Giuseppe Verdi: Il Trovatore

Soloists:

Plácido Domingo (Manrico), Piero Cappuccilli (Il conte di Luna), Raina Kabaivanska (Leonora), Fiorenza Cossotto (Azucena), José van Dam (Ferrando), Salvatore Cammarano (Libretto), Leone Emanuele Bardare (Libretto)

Orchestra, choir:

Vienna State Opera Orchestra and Choir

Conductor:

Herbert von Karajan

Director:

Herbert von Karajan

Il Trovatore was always one of Herbert von Karajan's favorite operas. He conducted it early in his career, and his first studio recording in 1956 was made in Milan with Maria Callas and Giuseppe di Stefano, but "his" Trovatore really made an impression in legendary performances at the Salzburg Festival in 1962, which formed the basis for this successful revival in Vienna. He once said in an interview that he loved the archetypal human passions in this opera, the condensation of dramatic situations into the smallest possible space, and Verdi's genius in translating such situations into music. This 1978 performance is full of scandals. Franco Bonisolli was originally cast in the lead role, but he gave up the role during rehearsals, which were open to the public, threw his sword at the conductor, and stormed off the stage in a rage. He was later replaced by Plácido Domingo. What makes this performance special is that Karajan not only conducted the opera, but also directed it.