Customer Reviews

Verdi: Il Trovatore [HD DVD]

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Indeed, the principals are ideally cast here. Dmitri Hvorostovsky's suave, evil, yet somehow still-human Count nearly steals the show. He's far superior to all the Counts recorded. Jose Cura gives a believable performance as Manrico, even though he pays more attention to acting than to music. For instance, "Ah si, ben mio" is a bit choppy in sound, but acted out very well.
I really enjoyed Veronica Villaroel's Leonora. Like Cura, she put more emphasis on acting, but she managed some of the most difficult music with excellent artistry and skill. Brava!
Yvonne Naef looked and sang an ideal Azucena.
What kept distracting me was the staging. First of all, it looks like late 19th century Italy (vs. Austria), making Leonora's Tale D'Amor (a knight with an unmarked shield came, etc) along with many other story details quite improbable. Ferrando has a shaved head and looks too young to remember the events of the old days passed. Now, for the ugly:
1. When Azucena is captured, the "warriors" nearly rape (!) her onstage. This is inappropriate for Verdi's delicate, highly melodious music. Neither works the scene when Leonora and Manrico are in some sort of hay stack (okay, call me a purist but I thought it was low brow theater).
2. The strange sabre (schlager) dueling (the producers made a big fuss about it) does not add any value. The "fighters" look like made-up ballet dancers of some sort, they're wearing leather trappings more appropriate for a cult dance club they way Hollywood depicts them). Either include some real sabre or foil fencing or don't bother with "authentications" of this sort.
3. During the famous Anvil chorus, I surely did not see any anvils. (And Manrico smoked a cigar!)
4. Finally, when telling her hounting tale, Azucena is supposed to be pointing at a fire, or a place where there once was a fire. Needless to say, nothing of the kind is at sight. She just has to point at an empty space. Hmm...

Throughout the whole performance, I kept wishing for a traditional (yes) staging, so that it would be more believable.
Dante Ferretti is a well-known set designer for the movies and theater, but while opera staging can be minimalist it should not take away from the story.
I suggest getting this DVD for the great singing, most notably the wonderfully done Miserere and Il Balen. Carlo Rizzi does a splendid job, although a bit too brisk at some moments.
The DVD itself has a pretty good quality, but the booklet does not list the supporting roles, which is a shame because the singers gave exciting performances.

This performance was filmed on May 3, 2002 at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. It was Mr. Hvorostovsky's first outing as Count di Luna. What a Count di Luna he was. His singing of di Luna made the usual baritone villain come alive with such passion.(Hint: the best sung cabaletta of the night was not "Di quella pira", but "Per me ora fatale". Masculinity personified.) Nowadays nobody can convey complicated emotions through singing more eloquently than Mr. Hvorostovsky. It was so evident in this performance. Just for this reason alone, this dvd is a must. But the dvd has much more to offer. There was a very well sung but rather restrained Azucena by Yvonne Naef. Her voice was strong and beautiful. Ms. Villarroel got points for her efforts. As for Mr. Cura, his vision for Manrico was "Latino macho man". Well, Mr. Cura succeeded just as that. He forgot that Manrico was also a poet. Even after countless viewings of the dvd, I still cannot control the urge to shake Leonora to her senses. Maestro Rizzi's tempi were on the fast side, so it made the opera sound more like a fast paced action "movie". Overall, the opera was very exciting to watch. (Expect some little surprises in the production.) I showed it to people who did not watch operas and the responses were very positive. The quality of the dvd is excellent. Both the sound and pictures are very clear. Of course, it comes with the extra features. Bravo to BBC-Opus Arte for an excellent job bringing this dvd to us. I hope someday someone will produce a dvd of "Eugene Onegin" with Mr. Hvorotovsky as the cad. Please do this soon before Mr. Hvorostovsky moves on to all those juicy Verdi roles.

As a long time Verdi fan, I looked forward to this DVD with great hopes. I was looking for a version that did not have either Pavarotti or Domingo in the title role and that utilized digital technology to provide good home viewed opera. Obviously, from the title line, my hopes were not realized.

First of all, this is a cut version of Verdi's work; it is incomplete. After all these years of including every note that the maestro composed, I had hoped that the older, truncated versions of the score had been trashed. Disappointment number one!

Second, Jose Cura in the title role of Manrico has trouble with vocal technique. He forces a "covered" or head tone far too low in the middle register, as low as e-flat in some instances. The tone produced is plain ugly. He can act, though.

Third, soprano Veronica Villarroel is just not a "Verdi soprano". Oh, she sings with some excellent sensitivity, once she gets warmed up, but she is no Leontyne Price by a long shot. Ms. Villarroel would do well enough in bel canto, but lacks the vocal depth to do justice to Verdi.

Fourth, the staging is horrible! The convent scene looks like an electrical power station; the firearms carried by Manrico's men include flintlock rifles and bolt action ones. The second scene contains the famous "Anvil Chorus", but there are no anvils, and no fire where there is supposed to be one during Azucena's aria, "Stride la vampa".

The plusses are there, but not enough to outweigh the negatives. Hvorostovsky is the best Count di Luna I have ever seen, and is vocally second only to the incomparable Leonard Warren. The conductor, chorus and orchestra all do very well, and the Digital technology is excellent throughout.

However, my advice is to save your money and wait for another version. At the rate that operas are being issued these days, it should not be long before someone like TDK gives us a Trovatore to rave about. Until then, enjoy some of the othere great operas that are available here.

After almost falling asleep with the Met's production of Il Trovatore (despite some great singing), I was very pleased with this production. The singing is very good, specially Hovorostovsky's Count di Luna. The only somewhat weak singing came in my opinion from Villaroel's Leonora, who is not the right type of soprano for the role, and cannot cope well with Verdi's difficult score. However, her singing is very emotional, as is the case with the rest of the cast. The sets, even though transported to the nineteenth century, are wonderful (specially compared to the Met's nonexistent and boring sets) as are the costumes. In fact I find the period change to be a welcome change to the traditional staging. As other reviewers have mentioned, it gives the production a film-like feel.

Rizzi's direction is very exciting and the 5.1 DD sound is very very good. Special praise to the chorus! Far more exciting than the Met's, this production is highly recommended!!

I've seen some dull, lack-luster Trovs, but this one was truly engaging. At last we have a Manrico who looks and acts like the gypsy boy he's supposed to be. Cura is unmatched in this interpretation. This looser character is real at last. I blead with him all the way down the maelstorm that was his life.

Hovorostovsky, singing like a God, he makes you wonder why Leonora would prefer an unkept gypsy boy to him. I'm usually bored with the gypsy Mama, but Naef made me watch every line like I'd never heard it before. These singers were totally into the story and they carried me along with them.

Watching this DVD made me wish I'd bought a ticket, flew to London and seen the real thing, live on the stage.

I bought this DVD on a complete whim last week, and I'm VERY glad I indulged. Trovatore has been one of my favorite operas for ages. Visually (except in some cases noted below) this set has very high audio and visual production values. All the principal's performances work well on the dramatic level, and most of the time, on the vocal level, as well. And except for a few places, discussed below, the staging was excellent. In the last scene, it was a nice realistic touch that both Manrico and Azucena look as if they'd been roughed up.

My ideal Manrico would have the looks and acting ability of Jose Cura and Pavarotti's voice and technique as it was in his prime. I found Cura's voice good and pleasant in the more melodic passages, but he does lack some of Pavarotti's technical finesse. There were rough patches in Cura's singing, notably in Di Quella Pira, but I enjoyed Ah Si Ben Mio. On the positive side of the balance sheet, Jose Cura definitely looks the part, and you don't have to wonder what Leonora sees in him. He concentrates on and responds well to the other Principals, which I liked. Cura and Villaroel are believable as the lovers for the most part, they stay close together on stage, and their love scenes have real tenderness. I liked it that Manrico and the Count go at each other with swords as if they really mean it. In some operatic duels, the swordsmen give you the impression they might as well be waving tennis rackets. But those two show their characters are real rivals in love and can barely be in the same room, together without fighting.

Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Count di Luna is a worthy rival for Leonora, and his singing is superb. He can sing Il Balen to me ANY time! Like Jose Cura, he really gets absorbed in his part, he looks at and sings to the other cast members, and when he fights, he doesn't hold back. His romantic frustration pushes him farther and farther beyond reason, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for him. You could see him thinking "What is WRONG with this girl, to go after a gypsy, and why can't I make her love me?" Given all that he has to offer, one has to wonder if he made some terrible blunder with Leonora early that completely turned her off him. At the end after he shoots Manrico, it was a nice touch that he goes over to Manrico and holds his body in his arms-something that isn't possible with the more traditional staging of Manrico being beheaded offstage.

Yvonne Naef makes a good Azucena, and she and Cura have good stage rapport. Manrico is a loving son in the prison scene at the end. The only real complaint I have is that Naef looks younger than the Count, and more like Manrico's sister than his mother. I would like a bit more power in her lower range, but it's still a good performance. I just confess I have a hard time taking Azucena's mistake of throwing her own child into the fire seriously. I really have to suspend my disbelief for that one.

Vocally, Veronica Villaroel is the weak link, but she certainly acts the part of Leonora with conviction, and looks the part, as well. It's plausible that she could have two attractive young men fighting over her. She was better in the ensemble parts than in her solo moments, as her voice lacks the sheer beauty needed for this part, although it is not unpleasant. Tacea la Notte went better than D'Amor Sul allee rosee. Villaroel struggled with the high notes and coloratura, but did very well in the Miserere and Tu Vedrai. And she really digs into her fourth act duet with the Count with passion. She interacted well with both her male leads. I just wish she hadn't kept getting up and walking away from Manrico in Act III-it's one of the few happy moments they have together and it doesn't last long. Why did she keep getting up and moving away from him?

The reason for the 4 stars is because of the production. Placing the action in 19th century Italy doesn't ruin Trovatore, but it doesn't add much, either. The few anachronisms of the different time setting such as Leonora singing of tournaments in the 19th century does not make the opera all that much sillier. The Count and Manrico carrying pistols as WELL as swords is a bit more problematic. Why do they need the swords if they can just shoot each other? But since sword-play is dramatically important to the plot, they should have left out the pistols.
In an opera that has nothing to do with sailing or ships, why is Count di Luna dressed like an admiral? Also, Hvorostovsky's gray hair made him look significantly older than the other principals. I just wish he had worn a dark wig instead to make him look nearer Manrico's age.
Most of the staging was effective, but I did not care for Azucena's near rape in Count di Luna's camp in Act 3. Tasteless and unnecessary. Also did not like Manrico's cigar-what does a singer need with a cigar????? Ugh!
Leonora's death scene is also awkward. After his tenderness to her in Act III, couldn't Manrico get up and greet Leonora properly when she comes in? When he finally realizes she's dying, he does go and take her in his arms and give her some love, but they remain standing until the very last moment. He couldn't ease her gracefully to the floor, instead?

I bought this just to give Jose Cura a chance as Manrico. I am afraid he disappointed me. He was too much as a brute, in addition to the wobbly singing. Dmitri Hvorostovsky's Count on the other hand is wonderful from start to finish. His acting as well as his singing is exemplary. The only thing that was intrusive was the sword fighting with Cura. It intruded much too much on the singing.

Veronica Villaroel's Leonora too was very good. Her acting and singing were blended very nicely. Yvonne Naef's Azucena was also good, but I thought she lacked the bite of Simionato's or Cossotto's interpretation of the vengeful gypsy.

I would have to say that Dmitri Hvorostovsky was the star here. This seemed for me to be a Trovatore without the Trovatore. Cura's wobbly voice was too much of a instrution for me enjoy the opera fully. The fact that he acted and sang like a brute and not like a passionate poet, as I see Manrico, may be the fault of the director of the production. The production was OK, but I'd would much prefer a traditional setting for this opera. But on the other hand the sets and costumes were consistant and better than other production of opera nowadays.

Carlo Rizzi's conducting was crisp and exciting. Overall is this performance good, if you can accept Manrico to be a wobbly brute. The picture on this DVD is very good with it's 16:9 image. The Dolby Digital 5.1 sound too is good, but it would be even better if the producers of the DVD would do the same as DG and added a DTS track. But it is very good nonetheless.

Il Trovatore is my favorite opera. To me, when Verdi composed Il Trovatore, he put the final touches on Bel Canto Operas; he splendidly used every Bel Canto "trick of the trade" putting his masterful "Verdian Stamp"on all. Since there was nothing left to be developed or written in the aforesaid style of opera, the way was paved for the further development of the Verismo-school of opera, and, utimately, for the Wagnerian epic leit-motive driven style of writing opera. Il Trovatore has everything, to me, that an opera should have--beautiful arias, ferocious cabalettas, thrilling, sing your lungs out, ensembles, loud-thundering-call-to-battle choruses, humable melodies, an improbable story, a love-struck-willing-to-die-for-her-man-soprano role, a brave-swashbuckling-lovable-not-too-smart-tenor role, a sexy-militaristic-kind-of-dangerous-love-starved-baritone role, and MOST OF ALL, a crazed-scene-chewing-I'm-really-really-your mama-so DO kill-the-baritone-for-me, mezzo-soprano role.
Now days it is very difficult to vocally cast this opera. This new DVD has certainly assembled four singers that are up to their respective tasks; it is marvelous to hear and to watch. The singing is good and the action is believable--each singer looking and acting his/her part to the hilt (unlike the Met's video with Pavarotti sounding good but unable to move from one spot to the other). It's nice to hear the role of Manrico sung by a dramatic tenor again. I have great recordings with lyric Manrico(s) (i.e., Carreras, di Stefano, Algana) and I enjoy them; however, it's great to hear the full-throttled sound that Jose Cura can produce as Manrico. I know that there are opera critics that will, no doubt, rip his performnance apart comparing him to one of more dead tenors and perhaps to a few living ones. (The same thing that was done, in their day, to the recordings/ performances of Del Monaco and Correlli who sang full throttled virile Manrico(s). I don't care what the critics have to say; Jose Cura sings Manrico excitingly with gusto, tastefullness and also with plenty of tenderness, and at the same time, making Manrico as believable of a character, physically, as possible--he does not simply stand and deliver (as many a tenor has done as Manrico; just being glad to be able to get through it alive) but he does act and move about while singing some of the most beautiful music ever written for the tenor voice and singing it very well. (Be advised, he is not a tenor that holds on to the high notes for as long as possible popping blood vessels and running out of breath with arms out-stretched waiting for the audience to start applauding, but he sings them very musicially making them, as I feel they should be, a part of the muscial line not the main event).
I have always felt that Dmitri Hvorostovsky was born to sing Count di Luna with his beautiful, smooth, as butter, baritone voice. He brings everything that should be brought to the role--beautiful tone (throughout all registers) accurate singing, power and flexibility. Bravo!
Naef takes-on the mezzo role of the crazed Azucena, and, to me, she is up there with some of the great performers of the part--Bumbry, Cossoto, Simonato, Varrett and Zajick (Zajick being the best thing on the Met Video.)
In my "dream-cast" DVD of this opera, the role of Leonora would be taken by a soprano that has some of the qualities that Leontyne Price had (Aprile Millo comes to mind) Since, alas, the likes of Leontyne Price will never be seen again (thankfully Leontyne happened in my lifetime) Vilarroel, as Leonora is certainly an adequaate compromise--no trills (neither did Tabaldi) or floating of the tones or well-supported ravishing pianissimos; neverthless, very committed and enough voice to do Verdi's music justice! She is far superior to Eva Marton's "Brunnhilde Version"--what the hell am I doing in Il Trovatore--ain't this Gotterdammerung?--of Leonora in the Met's video.
The production is enjoyable, watchable and believable being neither a stodgy traditional production nor one of those extreme avant-garde productions set in the year 2090 where every movement and object has a completely unintelligible hidden meaning.
If you love Verdi (as I do) buy this DVD for a full throttled performance of Il Trovatore. (The DVD has some very nice added features too!)

Alas, I must dissent from the reviews already posted. It is often said that Il Trovatore requires the four best singers in the world, and this performance does not rise to that level. Clearly, this production is meant to showcase Hvorostovsky, whose burnished tone, silken legato, and sensitive singing is always a pleasure, but he is not really a Verdi Baritone (in short supply these days), and his voice is not really large enough for this part. However, his big aria - Il Balen - is splendid. Tenor Cura is a big guy with a big voice, but his voice is improperly placed (in the throat) and loses what little focus it has as it rises to the high notes. Soprano Villarroel has several weaknesses: She seems to be singing with a mouth full of Gummy Bears; she has no proper trill, and her pianissimo is oddly detached from the rest of the voice.

Opus Arte has a fine track record with their Blu-ray releases (I have several), but they have stumbled here. The photography is grainy, and produces generous amounts of digital noise in many of the scenes. This is perhaps exacerbated by the dimly lit production, not to mention the lavish amounts of fake fog which appears repeatedly for no apparent reason. It often quite difficult to see what was going on, and several poor singers found themselves totally in the dark. The sets were fine (what one could see of them), but the crowd scenes were a mess, with the choristers seeming to mill about at random.

If you want to see Hvorostovsky's "Il Balen", you can find it on YouTube, but I cannot recommend this very disappointing Blu-ray release.

I owned this dvd for year and a half, and, considering that this is a very "popular" opera, this version is, after all this time, giving me the same pleasure as when i just got it.
First, because of the cast: Cura and Villaroel were known to me because of Verdi's Otello (Turin, 1997). Hvorostovsky was unknown, as well as Ivonne Naef.

My biggest surprise and satisfaction was Hvorostovsky's Count Di Luna, one of my favorite roles among the verdian baritones (just after Macbeth, of course). He is such a great actor, getting into his roles with passion and discipline (coming from the russian school, no wonder he's like that...) His voice is a delight.

Then, Cura and Villaroel gave me the same impression i expected: Plenty knowledge about their roles and intentions, and giving great acting when the "peaks" of the drama need to be enforced to enrich the play. Not to mention the voices, dramatic and strong, just as i expect in this characters.

Moshinsky's point of view of this opera is very good. I just admire his work here, and in other works like Samson et Dalila or Nabucco (Productions i hope i'll see very soon).

Carlo Rizzi, after this Trovatore, and other operas i heard from him, is becoming my favorite verdian director. You can feel his compenetration with the music and the story. The Royal opera orchestra is splendid as always.

There is some bonus material here, a docummentary about the cast, some facts about the fighting sequence, and the synopsis. That's a plus in the BBC recordings: We can find supporting material for what we are about to see. For me is important to have some information about the direction and conception of the opera. Good for it.

That's why i recommend this dvd, the cast is first rate, the production is awesome and, by the way, is the latest from Covent Garden and Real de Madrid. The sound is great and the image very clear as well.

5 stars!