Ernani

"This production is largely traditional and costumed in period ... None the less, the multinational cast under Italian Musical Director ... Daniele Callegari, provides a vibrant and satisfyingly dramatic performance that I thoroughly enjoyed. The solo singing is good, at times reaching the very highest standard ... Ramon Vargas, with his bright lyric tenor and clear diction, acts and sings well throughout ... A thoroughly enjoyable performance and staging".

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"Pier Luigi Samnaritanis' sets, with a grand staircase as the basic element almost throughout, project an appropriately dark, heavy grandeur ... James Levine keeps the proceedings boyant and vital throughout".

"This [DVD] confirms that Ernani fully deserves a place in the repertory, even if Grinda's staging is conservative to the point of static ... It's the baritone who gets all the best tunes in Ernani and Ludovic Tézier's Don Carlo is a class act; his bronze tone and aristocratic phrasing are breathtaking. Daniele Callegari leads a solid account, even if there are times when a little more impetus from the pit would have been welcome".