"What unusual item is used as an instrument in the chorus of Verdi's opera ""Il Trovatore""?"
Anvil Chorus Anvil Chorus The Anvil Chorus is the English name for the ' (Italian for "Gypsy chorus"), a chorus from act 2, scene 1 of Giuseppe Verdi's 1853 opera "Il trovatore". It depicts Spanish Gypsies striking their anvils at dawn – hence its English name – and singing the praises of hard work, good wine, and Gypsy women. The piece is also commonly known by its opening words, "'". Thomas Baker wrote "Il Trovatore Quadrille" (1855) for piano, which includes a movement based on this chorus. Similarly, pianist/composer Charles Grobe wrote variations on the Anvil Chorus for piano in 1857. A
Il trovatore before the opera premiered, Verdi had a total of four different operatic projects underway and in various stages of development. Today, "Il Trovatore" is performed frequently and is a staple of the standard operatic repertoire. How and when Verdi acquired a copy of the Gutiérrez play is uncertain, but Budden notes that it appears that Giuseppina Strepponi, with whom Verdi had been living in Busseto since September 1849, had translated the play, as evidenced in a letter from her two weeks before the premiere urging him to "hurry up and give OUR "Trovatore"". When considering setting Gutiérrez's play, Verdi turned