Word: azucena
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...involved-usually with disastrous results. At the end of Act I he rushes forth to outduel the evil Count di Luna, but he spares the count's life and later gets stabbed for his trouble. At the end of Act III he races to rescue his adoptive mother Azucena; both end up in prison...
...long to get to the Met? The often suggested answer is Rudolf Sing's well-known preference for European singers. But the truth is that Home was not interested in making her debut in such customary mezzo roles as the bitch (Amneris) in Aida or the witch (Azucena) in Trovatore. What she wanted and got was a role demanding enough to show off a voice already broader in stylistic range than that of any soprano singing opera today...
Psychological Drama. Last week the Met gave its first performance of Merrill's new production of // Trovatore. Although critics have traditionally complained about the absurdity of the libretto, Merrill contends that Trovatore is "a psychological drama that must be seen from the viewpoint of Azucena, a demented woman whose entire life is focused on avenging her mother's death." Merrill therefore has placed his singers against scenery-designed by Attilio Colonnello-that he describes as "consciously bizarre and unreal, to set off the singers as real people...
Musically, the production, which was conducted by Zubin Mehta, was a stunning triumph. Grace Bumbry as Azucena brought to the part a strong mellow voice and some of the best acting ever seen at the Met. Leontyne Price as Leonora, Sherrill Milnes as the count, and Placido Domingo as the count's brother all shone musically as they were fatally drawn into the vengeful scheming of Azucena and the doom-filled mood of Merrill's production...
Trovatore will be remembered for the debut of Giulietta Simionato, the great Italian mezzo-soprano who sang Azucene. Simionato is known to record collectors for her superb Rossini performances. Yet, her extraordinary range enables her to perform parts as diverse as Azucena and Santuzza with equal ease and brilliance. Her Trovatore could not have been bettered. In these days when dramatic singers with reliable techniques are rare, a good Azucena, so difficult a part, is harder to find than the "great American opera...