Un Ballo in Maschera

Based on a play by Eugène Scribe—inspired by the death of Gustaf III of Sweden, who was assassinated at a masked ball in the Stockholm Opera House in 1792—the action in Giuseppe Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera has, for political reasons, been switched to a variety of settings over the years; for this 2005 production filmed live at the Leipzig Opera, the setting is Colonial Boston. No matter; it's all nonsense anyway: Count Riccardo is in love with Amelia, the wife of his secretary Renato. After a fortune teller predicts Riccardo's assassination at the hand of Renato, the latter obliges, and the opera closes with the dying Riccardo pardoning his assassin because Renato and Amelia's love was never consummated. Composed midway through Verdi's career, the opera is replete with ensemble singing, and here the well-matched cast—with Massimiliano Pisapia as Riccardo, Franco Vassallo as Renato, and Chiara Taigi as Amelia, among others—are accompanied by a superior choral performance from the chorus of the Leipzig Opera and excellent orchestral interpretation by the Gewandhaus Orchestra under Riccardo Chailly. Fresh and winning, the production is only marred by bizarre costumes that make Amelia appear as if she's emerging from a neon cocoon, while the chorus—wearing pre-cast bodices and scallop shell headgear—look like a cross between Carmen Miranda and Bette Midler's Harlettes. Still, the optical assault is a small price to pay for an otherwise highly satisfying opera experience. Presented in DTS, Dolby Digital 5.1, and PCM stereo, this is highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (J. Reed)