Giuseppe Verdi - Un ballo in maschera (HIghlights) / Montserrat Caballe, Jose Carreras, Ingvar Wixell, Sona Ghazarian, Chor und Orchestra des Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Sir Colin Davis / Philips Classics Audio CD / 470 393-2

UPC 028947039327

Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball) is an 1859 opera in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The text, by Antonio Somma, was based on Eugène Scribe's libretto for Daniel Auber's 1833 five act opera, Gustave III, ou Le bal masqué.

The plot concerns the assassination in 1792 of King Gustav III of Sweden who was shot, as the result of a political conspiracy, while attending a masked ball, dying of his wounds thirteen days later.

It was to take over two years between the commission from Naples, planned for a production there, and its premiere performance at the Teatro Apollo in Rome on 17 February 1859. In becoming the Un ballo in maschera which we know today, Verdi's opera (and his libretto) underwent a significant series of transformations and title changes, caused by a combination of censorship regulations in both Naples and Rome, as well as by the political situation in France in January 1858. Based on the Scribe libretto and begun as Gustavo III set in Stockholm, it became Una vendetta in domino set in Stettin, and finally Un ballo in maschera set in Boston during the colonial era. It became one of the most frustrating experiences of Verdi's career.

From the mid-20th century, it has become more common for the setting to revert to its original 18th-century Stockholm location. A re-creation of the original Gustavo III has been staged in Sweden.

Tracklist:

1.  Preludio   4:23

Atto primo / Erster Akt
2.  Posa in pace   1:40
    (Coro d‘introduzione)

3.  S‘avanza il Conte — La rivedro    3:39
     nell’estasi (Scena e romanza: Riccardo)

4.  Alla vita che t’arride   2:50
     (Cantabile: Renato)

5.  Volta la terrea — Signori: oggi d‘Ulrica   4:47
     (Ballata, seguito e stretta: Oscar/Riccardo/ Giudice/Renato/Samuel/Tom/Coro)

6.  Zitti... 'incanto non déssi turbare   6:19
     (Invocazione: Coro/Ulrica/Riccardo)

7.  Su, profetessa — Di’ tu se fedele   4:13
     (Scena e canzone: Coro/Oscar/Riccardo/ Samuel/Tom)

8.  Escherzo od é follia 3:30
      (Quintetto: Riccardo/Ulrica/Tom/Samuel/ Oscar/Coro)

Atto secondo / Zweiter Akt
9.  Preludio   2:13

10. Ma dall’arido stelo divulsa   5:03
      (Aria: Amelia)

11. Teco io sto   5:34

12. M‘ami, m‘ami   4:15
      (Duetto: Amelia/Riccardo)

Atto terzo / Dritter Akt
13. Morrö, ma prima in grazia   4:58
      (Aria: Amelia)

14. Alzati; la tuo figlio   1:33

15. Eri tu che macchiavi quell’anima   4:07
      (Scena ed aria: Renato)

16. Il messaggio entri (Scenae quintetto:   3:52
      Renato/Amelia/Oscar/Samuel/Tom)

17. Forse la soglia attinse    5:30
      Ma se m’é forza perderti
     (Scena e romanza: Riccardo)

18. Saper vorreste di che si veste   1:55
     (Canzone: Oscar)

19. Ella e pura   5:06
     (Scena finale: Riccardo/Amelia/Oscar/Renato/Samuel/Tom/Coro)

• Tenor - Riccardo: José Carreras
• Bariton - Renato: Ingvar Wixell
• Soprano - Amelia: Montserrat Caballé
• Alt - Ulrica: Patricia Payne