Word: azucena
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Dates: during 1970-1979
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...involved-usually with disastrous results. At the end of Act I he rushes forth to outduel the evil Count di Luna, but he spares the count's life and later gets stabbed for his trouble. At the end of Act III he races to rescue his adoptive mother Azucena; both end up in prison...
...Azucena was Shirley Verrett, who, like Pavarotti, is at a career turning point.A Met regular for eight years, she is basically a mezzo with an unusually high, extended range. Lately, she has been trying to move into the repertory of the dramatic soprano. The results have been only partially successful, largely because in moving higher her voice takes on an icy whiteness of tone. Returning to the mezzo range of Azucena, however, Verrett sang with overwhelming fire and urgency. One would hate to see a woman as lovely as Verrett consigned forever to play a hag like Azucena, but hers...
...long to get to the Met? The often suggested answer is Rudolf Sing's well-known preference for European singers. But the truth is that Home was not interested in making her debut in such customary mezzo roles as the bitch (Amneris) in Aida or the witch (Azucena) in Trovatore. What she wanted and got was a role demanding enough to show off a voice already broader in stylistic range than that of any soprano singing opera today...