A MASKED BALL (UN BALLO IN MASCHERA)
A MASKED BALL (UN BALLO IN MASCHERA)
Music: Giuseppe Verdi
Libretto: Antonio Somma
Based on Gustave III, ou Le bal masqué by Eugène Scribe
After nearly four decades, Verdi’s A Masked Ball (Un ballo in maschera) returns to the Maribor opera stage – an opera woven from a timeless tale of forbidden love, political intrigue, and the tragic force of fate. Inspired by a real historical event – the assassination of Swedish King Gustav III during a masked ball – this work masterfully explores the tension between duty and personal longing. At the heart of the musical drama unfolds a love triangle: the charismatic governor Riccardo, torn between passion and responsibility; Amelia, the woman he loves but cannot claim; and Renato, Riccardo’s loyal friend and Amelia’s husband. When jealousy takes hold and loyalty is put to the test, the path to tragedy becomes almost inevitable – though its final act is veiled in the grandeur of a royal courtly ritual. In Un ballo in maschera, Verdi once again expanded the frontiers of musical expression, achieving a masterful synthesis of dramatic precision and emotional depth. Lavish arias, densely woven ensembles, and vivid orchestration capture every shade of the opera’s tragic unravelling. Though the narrative is set in the 18th century, A Masked Ball still resonates today, exposing the fragility of trust, the cost of personal sacrifice, and the eternal dance between illusion and truth.
Ondina Otta Klasinc Haal
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