Having walked off stage when his aria "Ah si, ben mio" elicited disapproval from a public rehearsal audience, Boniselli lost a chance to appear on TV and advance his career even more. Instead, after some considerable search, Plácido Domingo stepped into the role and so we are now fortunate to have his performance as Manrico available to us on DVD only recently released for the general public.

Il Trovatore had always been one of von Karajan's most favorite operas. He conducted it in a German translation at the very beginning of his career in Ulm and Aachen, Germany. When it was decided that Il Trovatore was to be filmed for TV a lifetime later, he insisted that it be lit especially for the screen, which is different from that for the stage. While TV productions of the '70s differ from today's HDTV clarity, their translation to the digital world is in no way to be considered of less quality.

This Il Trovatore is visually provocative and has an excellent cast, something to be expected of any opera directed by von Karajan. In addition to Domingo as Manrico there are the famous Bulgarian soprano Raina Kabaivansks as Leonora and Belgian bass baritone José van Dam, a frequent performer in operas conducted by von Karajan, in the role of Ferrando.

Recorded live at the Vienna State Opera on May 1, 1978, this prves to be an excellent musical rendition of Il Trovatore. Its one drawback is the rather static positioning of the performers resulting from von Karajan's stage directions. He was known for his lack of moving performers across the stage. But, this is really enough to cause one not to like this production.

Il Trovatore is one of three operas included in a set produced as a Gold Edition by TDK in which Domingo is featured in a leading role. The other two are Georges Bizet's Carmen and the seldom performed, but eminently worthy Fedora by Umberto Giordano.

Domingo performs opposite the Russian mezzo soprano Elena Obraztsova as Carmen, with Yuri Mazurok as Escamilla and Isobel Buchanan as Micaëla. Passionately conducted by the reclusive Carlos Kleiber, it was visually conceived for stage and for TV by Franco Zeffirelli. It was recorded live on December 9, 1978.

This production offered Domingo a vehicle to show his depth of perception of the role. He absolutely shines as an actor who is able to draw from inside of himself, and as an absolutely polished singer. Zeffirelli also created an unusual Carmen in that he persuaded Obraztsova to play the character as a fun-loving girl, who only slowly turns into the vamp, fatal to herself and to others.

Giordano is best known to opera fans for his Andrea Chénier. After Viewing the third DVD in this set, a production of his second opera, Fedora, I do wonder why opera houses shrink away from producing it. It offers the lead performers juicy characters to act in a verismo opera with modern overtones, and great music for any gifted soprano with an equal chance for a tenor to show his abilities.

In this production of Fedora, recorded live for television at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, in May 1993, we have a chance to see the great, late Gianandrea Gavazzeni conduct, and Lamberto create the stage directions.

Mirella Freni, one of Italy's great sopranos of international renown is an excellent Fedora. She knows not only how to shine vocally, but also how to act the tragic role of a woman who unwittingly is responsible for the deaths of lover's brother and mother. Domingo excels as Loris, her lover. It is the perfect vehicle for this tenor, who by 1993 had reached a vocal maturity of great height.