Name: Un ballo in maschera
Start: 2005-01-22
End: 2005-01-22
Location: National Theatre

Organization

Conductor

Bojan Suđić

Ana Zorana Brajović

Stage director

Božidar Đurović

Set designer

Aleksandar Zlatović

Lighting designer

Ljiljana Orlić

Choreographer

Ferid Karajica

Singer

Tenor

Dušan Plazinić

Richard

Janko Sinadinović

Baritone

Niko Isakov

Renato

Nikola Mitić

Soprano

Katarina Jovanovic

Amelia

Višnja Pavlović Drakulić

Sofija Pižurica

Oscar

Ivanka Raković

Contralto

Jelena Vlahović

Ulrica

Nataša Jović Trivić

Bass

Miodrag Matić

Silvano

Aleksandar Stamatović

Vuk Matić

Samuel

Goran Krneta

Dragoljub Bajić

Sveto Kastratović

Aleksandar Dojković

A judge

Igor Matvejev

Boris Babik

A servant of Amelia

Darko Đorđević

National Theatre Belgrade

Others

National Theater in Belgrade

Orchestra

Belgrade National Theatre Orchestra

Un ballo in maschera -  (A Masked Ball)

Belgrade

Serbia

National Theatre

Un ballo in maschera Verdi

Public

A Masked Ball

Approved

The opera A Masked Ball is one of the most popular operas by Giuseppe Verdi. The music has been inspired throughout the whole piece, melodic invention is endless, and the author’s skill concerning persuasive and essential musical interpretation of the plot and stage is completely attained. After Rigoletto and The Troubadour, Verdi became the best known and the most appreciated opera composer in Italy. Even outside Italy, his reputation was immense; for instance, the Paris Opera commissioned Sicilian Vespers. Opera Simon Boccanegra did not premiere successfully in Venice in March 1857 and disappointed maestro turns to other jobs while looking for a story for a good libretto. Ruy Blas by Victor Hugo was not quite suitable, Verdi considered a play by Gutierrez and King Lear, but in September 1857, he finally decided to use the theme of infamous murder of the Swedish king, Gustav III on 16th March 1792 at the Stockholm Opera’s masked ball. Famous playwright Scribe wrote a drama Gustav III; composers Auber and Mercadante already used the drama for libretto. Verdi believes that the libretto by Scribe is excellent; however, in one of his letters he indicates that the libretto is conventional as well! Antonio Somma, a lawyer and a writer, agrees to work on the libretto. Verdi is very much involved in the work and he continuously asks for changes, improvements and encourages Somma not to be shy on his “proven poetic strength”(…)
In January 1858, Verdi comes to Naples, only a day after attempted assassination of Napoleon III. The censors do not approve of the libretto and ask for crucial changes: main character should be a nobleman in order to prevent any idea of a monarch, a friend’s wife should be a nobleman’s sister; the scene with a sorceress must be placed at the time when people believed in magic; there should not be ballet dancing in the opera; murder scene should not be played on the stage; the scene with name drawing has to be omitted. (…) In court, Verdi asks to establish what of original libretto remained after censorship “Title – no, poet – no; characters – no; situations – no; name drawing– no; the ball – no. A maestro who has any respect for himself and his art cannot accept such desecration and such nonsense that collide with basic principles of drama and insult the artist’s conscience and spoil music written for something completely different”. Many prominent citizens in Naples take Verdi’s side, even the Count of Syracuse, the ruler’s brother is amongst them, so the king was forced to intervene and Verdi is released from his obligation to the Theatro San Carlo. Theatre Apollo in Rome is interested for the opera and Verdi and Somma accept formal changes suggested by the censorship. The drama now happens in Boston, while the title A Vengeance in Domino is changed into A Masked Ball. Names of all characters have been changed as well: King Gustav III becomes Riccardo, Count of Warwick; Anckerstrom becomes Count Renato; fortuneteller Arvidson becomes strange sorceress Ulrica; rebels-counts Horn and Ribbing become Tom and Samuel; and Christian becomes Silvano the sailor. It was clear to Verdi that people and situations from the libretto never existed in puritan New England, the drama is about European courts at the end of the eighteenth century. The audience were also aware of this, nonetheless, at the opening night during the carnival in 1859 (17th February) they delightedly applauded to the maestro. There were patriotic tendencies at the time, because Cavour signed a treaty with France against Austria, which held a large portion of Italy under occupation. Verdi, or rather an anagram of the composer’s name, becomes the symbol of unification and liberation of the homeland. A Masked Ball quickly conquered the global operatic stage. When the opera was performed in Paris, the plot was moved to Naples, and on other stages into other parts of the world. (…)
Overture introduces the plot from the very beginning. The theme with loyal court men is interrupted with the rebels’ theme in ominous staccato. Riccardo’s love sorrow triumphs with its cantilena, but the rebels’ theme interrupts. Verdi uses his contrapuntal skill to show that opera too can benefit from old models. In arias, Verdi uses his mastery on each character to give them space and expression. Riccardo was given a French elegance and sense of humour, while Oscar is almost out of control, playful to the extreme and mischievous. Ulrica has been fully portrayed with only a few tones, she is clear and fatal. Amelia is honest, but moving and tragic in her inner battle between duty and wish. Verdi manages to be precise about the plot and situation: introductory accords transfer us from the shiny governor’s palace into Ulrica’s mysterious cave. The place of murder – a terrible place at midnight and Amelia’s inner restlessness have been unambiguously given in the second act. The oboe’s cry perfectly suits the beginning of Amelia’s aria, the same way as the strong music of tin wind instruments portrays Renato’s determination. The irony, taunting and sarcasm at the end of the second act after accusation of Amelia have been used again only in Falstaff. Only the greatest opera master could design the scene of ominous drawing of a murderer’s name accompanied with scary trumpet and underground timpani. In the ensembles, each character sings with his own intonation – melody, therefore the characters are very clear. After Ulrica’s fortune telling, Rikardo tries to prevent general confusion with jokes and laughter, but the rebels profess their strong wish for revenge. Verdi is not dedicated to recurrent motives in his music, thus the rebels’ theme is not played at the moment of the killing at the ball, instead it is played only when necessary. Farewell scene between Amelia and Riccardo is followed by the minuet played by the orchestra at the ball. Verdi’s orchestration is refined, and very often it asks and finds chamber, but expressive solutions.

English

A Masked Ball by Verdi, Sat 22 Jan 2005, From (2005/2005), Directed by Božidar Đurović,, Conductor Bojan Suđić, Ana Zorana Brajović, National Theatre, Belgrade, Serbia

Performance credits (Cast & Crew )

Program, About & Synopsis

Photos

Further reading

Performance Dates & Venues

Venues