Letdown
Listening live now to Ernani from the Metropolitan Opera, and Thomas Hampson–a baritone I generally love–just wussed out on the high A-flat at the end of “Oh, de’ verd’anni miei”, Don Carlo’s great aria in Act III. It’s an option, of course, but when you have the note, and I am sure Hampson does, it takes the performance to another level, especially considering the text as set by Piave.
If you want to hear what the ending sounds like with the high note, sample the excellent DVD of the 1983 Met production–the last time Ernani was staged there–with Sherrill Milnes as Don Carlo:
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Nothing personal against Thomas Hampson. He’s a fantastic baritone in Mozart, Schumann, Mahler, etc., and many of his discs are among my favorites. But his Verdi isn’t to my taste. What really sucked, though, about today’s broadcast were the cuts in the score. Silva’s cabaletta was halved. Boooooo!
Filed under: Music on March 29th, 2008
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