Rating: 
Summary: A poorly served troubador........
Review: It breaks my heart to admit that I agree with the vast majority of the reviewers. Perfect sound, why wasn't this the case with the recently released Ballo? But not a very well served document of Verdi's wonderful emotive opera.OK, the production is dreadful - what were the Met thinking of? It's like a production I would expect to see at the ENO in London. Where they short of money that season, or did someone just want to get a kick out of watching perfomers attempt to navigate the set without falling over!! Eva Marton is totally mis-cast as Leonora; it grieves me to say this because I adore her and have screamed myself hoarse at her perfomances of Turandot, Tosca and Elektra at Covent Garden - but here, oh dear. Pavarotti sings wonderfully, as one would expect, but he seems totally oblivious to anyone else on stage - is it because he's worried that he might fall on those unnecessary stairs? Sherrill Milnes makes a good job as the Count de Luna and Dolora Zajick is just wonderful as Azucena - buy it just to see and hear this exemplary performance. What a superstar she is - even being able to make a moving performance in this shambles of a production. Well, what else can I say? One fabulously fantastic performance, two reasonable ones and a dreadfully miscast soprano. What a mish mash and shambles of one of Verdi's greatest music dramas. Please someone, find the master tapes of Pavarotti as the Troubador in Florence in 1990 - or in Saltzberg. I cannot honestly recommend this to you as great music drama - but there are somethings to commend it too - especially Dolora Zajik. So there, I sit on the fence!! Sorry.
Rating: 
Summary: What a surprise!
Review: Oh, I had such high hopes for this one! I was, however, terribly disappointed. Forgetting the singers for a moment, let's concentrate on the sets. Dark and gloomy, with a pointless set of stairs dividing the stage in half. Basically, the sets were changed by moving around a bunch of ugly and useless columns. Apparently, this production was a cast-off of Joan Sutherland's, who hated it.
Okay, moving on. The singers: Pavarotti was Pavarotti, singing fine but, my god, I've seen toddlers express more emotion over pet mosquitos they killed two seconds afterwards. I can't say it enough, his acting is painful!
Eva Marton: This was my first exposure to Marton's voice, and if she is always like this, I'm hoping it's my last! Something went wrong with the tempo in "di tale amor" and many of her high notes were horribly flat. One in particular sticks out, at the end of her duet with the count, her last high note was spectacularly awful. Her acting is perfectly matched to Pavarotti's; need I say more?
Sherril Milnes: Pretty good. His portrayal of the count is intelligent and human, but he should have retired years before. His top notes are strained, and he is obviously struggling with some problems, but on the whole, I really enjoyed his performance.
Dolora Zajick: Gorgeous voice, very gorgeous voice. She acts relatively well, considering the plot, but she's at her best as Amneris in Aida. Still, very good, brava!
So basically, the production has it's high points, (Zajick, Milnes) but mostly it consists of low points. Don't waste your money.
Rating:
Summary: Worthy buying... but not so great.
Review: The best things in this DVD are the superb singing of Milnes and Zajick, a very good performance of Metropolitan Chorus, and the conducting of Levine. Pavarotti sings well too, but he isn't a good actor here (in Rigoletto's DVD he is excellent as the Duca). Marton is the weak point of the production: too old for a plausible Leonora, and sometimes she doesn't sings in the right tempi. The scenario is very poor and dark (great scenarios you'll find in Metropolitan's Aida: incredible!).
However,is a worthy buy... especially for Verdi's fans. But we are all better served in productions of Rigoletto (Pavarotti, Gruberova, Wixell, Chailly) and Traviata (Gheorghiu, Lopardo, Nucci, Solti). Let's wait for a almost perfect Trovatore in the future.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent singing in rather unsuitable appearances.
Review: The singing is really excellent by wellknown and number one singers, which give us enjoyment in listening from beginning to the end of the performance. Also the choir is so splendid and add to the perfection of the music itself. However, the appearances of the singers are rather unsuitable for the roles they personify, as their appearances seemed rather heavy set for such young heroes in love and in war. Nevertheless, we enjoy the whole performance of this opera especially the background scenery which describe the sinister circumstances of the tragedy told by the soldier and Gypsy and the state of the warring parties. Pavarotti is as always singing beautifully, however I have seen him in another opera in which he performed better and more brilliantly. Eva Marton as Leonora is disappointingly rather unsuitable for the role she personifies, it is not the face that matters, as she is beautiful enough, but her matronly appearance made the personification rather amusing as the young and beautiful Leonora. Her singing is so excellent that we can forgive the rather unsuitable appearance and just concentrate on listening to her singing and the music. The other singers, Sheril Milnes and Dolora Zajick were so splendid and made the performance more alive, so we are able to forget the rather unsuitable appearances.
Rating: 
Summary: FABULOUS SOUND AND VIDEO QUALITY
Review: This Il Trovatore is with Sherril Milnes, Eva Marton, Dolora Zajjick, Luciano Pavarotti, conducted by James Levine at the Met in 1988 on the Deutsche Grammophon label. Dolora Zajjick is riveting as the gypsy mother and Pavarotti's rendition of Di quella Pira blows recent recordings by other current tenors to smithereens. Deutsche Grammophon's audio and video quality is superb--if only all the opera DVD's were this good I'd be in opera heaven. The DVD releases by DG also come with very good printed documentation. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: A Fabulous "Trovatore"
Review: This is indeed a great version of "Il Trovatore." Everything is incredible. Luciano Pavarotti, though fairly old when he made this opera, he sang Manrico in a way only he is capable of. Eva Marton, unfortunately, was fairly old and looked very old as Leonora, however her astounding voice makes up for it. Her, "Di tale amor" is simply incredible!! Dolora Zajick makes a great Azucena, and her "Stride la vampa" makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up whenever I hear it- especially when she sings the great part where she hits a high G. As for Sherrill Milnes as the Count- he's always my favorite villain. He blows me over in many scenes. The costumes are extremely fancy and 15th century-like; very authentic. The sets are great, and the choruses are the strrongest I've ever heard. All in all, I would suggest this video, even if you are new to this opera, because (as it has subtitles) you will love it. Oh, one more thing! Jeffrey Wells is a fabulous Ferrando, he has a very commanding tone and doesen't sound boring or weak like so many Ferrandos do.
Rating:
Summary: A Fabulous "Trovatore"
Review: This is indeed a great version of "Il Trovatore." Everything is incredible. Luciano Pavarotti, though fairly old when he made this opera, he sang Manrico in a way only he is capable of. Eva Marton, unfortunately, was fairly old and looked very old as Leonora, however her astounding voice makes up for it. Her, "Di tale amor" is simply incredible!! Dolora Zajick makes a great Azucena, and her "Stride la vampa" makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up whenever I hear it- especially when she sings the great part where she hits a high G. As for Sherrill Milnes as the Count- he's always my favorite villain. He blows me over in many scenes. The costumes are extremely fancy and 15th century-like; very authentic. The sets are great, and the choruses are the strrongest I've ever heard. All in all, I would suggest this video, even if you are new to this opera, because (as it has subtitles) you will love it. Oh, one more thing! Jeffrey Wells is a fabulous Ferrando, he has a very commanding tone and doesen't sound boring or weak like so many Ferrandos do.
Rating:
Summary: A suprise!
Review: This video of Il Trovatore was a suprise when I watched it the first time. The set was very dark, as it should be, but their costumes help to illuminate the singers. Now to the singers: Luciano Pavarotti was his usual self: a great singer, but a terrible actor. Eva Marton was a pretty bad singer, as I have heard from other reviewers, but I thought she was great. I have always been a fan of her voice, but I agree this is not her best performance. Dolora Zajick was one of the highlights of the opera. Her voice is at her best, bring the role of Azucena to life.To me, the clear star was Sherrill Milnes as Conte Di Luna. His rich baritone voice was almost at his best, and the audience agreed by throwing him flowers at the end. James Levine's excellent conducting brings the whole show together. Overall, this is a OK video, with some highlights and some flaws, but you should still see it.
Rating:
Summary: moonlight serenade
Review: Though this 1988 Metropolitan Opera performance is far from perfect, it still has a lot to offer the viewer/listener. One of the drawbacks is that Il Trovatore is a "night" opera, where all the drama seems to happen from dusk to dawn; this production takes it literally, and it is very dimly lit. It is saved by its beautiful silvery costumes, which reflect the minimal lighting, so at least you can see where the people are in the midst of the black stage. The cast:
Luciano Pavarotti is in fine fettle, with a virile, powerful interpretation of the glorious "Ah ! si, ben mio coll'essere", and a bit better than usual acting performances.
Sherrill Milnes is vocally past his prime here, but is a great stage presence, and does an excellent, villainous Conte di Luna; aptly named, because the moonlight becomes him...he looks fabulous.
Eva Marton seems at first uncomfortable in the sweet young maiden part of Leonora, but does get better with every scene; she is really good in the last act, and I always like her singing.
Dolora Zajick's Azucena is superb. A truly magnificent voice, and does well as an actress too.
Jeffrey Wells is wonderful, and makes an effective and attractive Ferrando.
James Levine keeps it all together with enthusiasm, and the sound is terrific. A lovely touch is the paper raining down on Pavarotti at the final curtain call from an appreciative audience, and there is much to appreciate in this performance of one of Verdi's most melodic, dramatic operas. Total running time is 133 minutes.
Rating:
Summary: moonlight serenade
Review: Though this 1988 Metropolitan Opera performance is far from perfect, it still has a lot to offer the viewer/listener. One of the drawbacks is that Il Trovatore is a "night" opera, where all the drama seems to happen from dusk to dawn; this production takes it literally, and it is very dimly lit. It is saved by its beautiful silvery costumes, which reflect the minimal lighting, so at least you can see where the people are in the midst of the black stage. The cast:
Luciano Pavarotti is in fine fettle, with a virile, powerful interpretation of the glorious "Ah ! si, ben mio coll'essere", and a bit better than usual acting performances.
Sherrill Milnes is vocally past his prime here, but is a great stage presence, and does an excellent, villainous Conte di Luna; aptly named, because the moonlight becomes him...he looks fabulous.
Eva Marton seems at first uncomfortable in the sweet young maiden part of Leonora, but does get better with every scene; she is really good in the last act, and I always like her singing.
Dolora Zajick's Azucena is superb. A truly magnificent voice, and does well as an actress too.
Jeffrey Wells is wonderful, and makes an effective and attractive Ferrando.
James Levine keeps it all together with enthusiasm, and the sound is terrific. A lovely touch is the paper raining down on Pavarotti at the final curtain call from an appreciative audience, and there is much to appreciate in this performance of one of Verdi's most melodic, dramatic operas. Total running time is 133 minutes.
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