Verdi: Ernani (Live)

Francesco Meli, Roberto Frontali, Vitalij Kowaljow, María José Siri, Xenia Tziouvaras, Joseph Dahdah, Davide Piva, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino and James Conlon

Released on 12/01/2024 by Naxos
Main artists: Francesco Meli, Roberto Frontali, Vitalij Kowaljow, María José Siri, Xenia Tziouvaras, Joseph Dahdah, Davide Piva, Orchestra del Maggio Musicale Fiore
Genre: Opera

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Ernani (1844) is not one of the more frequently performed Verdi operas, but audiences in the composer's own time valued it highly. It was in many ways the opera in which Verdi became Verdi, marking his first collaboration with librettist Francesco Maria Piave. Ernani was the first Verdi opera to be performed in English (in 1845), and the first to be recorded in full (in 1903). Ernani's first-act Cavatina, "Come rugiada al cespite," is a sterling example of how Verdi began to break down the traditional bel canto forms in search of psychological expression. In this 2022 live performance, recorded at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino, the action proceeds naturally under the baton of veteran conductor James Conlon, with what might be called a love rectangle developing in an engrossing way. A DVD recording of this performance is also available and may be worth investigating, but the audio can perhaps hold its own; the production transfers the action to the 19th century, illogical in view of the fact that the elevation of Don Carlo to the post of Holy Roman Emperor in Victor Hugo's tale -- an important plot point -- is anachronistic for that time period, and, perhaps, it is better just to hear the music. The singers are an international lot and acquit themselves quite well with the pressure on; the performance was captured in a single take. Both Plácido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti recorded Ernani, and their versions remain worth seeking out, but tenor Francesco Meli in the title role delivers a muscular, idiomatic performance. Sample the aforementioned Cavatina or Ernani's second-act solo entrance with "Tu, perfida." The Orchestra and Chorus of the Maggio Musicale Fiorentino are also lively and engaging. The live sound is clear enough but has a tamped-down quality; here, the DVD might be preferable. In general, this is an Ernani that can stand with higher-powered versions.

© James Manheim /TiVo

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Verdi: Ernani (Live)

Francesco Meli

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Ernani: Prelude (Live)

Orchestre du Mai Musical Florentin