Is that the 1985 Verona recording conducted by Giovaninetti?  If so, I think Rosalind Plowright's a terrific Leonora.  Plus you've got the full monty stereotypical "Di quella pira" with - if I recall correctly - full encore Thank you, Franco Bonisolli (not the most charismatic performer but he generally delivers the goods in my opinion).

I haven't watched it for years (you've just brought my attention to the fact that I have a ridiculous number of VHS opera videos which I never watch) so can't remember it in great detail, but the rest of the cast is Cossotto as Azucena, Zancanaro as di Luna, and Paolo Washington as Ferrando.

Following Reiner's Domingo tale, I like this little Trovatore anecdote: Azucena Will Not Sing Tonight -
http://books.google.com/books?id=UpIusDtpbVsC&pg=PA91&lpg=PA91&dq=trovatore+without+azucena&source=web&ots=xieEPT0y0g&sig=2q7E5ze2ia2EnJzIomVSAMGg5tE#PPA91,M1

The Naxos/ Cellini set arrived yesterday and I found it a very satisfying performance, in remarkably good mono sound. Jussi Bjoerling's voice had more 'heft' than I'd have imagined - thanks to ernani and S_K for recommneding him, even if I didn't get his 1939 version (yet). Leonard Warren's Luna was good - I can hear where Sherill Milnes probably got his inspiration, as there's a similar timbre to the voice. Wasn't he the baritone who collapsed and died during a performance of Forza?
Barbieri is in much fresher voice here as Azucena and I really liked Zinka Milanov's soprano. I think there's an Aida with her and Bjoerling which I may try and get some time. Naxos also found space on the second disc for half a dozen traditional Yugoslav songs she had recorded in 1944 as a bonus.

Pity there was no Tu vedrai che amore in terra for Leonora, though. I understand that this used to be cut quite often.

Sitting down, for the most part. 

Seriously, it's a marvellous performance: just listening to it again! Good Italian recordings of this vintage really hit the spot.

BUT ... the introduction's just not the same without Take Me Out to the Ball Game! What's the old saying? Se non è Verdi, è ben Trovatore. 

Well, there's an admission, IGI! (to coin a phrase )

Thanks for that considered piece of casting, Reiner. It's always interesting to learn of new names/ talents that we've not had the pleasure of hearing over here. Your A list Leonora sounds as if she could be one to watch out for if she can sing Violetta so well, as I think that must be the hardest Verdi soprano role to bring off. Have you ever directed Trovatore? I'd imagine it's not a piece that directors queue up to do.

Now, about Azucena. In the programme note the other night, the synopsis began with the events which lead up to the opera's first scene, concluding with the statement, 'Some fifteen years have passed'...  I don't recall having seen this detail before, but wouldn't it have implications as to how Azucena is portrayed? If she's a young mother when her own mother is burned at the stake, say in her 20s, she'd not be the grizzled old hag who usually appears on stage, would she, when the opera proper begins? Mind you, I'm not sure about a fifteen year old Manrico either!

That pleasure has so far eluded me   I can't say I am excessively sorry about it, either     There aren't very many productions of the piece anyhow - probably exactly because of the difficulty of casting it.  Whilst you can do an exciting and inventive "Carmen" with young voices, you'd never get away with it with Trovatore - so it rarely turns up outside the major houses (except for those "where fools rush in...").   Another factor is that since the cast of TROV will be (a) highly-strung egotists who have already done the piece a squillion times and intend on doing "what they always do" (b) "n/a" for everything except the final week of rehearsals (except for the mornings, afternoons and evenings of that week) (c) have agents who have to be "consulted" about what costume, wig, dressing-room, taxi service, etc their artiste must have,  the "director" mostly becomes the "directed", and anyone who has any firm ideas about "making something" of the show will find themselves blocked at every turn.  This isn't an exaggeration - try finding a Pinkerton these days who will agree to NOT including "Addio, fiorito usil"?