After the extraordinary success of 'Rigoletto', Verdi who was constantly looking for material for an opera came across 'El trobador', a play by the Spaniard Antonio Garcia Gutiérrez. The transformation of the original into a libretto that met Verdi's demands turned out to be difficult. Although the libretto is said to suffer from a great lack of quality, the opera audience is agreed that 'The Troubadour' is unsurpassed in its temperament and immense verve.Apart from the libretto, this edition contains introductory commentaries of Kurt Pahlen who also adds information on the compositional structure and context to the musical as well as external and internal dramatic action of the opera. A short synopsis and a brief outline of the genesis bring the work into relation with the composer's entire oeuvre and his life, thus offering a comprehensive, richly illustrated introduction.