VERDI: Il Trovatore.(Review)

VERDI: II Trovatore

[] Sweet, Mason; O'Neill, Opie, Bayley; Geoffrey Mitchell Choir, London Philharmonic Orchestra, Parry In English. Chandos CHAN 3036 (2)

One might have thought that the widespread success of surtitles (or seat-titles) spelled the doom of "opera in English," but the Peter Moores Foundation in England had other ideas. For several years now, the fundation has been sponsoring recordings of standard (and, in some cases, unfamiliar) operas in English on the Chandos label, involving front-rank British singers and orchestras under such conductors as Charles Mackerras, Paul Daniel and, most frequently, David Parry. The commercial success of the enterprise is unknown to me, but its professionalism and dedication are welcome, even though I am a diehard believer in opera in the original language.

Il Trovatore is an interesting experiment. No doubt Verdi's sizzling music would communicate in Hottentot, but the cruel and murky fifteenth-century tale captured by Cammarano's fiery libretto long has been the target of spoofs and wisecracks. Happily, this new Chandos set stands up to all challenges. The London Philharmonic turns in a wholly idiomatic account of Verdi's tumultuous score. Conductor Parry, well known for his excellent command of the Italian repertoire in the Opera Rara series, chooses comfortable tempos, easily adjusting the orchestral sound to the capabilities of his singers. In excellent sonic balance between stage and pit, he sustains flow and tension throughout.

Tom Hammond's eminently singable translation avoids oratorio-like archaisms and strikes a fine balance between the conversational and the unduly colloquial. Well enunciated by most of the cast, it falls easily on the ear, though it must be kept in mind that the consonant-heavy English language is not reconciled easily with Italianate legato. Hammond maintains Cammarano's rhythmic scheme with an expert mixture of rhymes and near-rhymes but avoids scrambling syntax for the sake of rhyming. Di Luna's Act II cabaletta provides a good example of his ...