In the early 15th Century, King Martin of Aragon died without naming an heir. A civil war broke out
among rivalling factions of the nobility vying for the throne. The events of the opera occurred in the
Aliaferia Palace in Zaragoza, around the fortress at Castellor and in the mountains of Biscay.

Act I: The Duel

Scene 1

Count di Luna and his royalist followers give protection to the widow-queen at Zaragoza. Old captain Ferrando tells his men how the Count’s father burned a gypsy witch, whose daughter abducted one of
his sons in revenge. The old Count charged the present Count to seek his lost brother. It is rumoured that the ghost of the old witch still haunts the palace at night.

Scene 2

In a courtyard of the Aliaferia Palace, Leonora tells her companion Inez how she fell in love with a knight who frequently comes to serenade her in the guise of a troubadour. After the ladies retire, the Count arrives hoping to tell Leonora of his affection for her. The troubadour also appears and reveals himself as Manrico, commander of a rivalling faction. The Count challenges him to a duel. Leonora tries to stop them in vain.

Act II: The Gypsy

Scene 1

Manrico has won the duel but has spared the Count’s life. He is wounded, however, in a subsequent battle and is recuperating. Azucena, Manrico’s mother, tells of her own mother’s burning, and of how she threw her own child into the flames instead of the Count’s son. Ruiz tells Manrico that Leonora, believing him dead, will enter a convent. Manrico rushes out to prevent Leonora from taking her vows.

Scene 2

The Count tries to abduct Leonora, but Manrico intervenes and overpowers the Count’s soldiers.
Manrico takes Leonora to his fortress at Castellor.

Act III: The Gypsy’s Son

Scene 1

The Count has captured Azucena, whom Ferrando recognizes as the baby-snatcher. Count di Luna orders to have Azucena burnt alive at the stake.

Scene 2

As Manrico and Leonora prepare to wed, Manrico is told that Azucena is to be burned, and goes to rescue her.

Act IV: The Torture

Scene 1

Manrico has failed in his attempt to rescue his mother and is imprisoned with Azucena in the towers of the Aliaferia Palace. Leonora offers herself to the Count to save Manrico. The Count is delighted to accept the bargain, but Leonora swallows the poison hidden in her ring unnoticed.

Scene 2

Inside the prison, mother and son recall happier days in the mountains. When Leonora comes to tell Manrico he is free, he suspects betrayal and repulses her. She died as the poison takes effect. The Count has Manrico executed – and Azucena reveals that he has killed his own brother. Her
mother is avenged!

The Dramatic and Musical Structure of Il Trovatore

Antonio Garcia Gutierrez (1813-1884) was 23 years old when he suddenly sprang into fame as the author of a drama entitled El Trovador (The Troubadour) which was performed for the first time in Madrid in the spring of 1836. The play is considered as one of the leading works of the Romantic movement in Spanish literature.

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) probably came to know about El Trovador through his lifelong companion and future second wife, the retired prima donna Giuseppina Strepponi, who wrote an Italian summary of the play’s scenario for him. Soon after the premiere of Rigoletto in March 1851, the composer was engaged in active correspondence with Salvatore Cammarano (1801-1852) on the adaptation of Gutierrez’s play into a libretto for his next opera, Il Trovatore. From the outset, Verdi had been deeply impressed by the character of Azucena and had considered naming the opera after her.

Cammarano was an excellent librettist in the tradition of classical Italian opera. He proposed a succinct condensation of the original drama that fitted well with a formal structure of scenes according to the 19th century operatic convention. Verdi was satisfied with Cammarano’s drafts and the final dramatic structure agreed upon has the story retold in four acts each carrying a subtitle relevant to the main theme of the act. The first is labelled ‘The Duel’, focussing on the rivalry between the hero Manrico and his enemy the Count di Luna. The second is called ‘The Gypsy’, concentrating on the character of Azucena. The third act is subtitled ‘The Gypsy’s Son’, highlighting the maternal-filial love between Azucena and Manrico. The final fourth act is known as ‘The Torture’, referring to the execution of the hero and the self-sacrifice of Leonora.

Within this structure, every act consists of two scenes each assigned to a leading character, allowing every principle singer at least one full set of recitatives, aria and cabaletta to display his or her vocal prowess and technical strengths. The first scene has the old army captain Ferrando recalling the incident of a gypsy woman being burnt at the stake and her daughter’s act of revenge. The second scene is devoted to the lyrical expression of Leonora’s love for the unknown troubadour, concluding with an exciting trio for the principal soprano, tenor and baritone. The third features the famous ‘Anvil Chorus’ and a long dramatic duet between Azucena and Manrico. The fourth contains ‘one of the world’s most celebrated baritone arias’ and a grandiose choral finale. The fifth scene concentrates on the half-demented Azucena being captured by the Count. The sixth is dedicated to the tenor, allowing him a mellifluous declaration of love to Leonora and a rousing war cry to save his mother. The seventh scene features one of Verdi’s most moving and demanding soprano arias sustained on intense emotion and unsurpassed lyrical beauty. The final eighth scene presents a nostalgic duet and a trio of deep pathos bringing the opera to a powerful dramatic ending.

This ingenious structure enabled Giuseppe Verdi to produce a supreme expression in music of the romantic, passionate drama of chivalry. Il Trovatore is positively the most successful realization of a ‘singers’ opera’. With its wealth of melody, vitality, humanity and sincerity, it remains one of the greatest works of art Verdi ever created.

Lo Kingman