Il Trovatore in Teatro Real, Madrid. July 24, 2019.

As every summer, the Teatro Real de Madrid closes its season with an "ABC" repertoire title, in what is called the "Semana de la ópera" (Opera Week). During that week, there is a day in which one performance is broadcasted in live stream via Facebook, television, and a big screen set in the Plaza de Oriente, with thousands of people following the performance from the theatre. This year, the opera is Il Trovatore, after 12 years from the last run of performances, in which Fiorenza Cedolins and Dolora Zajick amazed the audience with their renditions of Leonora and Azucena respectively.

In 2019, Il Trovatore returns in a production by Francisco Negrín, and three casts performing this masterpiece.

Negrín's production pretends to show how the ghosts of the past are able to tie and determine fatally the destiny of the protagonists. For that reason, we see on stage the ghosts of Azucena's mother and son as relevant characters. The action takes place in a metallic, cold and dark space, intensifying the plot and making it more opressive and unbreathable. In the inner zones the chorus is placed, and the chorus remain unseen in many moments. There are two big poles making a cross in the scene, sometimes dividing properly the stage, for example in the convent scene. This raw minimalism tries to delve on Azucena's tragedy, but despite the effectiveness of the ghosts' apparitions, its coldness and ugliness can be boring and even irrelevant.

The scene begins with Azucena invocating the fire (emerging real flames from a table) ,and in the top of the scene, we see her mother. Then, we see Ferrando telling the story to some children around him. In the second Act we see in the gipsy chorus the men singing in their inner zones and the women making some gestures of witchcraft. We see Azucena's child. During most of the duets with Manrico, she sings to her child ghost than to her living adopted child. There is a costume contrast, with the Count's henchmen dressing in dark leather and Manrico's men dressing with brown leather. In the Act four, we see Azucena's mother holding Manrico and Leonora with a chain, before her daughter does. At the end, Azucena is moving a pole while to the middle of the scene while she asks for her son, and the fire is projected on stage and the flames emerging from the table for the last time.


Maurizio Benini gave a fantastic orchestral rendition. His tempi were agile, dramatic and with the goal to help the singers, but he made the orchestra to shine by its own merit, with a belcantist style. The best moments were the gipsy chorus and Act 4. The trumpet had a good sound in the Count's arias. The Chorus sang in their usual good level, with the masculine voices sounding very well.

I attended the last performance of the first cast, being one of the best options for Trovatore nowadays.

Francesco Meli played Manrico. When I saw him on the telecast on July 6, I dread for how could sound his Manrico live, but after seing him in the theatre, I can say he is one of the best options for the role today. His voice is more belcantist than heroic. Being Italian, his proper diction gives his rendition an special expresiveness. He began with a beautiful Deserto sulla terra, and his version of Ah, si, ben mio was ovationed, thanks to his legato and long final high note. The problem is the Pira, because the piece surpasses his voice and his final high note hasn't the desirable sound. However, in the final act he returned to his former level, specially in the Miserere.

Leonora was sung by Maria Agresta in the telecast on July 6, and her Leonora suffered in the high register. On July 24, she was replaced by Lianna Harotounian, who has a bigger voice. Harotounian's voice has resistence, a good technique and amazing and prolonged high notes. She sang beautifully in her great scene of Act 4, with a technically well sung D'amor sull'ali rosee and improving remarkably in her final cabaletta. Her Prima che d'altri vivere was another good moment.

Ludovic Tezier was the Count of Luna. Tezier is one of the top options for this role, with a voice sounding like a Verdi baritone, something rare to find today. His acting was also convincing, conveying the brutality of the role. His version of Il Balen del suo sorriso was strongly ovationed due to the tenderness and good singing he achieved.

Ekaterina Semenchuk was Azucena. Alongside Meli, she was the other star of the cast. Her Azucena starts shy, but ends powerfully, like waiting quiet, discreet, for the moment to take her revenge. Her voice has a good technique, sometimes could sound a bit cold, but her outstanding high notes and her powerful performance compensate this. Her Stride la Vampa sound restrained, but since her breathtaking version of Condotta ell'era in ceppi she stole the show. Her best moment, and probably the best also in all the performance was her beautifully sung rendition of Ai nostri monti, which she sung in pianissimo, reaching an unforgettable moment.

Roberto Tagliavini, a regular singer in every recent season in Madrid, was a great Ferrando, with his beautiful bass voice and youthful sound. His Abietta Zingara was a luxury to hear.

The rest of the supporting roles were well served by the supporting singers.

Despite this season closing was not as superb as the unforgettable Lucia di Lammermoor with Camarena and Oropesa last year, the audience had a great time applauding and ovationing every aria. The hall was almost full in many performances, other being sold out; showing how the audience wanted to see Trovatore after a 12-year absence.

Here you can see the performance of July 6.

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