Verdi - Il Trovatore / Cura, Hovorostovsky, Villarroel, Naef, Rizzi, Covent Garden

Description

Jose Cura and Dmitri Hvorostovsky lead the star cast of Verdi's blazingly passionate opera, in Elijah Moshinsky's new Royal Opera House production, co-produced with Teatro Real Madrid, with sets by the noted Italian film designer Dante Ferretti. SPECIAL FEATURES -- Meet the Cast, All about Schlager, Behind the Scenes, Illustrated Synopsis, Illustrated Booklet

Customer Reviews:

It almost got 5 - but for..........2007-01-31

Jose Cura, simply not in his best vocally here. In the 'bonus CD', Hvorostovsky and Cura commented on their portrayals in this production: they carried out real sword fights in Act I, as opposed to Pavarotti and Milnes' sham sword showing in the other set I've got. However, this highly dramatic scene has its cost - Cura was not attuned to this physical assertion. Dmitri actually gave an account of this scene in the commentary part - he gave credit to Cura, being a tenor, for making this scene dramatically effective. Judging from the performance, however, the credit actually goes to Dmitri, whose singing and acting (in duel) go on simultaneously in a high level without any sign of strain either way. A really great singing-actor. His di Luna is so adorable that really saved the production.
Cura's great duet with Yvonne Naef was also strained. Excuse me for comparing his Manrico with Pavarotti's. Naef isn't bad, but the other has got the great Zajick...

A passionate production of this wild opera.......2006-05-09

Il Trovatore has a wild quality to it with its firelight nighttime settings, its revenge theme, its intense characters. I love how the opera often feels out of control even though, of course, the performers can't be. And that's why this is such a good production. The four leads attack their parts with passion, while exhibiting (for the most part) the control that Verdi requires of his singers.

The two stand-out performances are by Yvonne Naef and Dmitri Hvorostovsky. Naef is moving as Azucena, partly because she doesn't play her as crazed beyond belief. As a result, we can identify with her suffering. I love the clarity of her voice and the freshness of her acting. The audience's enthusiastic response to her is well-deserved. Hvorostovsky is charismatic as Count di Luna and possesses a truly great baritone voice -- rich and full and burnished.

Veronica Villaroel struggles at times with the vocal requirements of Leonora, particularly with the coloratura and the faster musical passages. But she's emotionally convincing as Leonora. As Manrico, Jose Cura's voice is rough around the edges (but then, Manrico is rough around the edges). Like Villaroel, Cura makes up for his vocal struggles by delivering a passionate acting performance, convincingly portraying the great range required for the role: loving son, warrior, spurned lover, grieving man.

The four leads put everything they've got into their roles and the high energy level that results keeps the viewer engaged from beginning to end. One example: While Villaroel's voice soars above them, Cura and Hvorostovsky engage in an intense sword fight as they sing "Di geloso amor spezzato," the trio that closes Act I. Usually the players lock swords for a few seconds once they've finished singing and the applause has started. Not this group of players. They perform Il Trovatore with the wild abandon that befits this opera. I highly recommend it.

Passionate Trovatore .......2005-11-18

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?

Systematic, Polite, Attractive, Physical....Cold.......2005-06-03

Where there is no blood there is no soul.

This is a beautiful production, extremely lovely in a technical way; brilliant colors, immaculate sound, and the DVD is programmed far better than most opera DVD's

The singers are good. The best perhaps is Hvorostovsky, who is very similar to Nicolae Herlea in a vocal way. He handles the role admirably in all aspects. Cura has powerful moments, but his is the kind of talent that perplexes many people. Villaroel is good. Naef is better than good. The conducting and staging are good to excellent. You WILL get your moneys worth. Yet I can't help but think that something is very rigid and sterile.

I recently watched some shows from 1983-84, in fact, one was a MET production of Forza. The soprano seemed to me VERY windy and almost comical in her mannerisms. The tenor was shaking all over and looked out of sorts. The Baritone moved his mouth to extremes and the mezzo looked like she was on the cover of the "Bad Girls" albumb. Yet at the end of the show, I felt exhausted, troubled, spent...I had forgotten about everything but Leonora, Alvaro, etc... I had been moved, touched, and had become sympathetic. YOU WILL NOT GET THIS QUALITY OUT OF THIS TROVATORE! REPEAT..........YOU WILL NOT BE MOVED...YOUR EMOTIONS WILL NOT BUDGE!!!

I would have given this show 5 stars but when I don't get involved with a program, its not perfect. The interesting thing is that neither were the singers perfect. Had they been so maybe it would have left me dazzled enough to be ...... at least....impressed?

One of a kind.......2004-12-02

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!

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