The part of Ernani is heavy and baritonal. Together with Otello, it suited Del Monaco more than other Verdi roles. His pathos in the death scene is affecting. 　　Bastianini sings with fewer explosive accentuations and is more lyric than usual, so that his voice is actually sweet. Christoff also is in fresher voice than later in his career and is suitably implacable. Cerquetti is sensual in her scena, soars above the others in ensembles and oozes feeling in the fourth act.. 　　One thinks of Ernani as an "oom-pah-pah" opera. Mitropoulos emphasizes melodic elements in the orchestration and introduces considerable ebb and flow of tempo, so that the score becomes more romantic. Yet the result has fabulous spirit and is often hair-raising.