Il Trovatore

Puget Sound Concert Opera at Gethsemane Lutheran Church

Twenty-five years before the actual story begins, the father of Count di Luna had had a gypsy woman burned at the stake as a witch; the gypsy’s daughter, Azucena, in reprisal, kidnapped one of the two sons of the old count and is believed to have killed him. The other son, the younger Count di Luna, is now commander of the Spanish army. He has never lost hope that his long-lost brother may still be living. The Count and Manrico of Biscay are enemies in a civil war and rivals for the love of the Duchess Leonora.

Ultimately, Manrico & Azucena are both imprisoned by the Count. Leonora wins their freedom by offering herself to the Count in exchange. When the Count accepts, Leonora takes a deadly poison and goes to tell Manrico that he is free. Before Manrico can leave, di Luna arrives and sees that Leonora is dying, he orders Manrico beheaded. When Manrico is dead, Azucena declares that her mother has been avenged and tells di Luna that he has just killed his own brother.