Il Trovatore

Part 1 – The duel
Late at night, the members of the Luna-clan are struggling to keep themselves awake as they are guarding the rooms of count Luna. Ferrando, the count’s closest man, tells them a thrilling story about an old gypsy woman who was burnt alive after she had bewitched the brother of count Luna as they were little children. To revenge her mother, the daughter of the old witch stole the child. Later, a half-burned corpse of a child was found at the very same spot where the old gypsy had been burned.
Leonora is waiting for Manrico to show up to their rendezvous and spends her time in the empty night club with Ines, her best friend. Count Luna, madly in love with Leonora seeks to see her. The two men get into a fight and draw their weapons; Leonora is desperately trying to separate the two rivals.

Part 2 – The gypsy
At the break of dawn, the street gang “gypsies” gather around warming fires. Azucena keeps staring into the flames, remembering the horrible sight of her mother who was burnt at stake many years ago by her enemies. As the gang wanders off, her son Manrico asks Azucena to tell him the story about the grandmother. He is horrified when Azucena tells him that she mistakingly threw her own child into the flames instead of the boy she had kidnapped as a revenge for her mother. Confused, Manrico asks Azucena if he is really her son, but she refuses to talk further about this matter. Instead she forces him to swear that he will take revenge and kill count Luna. Ruiz arrives and reports to Manrico that Leonora has decided to become a nun because she thinks Manrico was killed in battle. Azucena in vain tries to hold him back as he runs off to prevent Leonora from committing this fatal action.
Outside the monastery, count Luna is waiting, planning to abduct Leonora. Just as the ceremony is about to start, Manrico arrives and finally manages to escape together with Leonora.

Part 3 – The son of the gypsy
In the middle of the night in the street camp of the Luna-clan, Ferrando and the men are looking forward to conquer the territories of the other gang and they make time pass by playing cards or cleaning their weapons. The spies of the count bring an old woman they have found sneaking around the camp. Questioned by Luna, she refuses to reveal her true identity and claims that she was only searching for her son. Ferrando suddenly recognizes the woman; it is the daughter of the old gypsy, the one who stole and burned the child. In her misery, Azucena now calls for Manrico to come and save her. Luna is rejoicing with the thought that he will now have a double revenge.
In a room nearby, Leonora and Manrico are hiding from their enemies. Manrico is alarmed as Ruiz enters and reports that Azucena has been captured. Ignoring Leonora’s despair, he runs off to save his mother.

Part 4 – The penalty
In the deep night, Leonora finds herself outside the tower where Manrico is kept prisoner. As Luna enters she begs him to save the life of her lover. When he refuses, she offers herself to him instead. Luna is overwhelmed with joy. He does not see the poison which Leonora is taking precautious.
In prison Manrico is waiting together with Azucena to be executed. The poor woman is hallucinating, seeing flames everywhere. Manrico tries to calm her, they both think back on the happy days in the mountains. Leonora suddenly enters the cell, pledges Manrico to escape but refuses to follow him into freedom. He turns suspicious and then furious, thinking she has betrayed him and turned to the rival. As Leonora slowly gets weaker from the poison, he understands the sacrifice she has done for him. Outside the cell Luna has been listening and now enters to see the dead Leonora. In rage he gives order to Manrico’s immediate execution. Luna drags Azucena out to see her dead son, and she reveals to him; ‘he was your brother’. Revenge has been fulfilled.