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
became
, marking his first collaboration with librettist
Francesco Maria Piave
.
was the first
opera to be performed in English (in 1845), and the first to be recorded in full (in 1903).
's first-act Cavatina, "Come rugiada al cespite," is a sterling example of how
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
, 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
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
that can stand with higher-powered versions. ~ James Manheim