Verdi: Ernani (Bregenz Festival, 2023, Directed by: de Beer)

“Ernani” is a gripping drama about love and revenge by Giuseppe Verdi. Written in his unique style, it is bursting with moving arias, rousing choruses, and captivating ensemble scenes. The rebel leader Ernani recognizes the Spanish King Carlo as the murderer of his father and plots revenge against him. Both men love Elvira—as does the elderly Silva, to whom she is to be married. Director Lotte de Beer and her set and costume designer Christof Hetzer devote themselves to the fictional plot, which has echoes of the 16th century. They display their rich theatrical imagination in this production, which is conducted by Enrique Mazzola. Mazzola, for his part, has been praised by the press for the magical moments he creates at the podium of the Vienna Symphony.