain of the Count di Luna’s guards, recounts a tragic story: a gypsy woman was condemned to be burned at the stake for witchcraft, and her daughter, Azucena, in order to avenge her mother, kidnapped one of the old Count’s sons and threw him into the same fire as her mother.
We are in the palace gardens, where Leonora confides in her friend Ines about her love for the troubadour Manrico.
The Count di Luna is in love with Leonora, and he goes to her to declare his love, but he hears the voice of his rival singing a song dedicated to his beloved. Leonora, confused by the darkness, mistakes the Count for Manrico, embraces him, and declares her love for him.
The troubadour, hidden from view, witnesses the scene and accuses Leonora of infidelity. She immediately clears up the misunderstanding. Enraged, Count di Luna forces his rival to reveal his identity: his name is Manrico. The two challenge each other to a duel. The Count is wounded; Manrico could strike him, but he hesitates, as if a mysterious force were preventing him from delivering the decisive blow.
Part Two – The gypsy woman
We are at the foot of a mountain, in a gypsy camp.
Azucena confides a terrible secret to her son Manrico: many years earlier, she had witnessed her mother’s death at the stake, after the old Count had accused her of witchcraft. That is why Azucena kidnapped the Count’s son with the intention of throwing him into the fire, but, overcome by excruciating grief, she mistakenly threw her own son into the flames instead.
Manrico realizes he is not her son, but she reassures him of her deep maternal love.
Meanwhile, Leonora believes Manrico has died in battle and decides to enter a convent. Manrico rushes to her and saves her just moments before the Count of Luna can kidnap her. The two lovers flee together.
Part Three – The Gypsy Woman’s Son
The Count of Luna lays siege to the castle where Manrico and Leonora have taken refuge and are preparing to marry. Meanwhile, the Count’s soldiers capture Azucena and sentence her to be burned at the stake. From the castle, Manrico sees the preparations for his mother’s execution, interrupts the wedding, and rushes to try to save her.
Part Four – The Torture
Manrico was captured by the Count of Luna, imprisoned in the tower with Azucena, and sentenced to death.
Leonora is determined to save her beloved, even at the cost of her own life. She therefore promises the Count that she will become his wife if he frees the troubadour.
The Count, still in love, agrees. Leonora is granted permission to enter the prison and bring Manrico the news of his pardon, but to remain faithful to the man she loves, she swallows a poison she had hidden in her ring.
In prison, Manrico comforts Azucena, who is terrified at the thought of her execution.
Leonora arrives and tells Manrico that he is free, urging him to flee. But when Manrico realizes that Leonora will not run away with him, he refuses to leave because he is convinced that she has betrayed him in order to obtain a pardon.
Leonora, now dying from the poison, confesses the truth to Manrico: she poisoned herself to remain faithful to him forever, and she dies in his arms.
The Count di Luna enters the prison and realizes he has been deceived. Blinded by rage, he orders the soldiers to execute Manrico.
Azucena witnesses Manrico’s beheading and, overcome with grief, reveals to Count di Luna that he was her brother. The Count is devastated, and Azucena can finally cry out, “Mother, now you are avenged!”
Fun Facts
An overwhelming success
At its premiere in Rome in 1853, the opera was such a huge success that the audience demanded encores of nearly every piece. It is said that even the harshest critics, who initially deemed the plot too complicated, were won over by the beauty of the melodies, which people immediately began singing in the streets.
An almost impossible challenge
It is often said that staging a perfect Il Trovatore simply requires the four best singers in the world. This is because Verdi wrote extremely difficult vocal parts for the main characters (Manrico, Leonora, Azucena, and the Count di Luna), which require strength, agility, and a wide vocal range.
The “Do di petto” (Chest High C)
In Manrico’s famous aria, Di quella pira, tenors usually sing an extremely powerful high note (the famous “chest C”) on the word “all’armi.” The curious thing is that Verdi never wrote it into the original score!
It was added later by singers, but it became so beloved by the audience that today no one in the audience would accept not hearing it.
Fire
Fire is one of the central themes of the opera. We see it constantly on stage: in the story of the burning of Azucena’s mother and son, in the work of the gypsies hammering hot iron, and in the threat to burn Azucena alive.
It symbolizes violent passion, destruction, but also intense love. Fire is a powerful universal symbol of purification, transformation, and renewal; the music itself seems to “burn” because of the energy and speed of the rhythm.
Azucena: The True Heroine
Verdi read Garcia Gutierrez’s play El trovador directly in Spanish and immediately realized it was the perfect subject for his opera.
At the heart of the drama is the gypsy Azucena, one of the most powerful female characters created by Verdi; she is the one who pulls the strings of the entire story, and her revenge is what drives every action from the first to the last minute.
It symbolizes violent passion, destruction, but also intense love. Fire is a powerful universal symbol of purification, transformation, and renewal; the music itself seems to “burn” because of the energy and speed of the rhythm.
Giuseppe Verdi and Life in Genoa
Talent and the Initial Challenge
Giuseppe Verdi was born in Le Roncole di Busseto in 1813 and died in Milan in 1901.
The son of an innkeeper and a spinner, the young Verdi showed a strong aptitude for music from an early age.
Universally recognized as one of the greatest opera composers of all time, his career began, however, with a challenge. At the age of eighteen, he failed the entrance exam for the Milan Conservatory—which is now named after him—because he was considered too old and judged to have “poor technique” on the piano.
Without losing heart, he continued his studies privately, turning that rejection into a springboard to become the composer who symbolized the unification of Italy. A forthright artist and patriot, Verdi embodied the spirit of the nation, actively participating in political life as well.
Life in Genoa
Although his work kept him tied to Milan, Giuseppe Verdi chose to spend his winters in Genoa for about forty years, growing fond of the city because of its climate, its culture, and the reserved nature of the Ligurians. “In Genoa, I feel a little more at home,” he wrote, far from the pressures of Milan’s music scene.
He initially stayed at the Hotel Croce di Malta, and in 1866 he moved into a magnificent apartment at Palazzo Sauli Pallavicino in Carignano. Later, from 1874 until his final days, he lived in the sumptuous Palazzo del Principe Doria.
The Maestro’s connection to the city is also evident in its historic sites. Verdi took long walks through the narrow alleys of the historic center and was a regular at the Klainguti café and pastry shop in Piazza Campetto, a true cultural hub of the time.
There, the owners created the Falstaff in his honor—a brioche filled with hazelnut paste. Verdi was so enthusiastic about it that he left an autographed note—still preserved today—in which he wrote: “Dear Klainguti, thank you for the Falstaffs; they’re much better than mine!” His passion for sweets led him to open a credit account at the Romanengo confectionery as well, where he purchased fruit jellies and chocolates.
The Human Legacy
His love for Genoa ultimately took the form of a deeply compassionate act. In his will, the Maestro bequeathed 50,000 lire to various charitable organizations in the city, supporting institutions for the blind, the deaf, and daycare centers.
A democratic and honest man, Verdi leaves behind a legacy that extends beyond his musical compositions, remaining a point of reference for our country’s culture.