Hampson managed to seize to spotlight in the climactic third act, when Charles seizes power.Ĭaught in the middle: Elvira, one of the great Verdi heroines. Although he seemed outclassed by the other two male leads, Mr. A compelling presence, physically and vocally, his performance was the bedrock upon which this Ernani rested.Īmerican super-baritone Thomas Hampson also gave a typically intelligent performance as Don Carlo, the King of Spain who becomes Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor in the third act. His fine basso cantante voice remains a pleasure to hear. Furlanetto, who came up through the Salzburg Festival under the wing of conductor Herbert von Karajan, has had a long, varied international career. Honorable to a fault, Silva gets the better of the bandit in the final act. Mr.

He looks the part of a dashing Italianate opera hero and is a believable actor, even in the silliest parts.įerrucio Furlanetto, a 20-year veteran of the Met stage, dominated his scenes in the key role of Silva.

He has a ringing top register, a smooth middle, and, when necessary, a serviceable low end.

This tenor has been singing lead roles at the big house for the last decade (I first saw him as a memorable des Grieux opposite Renée Fleming in Massenet's Manon) and his instrument has evolved. Written in the incubating fires of the Italian Risorgimento, Ernani is a setting of a fiery Victor Hugo play about a love-struck bandit whose code of honor is so strict that it eventually causes him to commit suicide on his wedding day.īut the silliness of the plot didn’t stop Mr. On Monday, March 18, the Metropolitan Opera opened its first performance of Verdi’s Ernani in a quarter of a century with powerhouse tenor Marcello Giordani giving a stirring performance of the title role.

Bandit verdi opera