Organization

Festival Verdi

Conductor

Antonello Allemandi

Stage director

Pier Luigi Pier'Alli

Set designer

Costume designer

Chorus master

Martino Faggiani

Singer

Tenor

Marco Berti

Ernani

Baritone

Carlo Guelfi

Don Carlo

Soprano

Susan Neves

Elvira

Bass

Giacomo Prestia

Don Ruy Gomez de Silva

Nicoletta Zanini

Giovanna

Samuele Simoncini

Don Riccardo

Alessandro Svab

Jago

Lighting designer

Others

Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma

Orchestra

Orchestra del Teatro Regio di Parma

Teatro Regio di Parma

Parma

Italy

Teatro Regio

With their effective scenes, the plays by the French dramatist Victor Hugo (1802-1885) inspired many composers to set them to music; he is one of the greatest and most famous authors in France. Today, Hugo's stage works outside of France are known primarily through operas such as "Lucrezia Borgia", "Rigoletto" (after Hugo's "Le Roi s'amuse"), "La Gioconda" (after "Angelo, tyran de Padoue") or - as a film and Musical - "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame" and "Les Misérables" alive.
Seven years before "Rigoletto", Giuseppe Verdi set Hugo's play "Hernani" to music, an adventure story about love, revenge, death and disguise.
"Ernani", premiered in March 1844, was Verdi's first opera for the Teatro La Fenice in Venice; "Attila" (1846), "Rigoletto" (1851), "La Traviata" (1853) and "Simon Boccanegra" (1st version, 1857) followed here.

The opera is set in Spain and Aachen in 1519
Act I - The Bandit: Don Juan of Aragon has lost his father, his possessions and his title at the hands of King Carlos of Spain (Charles V). Under the name Ernani he lives outlawed as a bandit in the mountains. He is driven by two goals: he wants to take revenge on the king and win his lover Elvira for himself. Elvira lives with Ruy Gomez de Silva, who wants to marry her. The bandits decide to kidnap Elvira. While Elvira longingly awaits Ernani's help, King Carlos invades her room and asks her to marry him. Elvira refuses and indicates that she loves Ernani, which makes the ruler jealous. Ernani enters the room through a secret door and accuses Carlos of having his father's death on his conscience. The exchange of words threatens to degenerate into a duel. Then Ruy Gomez de Silva appears. He is surprised to find two young men with his bride and demands satisfaction. Don Carlos explains that he is on his way to Aachen because of the imminent election of the emperor and asks de Silva for hospitality. So that Ernani does not reveal the truth, the king declares him his follower and sends him away with a message. Ernani rides away, still filled with thoughts of revenge.
Act II - The Guest: An uprising planned by Ernani has failed; Ernani is missing and is considered dead. Therefore, Elvira is ready to marry de Silva. Among the wedding guests is Ernani, disguised as a pilgrim. He reveals himself and offers his head as a wedding present because he is being pursued by the king's soldiers. De Silva promises to protect him from his enemies. Elvira confesses to Ernani that she has decided to kill herself at the altar in front of de Silva. When de Silva finds the lovers in a tender embrace, he challenges Ernani to a duel. Then the arrival of the king is announced. Because de Silva cannot betray his guest, he has him hidden and refuses to extradite the king, referring to the right of hospitality. When Don Carlos remains adamant Elvira offers herself as a hostage and leaves the castle with the king. De Silva now wants to fight the duel with Ernani, but Ernani tells him that Don Carlos loves Elvira and therefore took her with him. De Silva wants to kill Ernani and then go after the king, but Ernani promises to help de Silva to win back Elvira. De Silva demands a deposit. Ernani hands him his hunting horn and swears to kill himself if he hears de Silva blowing the horn. Everyone sets out to pursue the king. Ernani hands him his hunting horn and swears to kill himself if he hears de Silva blowing the horn. Everyone sets out to pursue the king. Ernani hands him his hunting horn and swears to kill himself if he hears de Silva blowing the horn. Everyone sets out to pursue the king.
III. Act - Grace: Carlos has retired to the Imperial Crypt in Aachen and is meditating in front of the tomb of Charlemagne, whom he hopes to follow. But the crypt is also a secret meeting place for the conspirators. Ernani is drawn by lot to kill the king while the electors of the Holy Roman Empire deliberate on the choice of the new emperor. When word arrives that Don Carlos is destined to be emperor, Ernani reveals himself as Don Juan of Aragon. The emperor wants to arrest and execute all traitors, but Elvira successfully pleads for her lover's life: all conspirators are pardoned, and the emperor even brings Elvira together with the rehabilitated Ernani. De Silva swears revenge.
IV. Act - The Mask: The marriage of Ernani and Elvira is celebrated. A dark figure with a black mask sneaks through the party. When Ernani and Elvira are alone on the terrace, the fateful call of the horn sounds. De Silva reminds Ernani of his oath. This time Elvira begs for mercy in vain. Ernani kills himself as he swore to de Silva.

Ernani Verdi

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