Verdi, Ernani: Soloists, orchestra, and chorus of Opera Boston, Gil Rose (conductor), Boston, Massachusetts 2.5.2008(LS)

Conductor - Gil Rose
Stage Director -  Stephanie Sundine
Producer - Carol Charnow
Scenic Designer - Christina Todesco
Costume Designer -  Howard Tsvi Kaplan
Lighting Designer  - Christopher Ostrom
Assistant Conductor/Chorus Master -  Edward Jones
Repetiteur   - Linda Osborn-Blaschke
Supertitles and Diction  - Allison Voth

Cast:

Elvira - Barbara Quintiliani
Ernani -  Eduardo Villa
Don Carlo -  Jason Stearns
Don Ruy Gomez de Silva  - Young-Bok Kim
Giovanna - Noune Karapetian
Don Riccardo -  Alan Schneider
Jago - Tom O Toole

Don Carlo - Jason Stearns, Elvira - Barbara Quintiliani and Ernani - Eduardo Villa

Ernani, Verdi's fifth opera, is a fascinating work mixing traditional elements with a bit of experimentation.  In the best bel canto tradition, each of the principals is given an opening aria, but unlike most bel canto, the opera ends not with a rondo finale, nor a chorus with soloists, but with a very effective trio. The plot is taken from Victor Hugo's Hernani.  In many operas two suitors pursue the prima donna but  Ernani is unusual to say the least. Here, each of the three male principals wants Elivira for himself, and one of the suitors is none other than her uncle and guardian.

Ernani, tenor, is the Spanish bandit Don Juan of Aragon whose estates have been  confiscated, and he has a price on his head. Naturally he is Elvira's first choice, and she eagerly awaits their planned elopement.  Together with his drinking chorus he gets the opera off to a rousing start with a less than memorable though lively aria and cabaletta.

He is followed by Elvira who sings the very memorable Ernani involami, which became one of the first concert-hall type arias.  Inasmuch as her wedding to the old guardian Silva is scheduled for the next day, she is not in a happy mood, and like Abigaille in Nabucco she expresses her displeasure in a cabaletta Tutto sprezzo che d'Ernani. Next comes the baritone Don Carlo, who is none other than the disguised King. He expresses his love for Elvira in a beautiful andantino, but she rebuffs him with a dagger. Ernani suddenly emerges to join the fight.   Action abounds culminating in a stretta with Elvira threatening to kill herself unless Ernani and Carlo calm down.  Suddenly Silva appears; shocked by seeing two men with his bride to be. His cantabile, Infelice, leads to more action. This time it's Silva with a sword threatening both Ernani and Carlo.  But Don Riccardo enters, announces the King's identity and the first act ends as Silva is pardoned and Ernani is allowed to leave.

In the second act, the festivities preceding Elvira's marriage to Silva are halted by the arrival of a mysterious pilgrim, none other than Ernani.  His  conspiracy against the King Carlo has failed.  Silva gives him sanctuary and learns his identity.  Carlo arrives and demands Ernan as a prisoner.  Silva hides Ernani  and when Carlo leaves with Elivira, Ernani and Silva agree to join forces against Carlo.  Ernani makes a fatal pledge. He gives Silva a hunting horn, and says that should Silva sound it, Ernani will take his own life. The Boston production closed Act II with a rarely heard virtuouso tenor aria written by Verdi for  Nicola Ivanov.

Don Ruy Gomez de Silva -Young-Bok Kim and Company

Many 19th century operas have a tomb scene, and Ernani is no exception. The act opens before the tomb of Charlemagne.  Carlo hopes to be elected  the new emperor of the Holy Roman Empire and pledges to be a virtuous ruler if successful.  Ernani and Silva draw lots to  kill Carlo and Ernani wins.  Silva offers to take back Ernani's death pledge if Ernani will let Silva kill Carlo but Ernani refuses, and fate moves on.  Carlo is elected Emperor, grants an amnesty to Ernani and his conspirators, restores Ernani's property and gives Elvira to Ernani in marriage.  Everyone is happy but Silva.

The final act begins with the wedding celebration.  A furious and disguised Silva wanders through the throng and exits. Elvira and Ernani sing of their happiness, but are interrupted by the fatal horn call. Silva reappears and Elvira and Ernani plead for compassion in the final trio, but Silva refuses. Ernani takes his life as the curtain falls.

Ernani requires excellent singers with larger than life voices, and for the most part the cast was up to the challenge. Barbara Quintiliani  was an excellent Elvira blending both powerful singing with poignant emotion in the love scenes. The audience rewarded her efforts with extended applause.  She is no stranger to Opera Boston having sung the title roles in Lucrezia Borgia and Luisa Miller with the company.  She recently became the first American woman in over 25 years to win First Prize in the Francisco Viñas International Singing Contest in Barcelona where she was also awarded the Verdi Prize and the Public Prize. She debuted in 2002 at Washington National Opera as Elettra in Mozart's Idomeneo and suitably for this performance, her specialities are in Mozart and Verdi.

Eduardo Villa covered Marcello Giordani's Ernani at the Metropolitan Opera last month and was called to replace him when Giordani couldn't appear.  He has also sung leading roles in Tosca and Carmen at the Met.  His credits at American and international opera houses are quite lengthy and include Munich, Berlin, Paris, Rome and Vienna. His tenor voice was very exciting and powerful, although  a bit husky at times.  The Ivanov tenor aria was a major hurdle and he strained to do it justice.  Fortunately Act IV required more tender rather than forceful singing, and Villa was up to the task. 

Jason Stearns demonstrated a beautiful and powerful baritone voice in Acts  I and II, but when he encountered the  love duet in Act III, a bit of fatigue made its appearance.  He recovered nicely and received warm applause at the end of the opera.

Stearns won the First Prize in the first annual Chester Ludgin American Verdi Baritone competition.  His repertoire is quite versatile and includes Wagner, Ullmann, Verdi, Britten, Leoncavallo, and Mussorgsky.  He is scheduled to sing next season at the Metropolitan Opera and the Lyric Opera of Chicago.

Readers of my reviews will remember  Young-Bok Kim as Attila in the 2007 Sarasota  Opera production.  He has a very fine bass voice, but as in Attila  it was not as powerful as those of his compatriots.  I enjoyed his portrayal of the aged Silva.  His credits include La Bohème, I Masnadieri, Lakmé, The Magic Flute, Barber of Seville, Madama Butterfly, Marriage of Figaro, Aida, Lucia di Lammermoor, Turandot, Zaza, and Guglielmo Ratcliff.

The setting and staging were traditional yet exciting.  The principals and chorus moved well, the choruses were excellent and the lighting and costumes were superb.  It was a pleasure to see true Grand Opera as it was performed in the 19th century  for once, rather than updated productions that attempt (yet sometimes fail) to appeal to today's audiences. Gil Rose did a fine job on the podium and all in all, this was a delightful night for opera in Boston.

Lew Schneider

All pictures © Michael J. Lutch

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