Opera Plots I - MDC Faculty Home Pages

challenged by his rival.
In Act 3 Violetta is seen in a dying state, awaiting the arrival of Alfred, who, having now heard of
the sacrifice she has made for him, is gladly returning to her once more, having received
permission from his father to make her his wife. When he arrives, however, he sees that she is
dying, and is filled with the utmost grief; and Violetta herself begs the doctor to save her a little
longer to enjoy the happiness now offered to her. But when she realises that there is no hope for
her, she gathers her courage together, and, bidding a tender farewell to. her lover, quietly expires
in his arms.
179. IL TROVATORE; OR, "THE GIPSY'S
VENGEANCE"
Opera in Four Acts By Guiseppe Verdi
Libretto By Cammarano
First Produced Rome, January, 1853
Chief Characters Leonora, Azucena, Manrico, Count Luna, Ferrando, Ruiz
THE scene is laid in Biscay and Arragon during the Middle Ages. The Count di Lunas infant son
haying fallen ill with some childish complaint is believed to have been bewitched by an old gipsywoman,
who has been seen hovering around the castle, and who is consequently seized and burnt
at the stake as a sorceress. Her daughter, Azucena, full of frantic grief at her mothers fate, is
determined to be revenged. She therefore makes her way to the castle at once, and steals away the
sick child, whom she casts into the still-burning fire which has consumed the gipsy; but, too late,
she discovers to her horror that, in the confusion and blind passion of the moment, she has thrown
her own infant into the flames by mis-take, and that the Counts child is still alive. She still
cherishes her desire for vengeance; but she now clings to the strange child, and has him brought up
as her own son, no one else knowing of his true birth. He is named Manrico; and as he grows up
he goes to the wars, and distinguishes himself by his bravery. At the opening of the opera he has
just won the chief honours at a grand tournament, where he is crowned the victor by the beautiful
young Countess Leonora. The pair fall mutually in love and Manrico afterwards visits Leonora
several times, disguised as a troubadour, whose serenades are the introduction to many stolen lovemeetings.
Leonora also has another suitor, the reigning Count di Luna, who is in reality Manricos
elder brother, and who, little dreaming of their relationship, is filled with a violent jealousy against
his rival, and treats him with deadly enmity. The Count appears on the scene during one of the
lovers twilight meetings; and when Leonora firmly announces her love and preference for
Manrico, he challenges the latter to fight. Manrico is wounded; but, in the end, he gains the
advantage over the Count, whose life, however, he spares. Azucena seeks out Manrico, and takes
him to the gipsy encampment in the mountains, where she nurses him back to health; and here, in
Act 2, he learns that Leonora, having heard a report of her lovers death, is, in despair, about to
enter a convent. He at once hurries to the convent, where he is just in time to save Leonora from
falling into the hands of Count di Luna, who has planned to kidnap her. The lovers take refuge in
the Castle of Castellar, which Manrico s troops are at the time defending against an opposing party
headed by the Count di Luna. The latter succeeds in storming the castle, and Manrico is taken