Ernani

Hello, opera fans!
I haven't posted anything in a while, but I'm back again with yet another opera to tell you about.

Angela Meade as Elvira

On February 25th, I went with my mom and grandfather to a live broadcast of Verdi's Ernani. With tenor Marcello Giordani and soprano Angela Meade in the leading roles, and Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Ferrucio Furlanetto co-starring, I think I can say that this opera had an excellent cast. Even if the plot was a little weird (in one scene, the tenor (Ernani) is singing about how he absolutely refuses to leave the room - and then he turns and walks out!), the whole production was very well done. The sets were elaborate and hard to move around - they would come apart in pieces, and people would have to drag them offstage. The costumes were beautiful and detailed, setting a mood for each character.

Marcello Giordani as Ernani

Ferruccio Furlanetto as di Silva

Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Don Carlo

Some of my favorites were Elvira's blue and white gown (pictured), Don Carlo's red and gold outfit, complete with a cape (I want that cape!), and di Silva's golden jewelry against his black robes. 

 The music was amazing, as well as the singing and the acting.

Here are some musical highlights to look for:

Elvira's first cabaletta aria from Act I(Tutto sprezzo che d'Ernani)

The trio from Act I (Non t'ascolto mia sarai)

The chorus from Act III (Si, ridesti il leon di castiglia)

These are some of my favorite pieces from Ernani, but there are so many more!

I couldn't list them all, but I would reccomend this opera for serious opera fans. It is a heavier opera (four hours long), and the plot is a little hard to follow, so I wouldn't suggest it for beginning opera-goers. If you decide to try it out, I would also suggest getting a more recent production (they tend to be well-lit and full of acting). This was a very good production of Ernani, and I loved it! (Is there any opera I don't love?)