Performer: Vitaliy Bilyy

As Zaharia inhabited her role, the opera became almost entirely about her, to the extent that one wanted to watch her every movement and hear her every syllable.

An outstanding Azucena and solid vocal and orchestral performances more than make up for David Bösch's unappealing staging.

David McVicar's six-year old production of Il trovatore returns to the Met with a starry cast:a model of clarity and mood compared with the Met’s previous staging.

An exciting cast starring Michael Fabiano and Leah Crocetto makes up for a slow and static production at San Francisco Opera's opening night.

In San Carlo's Luisa Miller, top notch performances from Luciano Ganci and Elena Moşuc lead a concert performance which show what a great and underperformed work this is.

Nothing will make the plot of Il trovatore less ridiculous. But a director who embraces that ridiculousness, plus stellar playing and singing, make for a great show.