Valuable Troubadour

"Il Trovatore" has long been the favorite target when it comes to justify aversion to opera. In fact, it is easy to criticize this. The libretto by Salvatore Cammarano is expressed friendly, not just logically, he took out of the drama "El Trovador" the Spaniard Antionio Garcia Gutierrez simply the most dramatic scenes and blended them into a hard to understand, always implausible voltes beating action with fairly stereotyped figures.
Giuseppe Verdi liked the libretto nevertheless, he found the piece of beautiful, imaginative (it is, in fact, so many surprising turns one seeks in vain so many television series) and full of dramatic scenes that Verdi loved so much. In particular, the gypsy Azucena, the secret character of the skin opera, the composer suggested in its spell, and he paid them musically especially lovingly made. Immediately after the completion of the "Rigoletto" he began composing the opera was premiered on 19 January 1853 in Rome and brought another complete triumph for the composer, the work spread over two years around the world and still counts Verdi's most popular operas today.
"Il Trovatore" is a victory of the music about the plot, because due to the illogical story and the roughly drawn figures likely the opera have barely survived the time. Verdi, however, pulled out all the stops here his unique talent and created the musically versatile and melodies richest work of his early creative phase. He finds the right atmosphere for each scene and creates both expressive dramatic images and intimate love songs and succeeds to draw the inner lives of the characters impressively. Whole books could be written about Verdi's inspiration that never loses the line of action of the eyes and found an ingeniously simple and simply ingenious musical Untemalung for every situation.
Of course, "Il trovatore" still is one of Verdi's most popular works and was very often, which matches the buyer even more difficult the choice. This recording is an outstanding example of a lively and thoroughly thought out studio shot both because of the mostly excellent cast and because of the musical interpretation of Herbert von Karajan. It dates back to 1956, when Karajan indeed was a celebrated star panel, but not yet presented his interpretation of the will of the composer and showed as a conductor full of infectious energy and fake blood. Many of his best recordings date from this period and also "Il Trovatore" is a prime example of an ideal opera recording. Karajan always finds the right pace, the musical tension is always kept at a high level and Karajan has otherwise often quite chaotic orchestra of La Scala under perfect control. Historically interesting this recording is on top of that the fact that some traditional cuts were included again for the first time. Manrico sings both verses of the famous "Stretta" and Leonore Cabaletta "Tu che amore vedrai in terra" is also the first time in a "Trovatore" - listening to recordings, so this is the first real complete recording of the opera.
In the occupation, there is little to complain about something. Maria Callas' voice was unique in 1956, although already taken some damage, it sounds a bit throaty and tends to vocal transformation. Still, she copes with the difficulties of the role all around excellent, Maria Callas delivers here once again to prove that more than a beautiful voice is needed to convince. So she succeeds here an exceptionally vivid display of some ungrateful Leonora, which is actually only the poor victim, around tugging at the two men. The Leonora of Callas is contrary to the general role conception immensely self-confident, a real live woman and not a sacrificial lamb.
Rolando Panerai designed his Count Luna very versatile. The counterpart of Toubardours is usually depicted as gandenloser, brutal villain that he also really loves Leonora, often takes a back seat. Panerai but provides him with much feeling and accentuates the few quiet tones what the loutish Count is a rarely seen soft side. Vocally he is away from something masterful vocal training at Panerai is always the creative in the foreground, which is positively reflected here by the bank to book.
For Azucena there is no better occupation than Fedora Barbieri. The great mezzo-soprano was to the great Verdi - specialized parts and throws here one more time all their experience and their great acting talent to bear. Your design of the gypsy is entirely convincing, her big scenes (even the often somewhat lengthy narrative of history in the second act) are highlights of the recording, but her greatest moment is the wonderful "Ai nostri monti 'in the prison scene. Vocally she is not quite as overwhelming as in the older recordings this role under Renato Cellini, but she takes the listener here again with their excellent interpreation caught.
And there is still the problem child. The title character is part of the creative thankless, it has to offer the opera stage. Manrico is almost a caricature of the stupid tenor hero who follows only his feelings, stumbles into any unfortunate situation is abused by his alleged mother as a tool for revenge and finally, to free them, the always rousing "Stretta" with Hurra into Verdeben runs. Few tenors were able it not to display the good Manrico as arienschmetternden fool, so Jussi Björling, Carlo Bergonzi or Placido Domingo. Giuseppe di Stefano is not one of this team, as a brilliant designer the maid partner of Callas has never excelled, but all the more as an impulse singers with very beautiful voice. This virtue is also here mostly expressed as the beautiful love scenes with Leonora or in the harrowing dungeon scene in which he dispensed with the tragic sob mandatory in many tenors thankfully. His problem are the places where Manrico has to play the hero. Di Stefano was never a Knight of the high C as a del Monaco or Pavarotti, but a lyrical tenor embossed. Thus, di Stefano must lift here enormously by the loud parts and get just as the curve, as in the "Stretta", the one here rather by suffering with him than enjoying it. Can he sing but his usual lyrical line, also succeed him scenes of extraordinary beauty.
Overall, one can say that one is here, despite the somewhat unfortunate choice of the operative part, to do with an excellent recording by the Bank whose purchase you will never regret. The Tonqalität is unusually good for already 50 years old recording.
With this "Troubadour" makes it guaranteed nothing wrong.