A Masked Ball by Verdi, Fri 26 May 2017, From (2017/2017), Directed by Vyacheslav Starodubtsev, Conductor Dmitri Jurowski, NOVAT, Novosibirsk, Russia

Cruel betrayal, fateful prophecies, dreadful death at the hands of a friend during a pompous festivity - the plot of "Un ballo in Maschera" (A Masked Ball) by Verdi comes near modern thrillers in emotional intensity. The opera is based on a true story of a conspiration and assasination of king Gustav the 3rd on a masquerade ball in Swedish opera. Yet, under the pressure of censorship the composer had to change the circumstances: in the libretto royal persons are replaced with public officials, whereas the action is transferred to America. Philosophic myth of Actaeon will be reflected in a new thriller opera by stage director Vyacheslav Starodubtsev and designer Zhanna Usacheva