Based on a play by Victor Hugo, Verdi's Ernani describes the fraught relationships between its heroine, Elvira, and the three men who love her: her guardian, Silva; the king, Don Carlo; and her lover, Ernani. When the king claims Elvira for himself, Ernani forms an alliance with Silva to save her, inadvertently setting his own downfall in motion.
Host Lisa Simeone presents this production of Ernani from the Royal Wallonie Opera in Liége, Belgium, led by conductor Paolo Arrivabeni. Tenor Gustavo Porta and soprano Elaine Alvarez star as the ill-fated lovers, Ernani and Elvira, with baritone Lionel Lhote as Carlo and bass Alexei Gorbatchev as Silva.
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Cast:
Ernani: Gustavo Porta (tenor)
Elvira: Elaine Alvarez (soprano)
Carlo: Lionel Lhote (baritone)
Silva: Orlin Anastassov (bass)
Giovanna: Alexise Yerna (soprano)
Riccardo: Carmelo de Giosa (tenor)
Jago: Alexei Gorbatchev (bass)
Royal Wallonie Opera Orchestra and Chorus
Paolo Arrivabeni, conductor