Angela Meade as Elvira in Verdi's 'Ernani' (Photo Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera)
(WILLIAMSTOWN and GREAT BARRINGTON, Mass.) – Verdi’s sweeping romantic opera Ernani will be screened at The Clark and the Mahaiwe on Saturday, February 25, 2012, at 1p.m., Live in HD from the Metropolitan Opera. (There will be an encore screening at the Mahaiwe on Wednesday, March 7, at 1 p.m. at the Mahaiwe.) In Ernani, rising opera star Angela Meade takes on the demanding role of Elvira, who is pursued by three men: her uncle, the king of Spain, and the dashing bandit Ernani. Running time is approximately four hours.
Four extraordinary singers star in Verdi’s Ernani. American soprano Angela Meade, whose victory in the Met’s National Council Auditions was chronicled in the 2008 documentary film The Audition, sings the role of the noblewoman Elvira in her first Live in HD appearance. Marcello Giordani, star of the Live in HD transmissions of Madama Butterfly, Simon Boccanegra, and La Fanciulla del West, sings the title role of the noble bandit who loves Elvira. Dmitri Hvorostovsky portrays Don Carlo, a royal suitor for Elvira’s hand, and Ferruccio Furlanetto is da Silva, a wealthy relative with his own designs on Elvira. Marco Armiliato, who led the Met premiere performances of Anna Bolena earlier this season, conducts Verdi’s thrilling drama of passion, power, and honor, in Pier Luigi Samaritani’s lavish production.
Dmitri Hvorostovsky as Don Carlo and Angela Meade as Elvira in Verdi's 'Ernani' (photo Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera)
“Ms. Meade’s Elvira showed what this uncommonly gifted rising artist is capable of,” said the New York Times. “…Her voice is plush and penetrating, though the power comes effortlessly from the body and richness of her sound. Her top notes soared over the orchestra. Yet just as impressive were her finespun pianissimo phrases. Mr. Furlanetto’s strong, dark, textured voice filled Verdi’s lines with burnished sound and arching lyricism. Hvorostovsky shaped floating phrases with mellifluous, honeyed sound.”
The Met: Live in HD 2011-2012 Season continues with Massenet’s Manon on April 7 and Verdi’s La Traviata on April 14. The Clark’s intimate auditorium is one of the best performance venues in the region, with comfortable seating and soaring acoustics. Tickets are $25 ($18 for members and students) at the Clark and may be ordered online at clarkart.edu or by calling 413 458 0MET (458 0638).
The Clark is located at 225 South Street in Williamstown, Massachusetts. The galleries are open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 am to 5 pm (daily in July and August). Admission is free November through May. For more information, call 413.458.2303 or visit The Clark.