West Bay Opera

Director's Notes on Il Trovatore

Il Trovatore, based on a Spanish play by Antonio García Gutiérrez, is the story of two brothers, separated in infancy, who know nothing of their relationship. One brother has been raised by his own family; the other was stolen as a baby and brought up by an unstable gypsy woman. In the course of the opera, the brothers clash for three reasons: they are rivals for the love of Leonora; they serve in opposing armies during a bitter civil war; and they are on opposite sides of a bloody family feud.

Audiences commonly feel that the plot of Il Trovatore is confused and impossible to follow. In fact, if one has time to take it in, it is entirely coherent. But the 15th-century costumes of a conventional production make it difficult for a modern observer to understand who the characters are and what positions they inhabit in their world. We have chosen to set our version during the Spanish Civil War in the 1930's, against the background of a 20th-century conflict between State forces and a rebel army. The essential relationships between the people are unchanged, but we believe that the familiar reference points which this setting provides will allow the story to unfold with much greater clarity.

11 February, 1998