Name: Un ballo in maschera
Start: 2008-09-28T00:00:00.000Z
End: 2008-10-19T00:00:00.000Z
Location: Teatro Real

Organization

Singer

Bass

Borja Quiza

Silvano

Tenor

Marcelo Álvarez

Richard

Francesco Hong

Soprano

Violeta Urmana

Amelia

Indra Thomas

Baritone

Marco Vratogna

Renato

Ludovic Tézier

Contralto

Elena Zaremba

Ulrica

Malgorzata Walewska

Alessandra Marianelli

Oscar

Sabina Puértolas

Orlando Niz

A judge

César San Martín

A servant of Amelia

Conductor

Jesús López-Cobos

Stage director

Mario Martone

Costume designer

Bruno Schwengl

Set designer

Sergio Tramonti

Chorus master

Peter Burian

Scott Wilde

Miguel Sola

Samuel

Teatro Real de Madrid

Un ballo in maschera -  (A Masked Ball)

Madrid

Spain

Teatro Real

In September 2008 the Neapolitan stage and screen director, Mario Martone, changed the setting of this opera from the late 17th to the 19th century. He believed that Verdi’s story of passion and political rivalry was better suited to the composer’s own era. In this opera, Verdi breaks free from the strict forms of arias and duets, creating larger ensembles with a more fluid and wide-ranging musical discourse. At the same time, he skilfully uses the conventional forms and styles which were the legacy of French comic opera (the character of Oscar) and of grand opera, connecting them to the tradition of Italian opera.

Verdi’s enormous talent for creating well-rounded characters, his keen sense of drama and endless musical inspiration are all on display in this work, in which he skilfully balances drama and comedy, large ensembles and intimate moments, the bustle of the court and the inner dramas of the protagonists. Loyalty, treachery and passion are the three fundamental elements of Un ballo in maschera. Each one has its own theme which we hear in the overture. Passion, however, is the over-riding sentiment of the dramatic final scenes.

Un ballo in maschera by G. Verdi, from Teatro Real, 2008. Directed by Mario Martone, conductor Jesús López Cobos, starring Marcelo Álvarez, Marco Vratogna, Elena Zaremba and Violeta Urmana. Performed in Italian and subtitled in English, German, Spanish, French and Italian.

Un ballo in maschera Verdi

A Masked Ball

Approved

Production booklet

Further reading