The gypsy Azucena in Il Trovatore was Verdi’s first great role for mezzo-soprano, later joining company with Eboli in Don Carlo and Amneris in Aïda. Mention of her is already felt in the opera’s first scene. She does not appear until after the Anvil Chorus but she is the lynchpin of this dark opera, its doom-laden plot only softened by some of the most beautiful music Verdi ever wrote.

Originally Verdi wanted to name this opera Azucena but ended up not doing so. He might as well have kept his original intention because the role justifies it. Serb mezzo-soprano Sanja Anastasia lived up to this challenging but very rewarding role. She dominated the opera whether vocally or combined with superbly powerful acting. She showed from the beginning what a star she is and was miles ahead of everybody else, and that not because most of the rest of the cast were merely pale pawns on the stage chess-board. Sanja Anastasia’s Azucena is the best I have seen since Christa Ludwig’s, and she was simply fantastic. The second of two performances of this opera at the Astra Opera House is under review here.

The trio of characters who are also important are the love triangle presented by Leonora, Manrico and the Conte di Luna. The latter two are always at daggers drawn, both in love with Leonora (who loves Manrico) and unaware that they are really brothers. Soprano Joanna Parisi’s good looks and her acting as well as singing made of her a convincing Leonora. Her voice increased in polish and power as the opera progressed. The vengeful Conte di Luna (baritone Plamen Dimitrov) was a convincing singing actor even if (like the soprano’s first climactic notes) with a tinge of uncertainty in the climax to Il balen del suo sorriso.

Teatru Astra Opera Chorus in collaboration with the Coro Lirico Siciliano provided superb singing, especially the vigorous choruses of soldiers in which they sounded like the ideal Verdi choruses con voce cupa

It is with regret that one has to say that tenor Valeriy Georgiev as Manrico was disappointing. One is used to a dashing Manrico, but this was more like an anti-hero. In any case, dash would not be enough without the voice to match. His was embarrassingly thinnish. He did act his part reasonably well but it really was just not it. The secondary role of Ferrando, di Luna’s chief henchman, was an all-round creditable interpretation by bass Carlo Colombara. The smaller role of Iñes was well-handled by soprano Marvic Baldacchino. Smaller roles were those of Ruíz (Alberto Munafò), Old Gypsy (bass Noel Galea) and Messenger (Mario Portelli).

Joanna Parisi and Valery Georgiev interpreting the roles of Leonora and Manrico in the final scene of Act II inside the nun’s convent.

I have not always seen eye-to-eye invarious productions at the Astra when directed by Enrico Stinchelli, but I must say that this was a beautiful one. The crowd scenes were well-managed and so were the sword fights and duels. Scenography by Joseph Cauchi and his team was well in keeping with the late medieval setting of the plot, whereas strangely enough, the printed synopsis sets it in Spain during the Peninsular War! The costumes by Manuel Grima, Ina Zammit and George Farrugia were very good too as were the lights designed by George Zammit.

This was the very first in many times I have seen this opera that ballet was included in the gypsy camp scene. Verdi must have added it with the French market in mind, especially the Parisian. It has nearly always been discarded. It was more classique rather than gitane and danced pretty well by a small troupe of five young ladies to choreography by Sarah Grech. I do not know whose decision it was to include this ballet, which musically comes in disjointedly separate episodes. It hardly has any relevance to the musical plot which is why it has nearly always been discarded. In Massenet’s Le Cid, each movement musically represents different regions of Spain, leaders of which gather in one place, so it makes sense. In Il Trovatore, the very music of the ballet has hardly any gypsy flavour.

To carry on with musically related matters, the Teatru Astra Opera Chorus in collaboration with the Coro Lirico Siciliano provided superb singing, especially the vigorous choruses of soldiers in which they sounded like the ideal Verdi choruses con voce cupa. They were well-instructed and trained by Mariella Spiteri Cefai and Francesco Costa. John Galea, a veteran composer-conductor was at the helm of the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra (leader Marcelline Agius) and he made a very good job of it. Many sponsors and volunteers, too many to mention, helped make the two performances possible.