A roof-raising Ernani in Palermo

By Mark Pullinger, 27 February 2021

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“Buratto sang the treacherous 'Ernani, Ernani, involami' with great control and a finely spun legato”

Reviewed at Teatro Massimo, Palermo on 26 February 2021

Verdi, Ernani

Teatro Massimo

Omer Meir Wellber, Conductor

Ludovico Rajata, Director, Set Designer

Francesco Zito, Costume Designer

Giuseppe di Iorio, Lighting Designer

Giorgio Berrugi, Ernani

Eleonora Buratto, Elvira

Simone Piazzola, Don Carlo

Michele Pertusi, Don Ruy Gomez de Silva

Irene Savignano, Giovanna

Carlo Bosi, Don Riccardo

Andrea Pellegrini, Jago

Coro del Teatro Massimo

Orchestra del Teatro Massimo

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Performing arts duo Ricci/Forte throw what feels like the entire directorial arsenal at this production.

****1

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Edoardo Pelligra, 20th December

Despite this mis-en-scene’s lack of intensity, this Siegfried closed the 2015 season of the Teatro Massimo with an outstanding musical performance.

***11

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****1

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Kip Williams and ENO mount an extraordinary new production of Du Yun and Royce Vavrek’s multifaceted opera, with performances of great emotional directness broadcast live on camera.

*****

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David Smythe, 9th May

A traditional Marriage of Figaro entertains with a strong cast, eye-catching design and lighting, and Amanda Holden’s earthy libretto.

****1

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Sasha Cooke’s thoughtful role debut anchors Paul Curran’s visually and musically alert but dramatically uneven production.

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.