Il Trovatore

Verdi’s beloved opera overflows with marvelous arias, ensembles, and choruses—all superbly sung by this all-star cast, under the direction of James Levine. Aprile Millo (Leonore) is in love with the mysterious troubadour Manrico (Luciano Pavarotti) but the nefarious Count Di Luna (Sherrill Milnes) wants her for himself. Add to the roiling drama the mysterious old gypsy Azucena (the intense Fiorenza Cossotto in her final Met performance), and it’s a situation that is disastrous for the characters—though it inspired some of the best-known music in all of Italian opera.