Ernani
opera · dramma lirico in quattro parti
Composer Giuseppe Verdi
Librettist Francesco Maria Piave
Synopsis
Ernani, an outlaw leading a band of rebels in the mountains, loves Elvira, who loves him and is about to be married against her will to her uncle, the old grandee Silva. Charles, King of Spain, wants her too, and Ernani holds the king responsible for his father's death.
Versions
Key facts
- Premiere
- 9 March 1844, Teatro La Fenice, Venice
- Acts
- 4
- Language
- Italian (it)
- Setting
- The Pyrenees, Aachen and Saragossa, in 1519.
What's different
The original, written for the Teatro La Fenice. Silva is a secondary bass part in this text, with no aria of his own in the first act.
Dramatis personae
| Role | Voice | Created by |
|---|---|---|
| Ernani A bandit. | tenor | Carlo Guasco |
| Don Carlo King of Spain. | baritone | Antonio Superchi |
| Don Ruy Gomez de Silva A Spanish grandee. | bass | Antonio Selva |
| Elvira Silva's niece and betrothed. | soprano | Sophie Löwe |
| Giovanna Elvira's nurse. | soprano | Laura Saini |
| Don Riccardo The King's equerry. | tenor | Giovanni Lanner |
| Jago Silva's equerry. | bass | Andrea Bellini |
Key facts
- Premiere
- 3 September 1844, Teatro alla Scala, Milan
- Acts
- 4
- Language
- Italian (it)
- Setting
- The Pyrenees, Aachen and Saragossa, in 1519.
What's different
The Teatro alla Scala revival six months after the premiere, for which Verdi gave Silva a cabaletta in the first act, "Infin che un brando vindice", written for Ignazio Marini and drawing on music first composed for Oberto. It was meant for one singer and it stayed: the cabaletta is now part of the opera as it is performed, and it is what makes Silva a leading bass role. Primary here for that reason. The aria Verdi wrote for Nicola Ivanoff at Parma that December did not stay, and is not part of this text.
Dramatis personae
| Role | Voice | Created by |
|---|---|---|
| Ernani A bandit. | tenor | Carlo Guasco |
| Don Carlo King of Spain. | baritone | Giuseppe Mancusi |
| Don Ruy Gomez de Silva A Spanish grandee. | bass | Ignazio Marini |
| Elvira Silva's niece and betrothed. | soprano | Rita Gabussi |
| Giovanna Elvira's nurse. | soprano | Teresa Ruggeri |
| Don Riccardo The King's equerry. | tenor | Luigi Bottagini |
| Jago Silva's equerry. | bass | Napoleone Marconi |
Source
- Hernani by Victor Hugo (1830)
Written from
- Budden, J. (1978) The operas of Verdi. Volume 1: From Oberto to Rigoletto. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 137-171.
- Wikipedia (2026) Ernani. (Accessed: 28 September 2026). The English article.
- Piave, F. M. (1843) Ernani: dramma lirico in quattro parti. Venice. (Accessed: 28 September 2026).
- Piave, F. M. (1844) Ernani: dramma lirico in quattro parti. Milan: Gaspare Truffi. (Accessed: 28 September 2026).
- Casaglia, G. (n.d.) '3 Settembre 1844', in L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia. (Accessed: 28 September 2026).
- Wikipedia (2026) Ernani. (Accessed: 28 September 2026). The Italian article.