Oh, how we love to empathize and sympathize with romantic heroes and villains spilling their guts, literally and figuratively, upon the opera stage while listening to world class singing and some of the most beautiful music in the world. A Romani woman, wrongly accused of being a witch, burned at the stake, an innocent child thrown into the fire, one lover takes poison to avoid being possessed by a man she does not love, and another is beheaded at the command of his brother. In other words, just another day at the opera. Verdi strikes again in this engrossing tale, a cornucopia of tragedy, well done by Washington National Opera in a performance that builds from beginning to end. This is the classic Italian opera that we crave. Go see WNO’s Il trovatore. Unless you are an opera curmudgeon focusing on its minor flaws, you won’t be disappointed; this is one to simply be enjoyed. And what a pleasure it is to go to an opera and have it all work, a well-done artistic experience coupled with a very cool night’s entertainment! Oh Leonora, Manrico, Azucena, and Count di Luna, I feel your pain…so deliciously.
Latonia Moore as Leonora and Gwyn Hughes Jones as Manrico in Washington National Opera’s Il trovatore. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.
The story of Il trovatore (The Troubadour, 1853) was taken from a play, El trovador (1836), by Spanish playwright Antonio Garcia Gutiérrez. The opera was an immediate success and has remained in the repertoire to present day; the play lifted its author from obscurity to become a celebrated playwright. Why such success for a plot that has been criticized for stretching credulity too far? The characters are human archetypes exploring the very human question of which will prevail between love, jealousy, and revenge. Washington National Opera has placed the action in its intended period and place, fifteenth century Spain, but these emotions and forces play out everywhere in every time period. Mr. Gutiérrez managed to use them to weave together an engaging story of a wrongful execution with a love story that features a jolt at the end.
Raehann Bryce-Davis as Azucena and Christopher Maltman as Count di Luna. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.
Giuseppe Verdi, the leading opera composer in Italy at the time, worked with his librettist Salvadore Cammarano, with help after his death from the young librettist Leone Emanuele Bardare. Together they bring the story vividly to life in an opera format; transforming prose to poetry that works with music is challenging. And of course, Verdi created more of his beautiful, highly melodic music to participate in telling the tale. The composer also used his uncanny sense of what works in opera to adjust the plot, such as increasing Leonora’s role while keeping a focus on Azucena, balancing the female roles similar to the balance between the male principals.
Verdi operas are usually divided into three periods, based on changes in their sophistication. The composer had just entered his second period with the premiere of his great Rigoletto in 1851; then, Il trovatore premiered in January 1853 and shortly thereafter, in March 1853 he premiered his summa cum laude, La Traviata. Rigoletto is about dad’s suffering, while Il trovatore is about mom’s; an interesting progression for Verdi. Musicologists suggest that Il trovatore was the summation of all that Verdi had learned about writing opera in his first period, while La Traviata represented a hyper jump into a new realm for the maestro.
Ryan Speedo Green as Ferrando. Photo by Scott Suchman; courtesy of Washington National Opera.
WNO cast the four principal roles in Il trovatore with a bevy of highly accomplished singers, all of whom have starred on the top stages in the U.S. and Europe. Tenor Gwyn Hughes Jones played rebel commander Manrico who was raised by Azucena, the daughter of the Romani woman burned at the stake, and who was in love with Leonora. Leonora was played by soprano Latonia Moore, a noblewoman of the court who rejected another suitor, Count di Luna. The Count, compelled by jealousy to eliminate his rival Manrico, was played by baritone Christopher Maltman. Azucena, who mothered Manrico and sought revenge against the Count for the killing of her mother, was played by mezzo-soprano Raehann Bryce-Davis. The supporting role of Ferrando, the Count’s first officer, was played by bass-baritone Ryan Speedo Green. Mr. Jones gave a highly professional performance as Manrico, with some scrumptious arias. Ms. Moore, our Leonora, showed bright coloratura passages throughout; though a few phrases seemed broken off early, she sang with convincing emotionality building throughout the performance. Mr. Maltman was steady and assured in his performance as the authoritative Count. The standout performance was, as it should be, by the performer who played Azucena, and Ms. Bryce-Davis fit the role perfectly, bringing added drama with engrossing singing to every scene she was in. Mr. Green as Ferrando set a high standard for the rest of the cast, and soprano Amber Monroe, as Leonara’s confidant, added to the excellence. All sang beautifully in their showcase arias, but I thought it was in duets and trios that the most affecting singing was delivered. Most compelling were duets between Manrico and Azucena, especially the scene where Azucena reveals her mother’s story. Kudos to Verdi and kudos to the excellent cast.
The Washington National Opera Orchestra, under the direction of guest Conductor Michele Gamba, delivered Verdi’s score the way I hope to hear Verdi music played. The famous “Anvil Chorus” could have used a little less anvil for my tastes (actually swords clanking together in this case; above WNO video), but the music sounded beautiful and right on target throughout. Speaking of the chorus, the WNO Chorus, under Chorus Master Steven Gathman, was an important element of this opera, and as always, this ensemble’s singing was a special joy.
Director Brenna Corner devised an excellent presentation of complicated scenarios, keeping the action moving appropriately through four acts and eight scenes. Scenes often had shifts in time and place; comments in script displayed on screens, as though missive entries, were used effectively to connect the scenes. Costumes by Martin Pakledinaz from WNO’s 2004 production were excellent in representing time and place and made most characters look beautifully dressed; poor Azucena, dressed in sack cloth. The set design and lighting were clever, if simple, and were used effectively to center the action. An exciting new element was the use of shadows on screens to convey a visual of what the characters were describing on stage.
In his book, “The Impossible Art”, Matthew Aucoin makes the point that directors must make suffering pleasurable without going too far, all the way into exploitation. In this production, the use of panels in angular geometric designs, prettily lit, added an interesting dimension to this staging. Typically, directors use dark elements to portray this opera with dark story lines. Set designer Erhard Rom, Projection Designer S. Katy Tucker, and Lighting Designer A. J. Guban used beautiful colors and designs to add to our pleasure in all that sorrow. It worked for me. I don’t know when I have enjoyed tragedy so much. The secret revealed at the end, punctuated with special effects, provided just the capping needed for a delightful evening.
Overall, the music was well played, the singing impressive, and the staging was effective. However, one additional element needs mentioning. This was a presentation where the singing and music had a cumulative effect that began to take over at the end of Act III, beginning with Mr. Jones’ beautifully rendered “Di quella pira” (above WNO video) and continued at the beginning of Act IV’s Aria e Miserere scene with Ms. Moore’s heart wrenching vocals, all the way to the finale’s fabulous ensemble singing. The performance achieved transcendence at the end, such that the music and singing were all that mattered. Bravi!
The Fan Experience: Performances of Il trovatare are scheduled for October 22. 28, 30, November 2, 5, and 7; tickets for remaining performances can be purchased through this link.. The opera is sung in Italian with supertitles in English shown on a screen above the stage. Parking in the Kennedy Center is typically plentiful at around $25 per day, with a small discount for Kennedy Center members. The Metro to Foggy Bottom and the free Red Kennedy Center buses from there to the Kennedy Center which run every 15 minutes are an excellent option. Always check with the venue of the performance you are attending for COVID restrictions; for Saturday’s performance, neither masking nor proof of vaccination was required.