Il Trovatore

The story for Verdi's 1853 classic verges on nonsense: a variation on the switched-at-birth tale, the plot revolves around a bizarre series of incidents in which a) a gypsy woman is burned at the stake for purportedly bewitching a baby, b) the woman's daughter tries to avenge her, but throws the wrong baby into the fire, and c) the unsuspecting survivor emerges years later as a rival in both love and war to his brother (the blood tie unbeknownst to either), the Count di Luna. You can guess the tragic, unintentionally fratricidal ending; but sustain your disbelief, sit back and enjoy. Challenging to produce in every aspect, this live performance of Il Trovatore in the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden is top notch, sporting a well-matched, vocally robust, international cast of principals (José Cura, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Yvonne Naef, and Verónica Villarroel); an exceptional, crisp, choral ensemble; and outstanding staging which includes an exciting scene based on German student dueling technique. Only the murky atmosphere of live performance lighting keeps this from perfection. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0, with extras including an illustrated booklet, and behind-the-scenes looks at set design and the Schlager method of dueling. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Reed)