Today at the ROH

This morning, thanks to a friend of Gabriel, I attended the final dress rehearsal of Verdi's Il trovatore ("The Troubadour") at the Royal Opera House. It was first performed there on 10 May 1855, eight days after its world première in New York - that's 154 years ago! It's still going strong.

Conducted by Carlo Rizzi, directed by Elijah Moshinsky, the cast included Roberto Alagna! (Manrico) and Dmitri Hvorostovsky! (Count di Luna) as well as excellent performances from people I did not know previously, particularly Sondra Radvanovsky as Leonora with some super pianissimo high notes and Małgorzata Walewska's well-characterised Azucena, who eerily and ambiguously inhabited the vocal range between female and male.

I had photographers in front of me but other than that it was the strongest cast I have seen in an opera, and my seat was in the sixth row!

I was lucky to see it.

Verdi is extremely good at his job. (He still is).

Just as the lighting designer (Mike Gunning) illuminates certain important areas, Verdi points out certain areas of the voices, supporting them and reinforcing their lines as if the orchestra is the canvas supporting the colour. The orchestra is always contributing to the feeling, but it's in such a subtle way because often the propelling phrases are so archetypically musical that you don't notice they are there. Not like a melody that you will remember and sing yourself, but like little cells of notes that are almost pre-musical.

Verdi supports the voices in this way, but most of all he supports the drama.

That is his achievement.

(And some good ensemble pieces with three or four things being sung at the same time!)

Thank you Mr. Verdi.

Thank you all!