Ernani (1845)

As early as 1844, Henry Fothergill Chorley, whose tastes and beliefs were marked by a strong tint of conservativism, introduced his readers to the operatic composer who was creating afuroreall over Europe. The critic, who had not yet had the occasion to hear any of Verdi’s works, availed himself of the recent publication in London of some of his operatic airs. Chorley felt obliged to turn his attention to the emerging Italian composer because of his increasing popularity and on account of those recent events that “had called attention of our English public to the modern style, or