Attending a final performance is something I increasingly enjoy and am beginning to prefer to opening nights. Sure, opening nights are nice for the glitz, glamour, and champagne, but you know yours truly, the opera’ bartender’s batman, always in the shadows, never wanting the limelight! And on Friday evening, February 23rd, was the final performance of Il Trovatore, an absolute masterpiece by Giuseppe Verdi, part of the popular trilogy with La Traviata and Rigoletto, if I may remind you. Il Trovatore doesn’t enjoy the same widespread reputation as the two operas I just mentioned, but I can tell you that for me, it ranks above La Traviata without a doubt.

It’s one of those operas that never seems to end, yet time flies by, with magnificent arias, the world-famous Workers’ Chorus, and a plot full of twists and turns—all that is the magic of Giuseppe Verdi.

Quite amusing, last night the Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa had to open the windows despite the winter weather, because almost the entire opera was filled with a distant, whirring sound due to the wind outside. This ultimately became a weapon for the director, as the noise created a very unsettling atmosphere, proving that nature is truly remarkable!

The evening got off to a great start, as this performance was part of a weekend dedicated entirely to Italy and opera for me—no Parma Calcio match, just three operas: Il Trovatore, La Cerenentola in Turin, and Macbeth in Novara. The Carlo Felice is a theater I love even more as time goes on. Every seat has a perfect view, at least in the upper tier. The staff is incredibly kind, the prices are quite reasonable, and a big thank you to the receptionist for giving me the evening’s Locandina program at the end of the performance, which listed all the artists’ names.

Speaking of artists (nice segue, right?), the evening’s lineup was quite promising. I’ll start with a man (apologies for the lack of gallantry), but you’re probably familiar with my admiration for this young baritone, Ariunbataar Ganbataar, a singer with a prodigious voice who would undoubtedly have delighted Maestro Verdi completely, so perfectly does his interpretation of the Italian repertoire suit him. I still remember his magnificent performance of La Forza del Destino in Lyon and Orange this summer, or the formidable Iago in Parma… There wasn’t a single flaw in his interpretation; he was clearly the audience’s favorite last night. I’m now eagerly awaiting seeing this great gentleman in the opera Don Carlo!

A revelation last night—and that’s no exaggeration—was my compatriot Clémentine Margaine, an incredible mezzo-soprano who delivered a role almost tailor-made for her and practically stole the show, judging by the audience’s applause at the end of the performance. The longer the show went on, the more complete, dark, and profound her performance became—a pure delight for both the eyes and ears!

Fabio Sartori played the romantic Manrico. After a triumphant Otello in Parma in October (alongside the same baritone from last night’s performance), the Italian, with his long and distinguished career, gave a beautiful interpretation of the central character. A special mention goes to the last 10 minutes of the opera and the duet with the mezzo-soprano and soprano, which capped off a very successful evening for him.

Erika Grimaldi, whom I saw almost exactly a year after another Verdi opera in Zurich (Un Ballo in Maschera), was also a delight to the ears. A special mention goes to the aria whose tune escapes me, where the high notes soar perfectly for over 45 seconds, bringing me to tears. And that, I think, is the greatest reward.

And as for the evening’s conductor, Bravo Monsieur, Bravo Maestro Giampaolo Bisanti! I repeat, I love it when the music of the greatest Maestro of all time is played almost at 1.2x speed. From beginning to end, the music was breathtaking. The violins were superb, the clarinet was phenomenal, the choral direction was precise—truly extraordinary!

I look forward to returning to Genoa next May, where, without a doubt, the weather will be more clement. This Macbeth promises to be… Grandiose!

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CAST

Direttore
Giampaolo Bisanti 

Regia
Marina Bianchi

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Il conte di Luna
Ariunbaatar Ganbaatar

Leonora
Erika Grimaldi

Azucena
Clémentine Margaine

Manrico
Fabio Sartori

Ferrando
Simon Lim

Ines
Irene Celle

Ruiz
Manuel Pierattelli

Un messo
Antonio Mannarino

Un vecchio zingaro
Roberto Conti