Verdi - Ernani / Domingo, Freni, Bruson, Ghiaurov, Muti, La Scala Opera

Rating:
Summary: Beautiful music, excellent performance but poor recording.
Review: Although this opera is not quite popular, the music is also as beautiful and romantic as the other operas by Verdi. While it is performed beautifully and with great care, apparently shown in the beautiful and colorful costumes and luxurious background set. The singers are without doubt so wellknown that guaranteed the performance to be excellent. Placido Domingo as the bandit Ernani and Mirella Freni as Elvira, Ernani's lover, match each other so perfectly, especially we enjoy listening to their divine and romantic duets. Renato Bruson as Don Carlos, and Nicolai Ghiaurov as the nobleman De Silva supported the whole performance and made it so perfect that we enjoy from beginning to the end.
However, disappointingly the recording (although indicated on the packaging as HiFi Stereo) is so poor and bothering. At sometime it is too soft that we need to turn the volume at maximum, while suddenly it turned so loud that we are forced to keep our remote volume control handy to be able to turn it louder or lower as necessary. I assume that the recording is technically not quite advanced.
Nevertheless, watching and listening to this opera give us quite such enjoyment that we are not quite bothered to have to turn the volume on and off/minimum-maximum as necessary. Improvement to the sound recording for a next release would be recommended.

Rating:
Summary: The Power Duo
Review: It's hard to beat the duo of Domingo and Freni! This production is excellent and the two are singing their roles perfectly. The Met version with Pavarotti is very good as well but I prefer this one. A must have for any opera lover's collection.

Rating:
Summary: What a perfect Ernani
Review: There couldn't have been a better casting for these roles. Domingo's Ernani is heroic and strong, showing once more his marvelous acting skills. He sings the role like no other tenor, with amazing accuracy of rythem and pace, important in this role more than in any other. The credit for that goes to Domingo's great musical talent as well as Muti's flawles conducting of this opera. Freni is as chrming as ever, a most loveable Elvira, acting convincingly and singing perfectly, one can see why 3 men are in love with her... one of the best Elviras I've heard. Bruson is great as a cinical, coniving king and Ghiaurov is as storng as ever, portrays a touching old Silva with his warm bass voice and sensitive acting.

Another word about the conducting - Ernani is an opera that rises or falls by the way it's conducted. Muti makes it rise, big time. Not a note out of rythem or place.

Don't hesitate - just buy it!