Verdi returns to Les Arts with 'Il trovatore' in a striking production by Àlex Ollé with musical direction by Maurizio Benini

Les Arts és Òpera

• The cast features leading voices of the Italian repertoire: Olga Maslova, Antonio Poli, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Artur Ruciński, and Adolfo Corrado
• Ollé transports this story of love, revenge, and irrational hatred to the trenches of World War I

Valencia (3.12.24). The Palau de les Arts Reina Sofía premieres on Sunday, December 8, 'Il trovatore' by Giuseppe Verdi, which will be performed in a stunning production by Àlex Ollé with musical direction by Maurizio Benini.

The artistic director of Les Arts, Jesús Iglesias Noriega, today presented the only one of the three titles in Verdi's masterful 'Popular Trilogy'—comprising 'La traviata', 'Rigoletto', and 'Il Trovatore' itself—that had not been programmed in Valencia since its last performance. He was accompanied at the press conference by both the musical director, Maurizio Benini, and the stage director, Àlex Ollé.

Iglesias Noriega pointed out that 'Il trovatore' is also the only opera by the composer born in Busseto with Valencian ties. The original plot, he recalled, unfolds in parallel with the revolt of James of Urgell against Ferdinand of Antequera, following the outcome of the Compromise of Caspe (1412), convened to designate the successor to Martin the Humane on the Aragonese throne.

The historical influence on Verdi's opera is embodied in Manrico, a troubadour and officer in the army of James of Urgel, while his rival for Leonora's heart, the Count of Luna, is a nobleman in the service of Ferdinand I of Aragon.

When tackling this title today, Àlex Ollé, who enjoyed an unbeatable debut in Valencia with his 'Tristan und Isolde', emphasizes war as the framework in which to explain unbridled passions, absurd hatreds and irrational actions without time for reflection in order to "make believable the very strange story of maternal love and blind revenge that is, in essence, the backbone of 'Il trovatore'."

To achieve this, Ollé, along with Alfons Flores (set design), Lluc Castells (costume design) and Urs Schönebaum (lighting design), recreates the ghostly landscape of the trenches of World War I as a stage space in which the love triangle between the Count of Luna, Lenora and Manrico coexists with the desires for revenge of the latter's mother, Azucena, eager to avenge the death sentence of her mother by order of the father of the current Count of Luna.

Maurizio Benini, one of the leading experts in the Italian repertoire, heads the musical department. Following his acclaimed work with the Cor de la Generalitat and the Orquestra de la Comunitat Valenciana in 'Anna Bolena' and 'Maria Stuarda', he returns for one of the most challenging titles in the repertoire, which also demands one of the most demanding casts in Verdi's entire oeuvre.

Soprano Olga Maslova (Leonora), a soloist with the Mariinsky Theatre and already recognized as one of the most promising voices in the Italian repertoire after her performances in equally formidable roles such as Aida and Turandot, makes her debut in Valencia.

He is accompanied by the Italian tenor Antonio Poli, who returns to Les Arts 14 years later, in the challenging and committed role of Manrico, who has in the cabaletta 'Di quella pira' one of the greatest 'tour de force' of the entire opera.

Another celebrated reunion for the Valencian public is starring Ekaterina Semenchuk (Azucena), in the same role with which she appeared at Les Arts in 2012 to string together successive successes as an opera and 'Lied' performer.

The cast also includes Artur Ruciński, who has been an active presence at the Valencian theater since its inception. The Polish baritone will perform the role of Il Conte di Luna in his fifth operatic appearance in the Main Hall.

The quintet of protagonists is completed by the emerging Italian bass Adolfo Corrado (Ferrando), one of the revelations with his Masetto in 'Don Giovanni' in 2023.

True to its commitment to new operatic talent, the cast of 'Il trovatore' also features the voices of Holly Brown (Ines) and Filipp Modestov (Ruiz), singers from the Centre de Perfeccionament de Les Arts.

'Il trovatore' is a co-production of the Opéra national de Paris, the Dutch National Opera, and the Teatro dell'Opera di Roma. Les Arts has scheduled five performances on December 8, 11, 14, 19, and 22.