NewCity Chicago - Highly Recommended

"...With Radvanovsky being such a trooper, was Italian tenor Salvatore Licitra, Ernani himself, going to cancel because of a sinus affection that noticeably affected his vocal timbre on opening night? Happily not, although he did press Lyric general manager William Mason to ask for audience indulgence before Act II; ironically, nothing was ever communicated about Radvanovsky’s condition. When Licitra’s infection passes, their duets should be something stellar and, as it was, they were still damn impressive opening night, especially under the circumstances. Also sounding glorious was Italian bass Giacomo Prestia making his Lyric debut as Silva and Italian conductor Renato Palumbo brought a true Verdi sound to the Lyric Opera Orchestra and chorus."
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Chicago Theater Blog - Recommended

"...Ernani is a must see for its magnificent performances, beautiful costumes, and elaborate sets. The actual opera? Not so much. Verdi wrote Ernani early in his career at age 31. It doesn’t have the memorable arias of his later works, like; La Traviata, Aida, Rigoletto and Falstaff. The story is clunky. In Act II, Elvira tells Ernani she decided to marry Silva when she heard he was dead. What? I want Ernani to ask, or rather sing, “what happened during the intermission that made you think I was dead?” It’s also unclear why these three men all want Elvira when it’s obvious she only wants Ernani."
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