The Wiener Festwochen selected to preempt the Verdi anniversary by initiating their chosen trilogy two years ago with Rigoletto and La Traviata, culminating this year with Il Trovatore.

Whether through box office safety net considerations or other factors, it seems a missed opportunity to select three of Verdi's most commonly performed works for a festival when so many rarities remain in the closet gathering dust. In addition, automatic comparison with the crème de la crème of Verdi interpreters only adds a burden to any more modest production.

As such, Philipp Stölzl's concept of transporting Verdi's untenable drama into a virtual travesty is a mini stroke of genius. To what degree the staging will remain intact for the Berlin version in the autumn with Netrebko, Antonenko, and Domingo (as Luna) is anyone's guess.

At any rate, with a combination of commedia dell 'arte figures (stunning costumes by Ursula Kudrna) augmented by a dancing bear and troupers (for Azucena's "Stride la vampa"), appearances through floor-level trap doors, firing canons, a mirage of impressive video effects (Momme Hinrichs), and choreographed ensembles - the eye was left wanting less than the ear for inspiration and entertainment value throughout the evening.

Perhaps unwittingly (but to the detriment of the composer) the musical aspect of the production rather dovetailed with the visual eccentricities. The ORF Radio-Sinfonieorchester Wien (under the direction of Omer Meier Welber) was rough-hewn and generally cacophonous, and in part possibly to blame for the often uncultivated vocalism that emanated from the stage. Stylistically, the soloists unified in being generally undercast for the task at hand, and all lacked the necessary vocal ease and reserve for their demanding roles.

Marina Prudenskaya's slim-line Azucena probably fared best of all, with the most integrated vocal performance of the evening - while nevertheless lacking the ideal Italianate timbre, particularly in her lower register.

As Luna, Artur Rucinski had his moments and can boast a solid legato and an appealing timbre, but suffered irregularities in his production which were particularly obvious in "Il balen..." where some notes popped out like aliens in a string of uneven pearls.

Carmen Giannattasio is unquestionably a potential Leonora to be reckoned with, however currently one whose erratic vocalism reduces her performance to "provincial" in standard.

Yonghoon Lee (Manrico) is able to produce a fair amount of noise and intonates accurately, but this Manrico dwells more in the scrum of a rugby pitch than in the schoolroom of bel canto.

Gabor Bretz is a strapping Ferrando with a winning stage presence and solid vocal production - leaning more perhaps toward bass-baritone than basso cantante, and with promise which maturity will likely help fulfil.

Stage director Stölzl evidently selected Inez to become the reinvented Verdi figure of the anniversary year, with a bizarre and colourful character who could well have represented Leonora's alter ego had she remained involved to the bitter end. This interpretation was nicely portrayed by Mara Mastalir.

The Arnold Schoenberg Choir, generally flexible and a tour-de-force in their stage work, seemed a shade underpowered for Verdi's big moments.