Dmitri Tcherniakov makes his debut with regi, sets and costumes at La Monnaie. Photo: Evgeny Ivanov

OPERA
IL TROVATORE
Giuseppe Verdi  (1813-1901)

MARC MINKOWSKI, DMITRI TCHERNIAKOV

New production

BRUSSELS: One of the very hits in the Giuseppe Verdi opera production is Il Trovatore, which will be premiered at La Monnaie in Bruxelles June 10th and be running until July 6th with 11 performances.

IL TROVATORE at Le Monnaie, Brussels from June 10th until July 6th 2012

Il Trovatore has known since its creation an exceptional popularity, which has never declined
. This work is part of Giuseppe Verdi’s more mature operas, along with Rigoletto and La Traviata. The libretto of Salvatore Cammarano and Leone Emanuele Bardare is taken from Antonio García Gutiérrez’ Spanish drama. A story of love, hate and reprisals but also hidden identity, betrayal and revelations, Il Trovatore puts on the stage a woman thirsty for vengeance, her son (in reality the count’s son) the beautiful Leonora and the count of Luna himself blinded by jealousy.

The intricacy of the action, with its endless twists and turns does not, despite everything, obstruct the powerful drama of the score, all the wildness, the passion and tenderness, even if good taste is sometimes drowned in the theatrical and enflamed effects! Verdi here has proved a great mastery and audaciousness in his musical and vocal language
.

Marc Minkowski conducts Il Trovatore in Brussels
. Photo: Peter Schnetz

The score is amongst of the most beautifully written pages by the composer. The feminine roles are not easy: the role of Azucena demands a mezzo-soprano of a particular far-reaching standard; that of Leonora requires a soprano of a musicality and sensibility above the norm.

As the last production of the season, Verdi’s Il Trovatore marks the début for the Russian producer Dmitri Tcherniakovand the return to La Monnaie of the French conductor Marc Minkowski, who will be conducting the Symphony Orchestra and Choir. Both will be working for the first time on this Verdi opera.

Misha Didyk as Manrico. Photo from rehersals. Photo: Pierre-Philippe Hoffmann

Il Conte di Luna is performed alternatively by the American baritone Scott Hendricks, who was a magnificent Macbeth during the season 2009-2010 and performed Jochanaan in the new production of Salome presented in January, and the Greek baritone Dimitri Tiliakos*, who is making his debut at La Monnaie.

The Ukrainian tenor Misha Didyk, who is making his début at la Monnaie, sings the young hero Manrico.

The French mezzo-soprano Sylvie Brunet-Grupposo incarnates the pitiless Azucena for her début at La Monnaie
.

The Russian soprano Marina Poplavskaya who debuted at La Monnaie in Verdi’s Messa da Requiem in 2008, performs the role of Leonora and the Italian bass Giovanni Furlanetto who is also singing Elmiro in Rossini’s Otello in April, that of Ferrando.

Dmitri Tcherniakov is also the set and costume designer with the assistance of Elena Zaytseva for the costumes and Gleb Filshtinsky for the lighting. The choir will be prepared by the conductor Martino Faggiani.