"A masked ball" is an absolutely prime slice of Verdi, full of sinister mysticism, lengthy, tragic deaths and steamy passions. It also contains one of the greatest romantic duets in opera. The plot of Un ballo in maschera - playing at the Royal Opera House - is fairly straightforward, at least by Verdi's standards. King Riccardo and his friend Renato's wife Amelia fall in love. Both being terribly noble, they seek help from an enchantress to rid them of their desires. Inevitably, the friend mistakes their intentions and resolves to have the king assassinated at the masked ball of the title. Director Mario Martone comes from the world of Italian cinema, where he makes films with titles like The Scent of Blood and Nasty Love, so he's just the man to produce a work of such unrestrained emotion. This is a very traditional production with big sets, big costumes and big voices and followers of the 'new opera' may be disappointed. Still, musically, no one could have any complaints with Ramon Vargas as Riccardo and Carlos Alvarez as Renato.
(Image: Act III Finale - Catherine Ashmore)
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"A masked ball" is an absolutely prime slice of Verdi, full of sinister mysticism, lengthy, tragic deaths and steamy passions. It also contains one of the greatest romantic duets in opera. The plot of Un ballo in maschera - playing at the 
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