Cast
Leonora : Eva Marton
Il conte di Luna : Sherrill Milnes
Manrico : Luciano Pavarotti
Azucena : Dolora Zajick

Chorus and Orchestra of the Metropolitan Opera, New York
James Levine (conductor)

Verdi's 1853 opera - generally thought of as his first masterpiece - is one of the most famous in the repertoire, and has a number of familiar tunes including the gloriously high-reaching Di quella pira, the Anvil Chorus, and - showing Verdi's genius for a good tune - the theme which was used to introduce the Harry Enfield shows of the 1990s on BBC TV.

This production is from 1988, from New York's glitzy, A-list budget Metropolitan Opera. Luciano Pavarotti is in typical form here: his acting would not necessarily win him any Oscars, and he doesn't exactly scurry around the stage. But with a tenor voice of such matchless beauty and power, we can forgive him a lot. (In case you're wondering, Di quella pira is transposed down here.) Sherrill Milnes is in fine form all round, and Dolora Zajick's voice is well matched to the demands of Azucena.