Andrea Bocelli - "Merce Diletti Amici" ( Ernani - Giuseppe Verdi) - Bartolome Esteban Murillo

Ernani is an operatic dramma lirico in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Francesco Maria Piave, based on the play Hernani by Victor Hugo. The first production took place at La Fenice Theatre, Venice on March 9, 1844. **************************** Bartolomé Esteban Murillo (baptised December 31, 1617 Seville - died there, April 3, 1682) was a Spanish painter, one of the most important figures in Baroque painting in Spain. Although he is best known for his religious works, Murillo also produced a considerable number of paintings of contemporary women and children. These lively, realist portraits of flower girls, street urchins, and beggars constitute an extensive and appealing record of the everyday life of his times.