Il trovatore

Part One: The Duel
Ferrando tells the story of the old Count Luna’s two sons. The younger of the two was once kidnapped: To avenge the death of her mother burned at the stake for witchcraft, a woman abducted the child and threw it into the same fire. Leonora tells her companion Ines of her love for an unknown troubadour she met at a tournament before the start of the civil war and for whom she has since longingly been waiting. Since a troubadour has been serenading her at night, she hopes to finally see him again. Count Luna, the older brother of the kidnapped child, is consumed with desire for Leonora and aware of her infatuation with the singer. When the troubadour’s song next rings out he plans to confront the mysterious stranger. This results in a duel during which the troubadour, who reveals himself to be Manrico, an associate of Luna’s enemies, spares the Count’s life.

Part Two: The Gitana
Azucena tends to her son Manrico, badly wounded in the duel, and tells him that, years before, her mother was burned as a witch. With her final words she instructed Azucena to take revenge. Azucena explains how she abducted the old Count’s son in order to kill him, but due to sudden confusion mistakenly pushed her own child into the fire. Manrico asks if this means he is not her real son, but she leaves the question unanswered. Instead, she tells him to show the despised Count Luna no mercy when they next meet. A messenger informs Manrico that Leonora plans to enter a convent as she believes him to have perished in the duel with Luna. Meanwhile, Luna is concocting a scheme to make Leonora his. Suddenly, Manrico, thought to be dead, reappears, enabling he and Leonora to finally be united.