Il Trovatore's Top 5 Musical Moments
1. Di due figli…Abbietta zingara
Act I, Scene 1
Sung by the count’s henchman Ferrando in the opening scene, this is a spooky retelling of the grisly events that set the opera in motion. A staccato “shivering” motive in the bass’s melody conjures the fluttering of bat wings, while the orchestra sets a ghoulish mood with their devilish dance riff. Ferrando’s ghost story ends with a ghastly image: a child’s skeleton smoldering on the fire.
2. Vedi! le fosche (The Anvil Chorus)
Act II, Scene 1
At the beginning of Act II, the members of a Roma community greet the dawning day with this rousing work song. Verdi’s score calls for a pair of onstage anvils, which a blacksmith beats in time with the chorus. Nowadays, most orchestras use a “musical anvil”—a metal percussion instrument that simulates the sound of a real anvil.
3. Stride la vampa
Act II, Scene 1
In this number, Azucena relives her mother’s execution like a terrible nightmare. The mezzo’s skipping rhythms and flickering trills conjure the tongues of flame that burned Azucena’s mother and child alive. Listen for the orchestral reprises of this melody throughout the opera—reminders of the debt of vengeance she still owes her mother’s spirit.
4. Di quella pira
Act III, Scene 2
When he learns of Azucena’s capture in Act III, Manrico vows to rescue her in this swashbuckling showpiece. Most tenors add a high C at the end that’s not written in the score. This tradition was said to have started when a singer asked Verdi for permission. The composer supposedly replied: “Far be me to deny the public what it wants. Put in the high C if you like, provided it is a good one.”
5. Miserere
Act IV, Scene 1
This spinechilling number from Act IV consists of three overlapping musical layers. A chorus of offstage monks intone a “Miserere” funeral chant for Manrico, who has been sentenced to death. Leonora, desperate to save him, expresses her anguish in mournful, groan-like phrases. Suddenly, she hears the voice of Manrico. Her imprisoned lover bids her farewell in one final troubadour song.
