While some bits of recitative and chorus music are missing (most obviously at the start of Act III), this performance of Il Trovatore, led by Reynold Giovannetti, is a wired, bombastic, and very exciting one. James King is perhaps not a natural Manrico, sounding more at home in the duet with Azucena than in his tender love scene, but the women opposite him are all but ideal. Renata Scotto is ravishing as Leonora, and her Act IV scena finds her in sumptuous voice and with impeccable dramatic intent. Shirley Verrett's Azucena, caught just before the start of her forays into soprano rep, shows why her move into higher territory shocked so many: her chest voice is positively cavernous, and incredibly creepy. Piero Cappuccilli's luscious baritone gets a terrific showcase, providing a strong legato in "Il balen".