Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi Seattle Opera, 23 Sept 1989 (gold cast); Seattle Opera House Seattle's Trovatore made me especially glad I had seen Rigoletto in Anchorage two days earlier: this was a prime example of how a major company can miss badly with a performance from the standard repertoire. This was an evening of some fine singing and a few gripping moments, but it was characterized more by the imponderables of its staging and acting. There was a splendidly dramatic flare that shot 10-foot flames skyward at various moments, but the stage otherwise was a jumble of incongruous monuments and icons that added not at all to my understanding or enjoyment of the opera. Characters likewise were moved around the stage in odd ways. Frequently the player whose scene had just ended was perched nearby to watch the next (spatially unrelated) scene played out. Thus we had Azucnea, for example, lurking visibly just outside the scene with her son deliberating the next course, and so on. It was pointless. Some lightweight reviewing in the P.I. said of the staging that "everything had a purpose," but he didn't suggest what-and I certainly couldn't tell. This was, however, the first time I had heard Carol Vaness sing, and the evening was worth it for that alone. She sang splendidly-not overpowering, but with a clear, bell-like tone that lit up the stage whenever she was given the opportunity. She was so much the class of the field that it was sometimes distracting to have other action or singers interrupt. Leslie Richards made a much better Azucena than she did Carmen in Anchorage last season; she also seems to have lost 20 pounds or more. I enjoyed her husky singing, and she lurked and sulked appropriately throughout. Luis Girón-May was also powerful as Count di Luna, a dark and powerful man. Hans Gregory Ashbaker as Manrico suffered from his soft blonde looks and indulgent manner. He was unconvincing as a powerful mercenary warrior, although he sang well and played the troubadour adequately. The orchestra was powerfully on point at all times, thrilling and potent where appropriate, and always there with precision. Others: Jose Garcia (Fernando); Paul Karaitis (Ruiz); Pauline Tobias (Inez). Conductor Richard Bradshaw; Director (hisss) Nicholas Muni; Set and costume: John Conklin; Lighting: Joan Conklin.