Opera - Il Trovatore (The Troubadour)

GIUSEPPE VERDI (1813-1901)

Il Trovatore

134:56

Opera in four acts

Text by Salvatore Cammarano, from the drama El trovador by Antonio Garcia Gutiérrez

English Translation by Tom Hammond

Part I

Scene 1

'Wake up, there, wake up, there!'

3:06

Ferrando, Servants and Soldiers

'Heav'n had giv'n my old master'

7:45

Ferrando, Servants and Soldiers

Scene 2

'Come, wait no longer'

2:13

Inez and Leonora

'The stars shone in the heav'ns above'

4:58

Leonora and Inez

'No words can tell the measure'

1:42

Leonora and Inez

'How still the night is'

2:08

Count di Luna

'The Troubadour! The madman!' -

2:23

'Though naught on earth is left me'

Count di Luna, Manrico and Leonora

'Who's speaking?'

1:37

Leonora, Count di Luna and Manrico

'Jealous fury and slighted passion'

2:34

Count di Luna, Leonora and Manrico

Part II

Scene 1

'See how the shadowy clouds are flying' ('Anvil Chorus')

2:42

Gipsies

'Fierce flames are raging'

5:57

Azucena, Gipsies and Manrico

'They brought her, fettered and pow'rless'

7:59

Azucena and Manrico

'As we struggled he stumbled before me'

4:37

Manrico, Azucena and a Messenger

'You are still too weak to venture'

2:19

Azucena and Manrico

Scene 2

'All is deserted'

1:54

Count di Luna and Ferrando

'In the stars that shine above me'

4:19

Count di Luna and Ferrando

'The hour has come, no more delay'

3:03

Ferrando, Retainers and Count di Luna

'Here in this world of sorrow'

5:07

Nuns, Count di Luna, Ferrando, Retainers, Leonora and Inez

'Oh, can it be, can I believe'

4:46

Leonora, Count di Luna, Manrico, Inez, Ferrando, Nuns, Retainers, Ruiz and Followers

Part III

Scene 1

'Though today we take our leisure' ('Soldiers' Chorus')

4:34

Soldiers and Ferrando

'She's in my rival's arms!'

2:29

Count di Luna, Ferrando, Guards and Azucena

'Though my life was poor and lowly'

3:12

Azucena, Ferrando, Count di Luna and Guards

'Ah! Release me from these cruel bonds'

2:09

Azucena, Count di Luna, Ferrando and Guards

Scene 2

'But what mean all these sounds of war around us?'

2:14

Leonora and Manrico

'When holy church has blessed our love'

5:06

Manrico, Leonora and Ruiz

'That fierce inferno, her cruel sentence'

3:17

Manrico, Leonora, Ruiz and Soldiers

Part IV

Scene 1

'We're there now'

3:00

Ruiz and Leonora

'Breeze of night, go seek him'

4:06

Leonora

'Lord, have mercy upon a soul departing' ('Miserere')

5:13

Chorus, Leonora and Manrico

'You will see that my devotion'

2:10

Leonora

'Now hear me!'

1:54

Count di Luna and Leonora

'See all these bitter tears of mine'

3:25

Leonora and Count di Luna

'The man shall live' -

2:22

'He lives! I cannot speak for joy'

Count di Luna and Leonora

Scene 2

'Mother, not sleeping?'

5:26

Manrico and Azucena

'Yes, let me sleep for my limbss are weary . . .'

4:46

Azucena, Manrico and Leonora

'You will not say?'

3:01

Manrico, Leonora and Azucena

'Now leave me!'

4:58

Manrico, Leonora, Count di Luna and Azucena

Alan Opie baritone - Count di Luna

Clive Bayley bass - Ferrando

Sharon Sweet soprano - Doña Leonora

Helen Williams soprano - Inez

Anne Mason mezzo-soprano - Azucena

Dennis O'Neill tenor - Manrico (The Troubadour)

Mark Le Brocq tenor - Ruiz

David Parry

16-20 December 1999