Arena di Verona: Il Trovatore

In Verona’s ancient arena, summer opera becomes a living event as thousands gather for a night under the open sky. Arena di Verona: Il Trovatore documents the spectacle of Verdi’s opera staged in one of the world’s most storied venues. The late master Franco Zeffirelli designed a world of towering armored knights, a fortress that blooms into a luminous cathedral, and an immense chorus that swells across the arena’s stone steps. The production stars Anna Netrebko in her much anticipated Verona debut as Leonora, with Yusif Eyvazov and Luca Salsi among the leads. The film emphasizes atmosphere, stagecraft, and vocal prowess while keeping the focus on the music and emotion rather than plot twists.

Directed by Franco Zeffirelli with Tiziano Mancini, this 2020 screen version revisits the famed arena staging of Antonio Garcia Gutierrez's tale as adapted for Verdi's score.

Culturally this Verona edition has left a lasting imprint by turning the arena into a floating stage of spectacle. Opernglas called Zeffirelli's arena production perhaps his best, a testament to the power of outdoor opera and monumental design with Netrebko in the lead.

Reception centers on the scale, the audibility of Verdi's melodies under open skies, and the performers' vocal stamina. The film foregrounds the soundtrack as a living force, pairing a grand historical venue with a storied score about love, rivalry and fate.