The Met’s production of Ernani is back on the boards. Here’s my essay for the Met’s program:
With Ernani, the fifth of his 28 operas, Verdi was able to exercise a degree
of control over the creative process that had been unprecedented
thus far in his career. Not only did he enjoy one of the key successes of
his early years as a result, but the experience also helped clarify his sense of the
untapped potential for a powerful new style of music drama hidden behind the
conventions of Italian opera.
continue reading (p. 39 of pdf)
Filed under: essay, Metropolitan Opera, Verdi