Verdi had signed
with the San Carlo in Naples for an un-named opera for the 1857-1858
Carnival Season. He failed to meet his June 1857 contract date
to provide a synopsis of the chosen plot. Somma had completed
a libretto of ‘King Lear’ and if the right cast could be assembled
this was the intended subject. Verdi rebuffed the San Carlo
blandishment. Whereas he might find a better Cordelia their
contracted baritone, tenor and bass were of the highest class
for a ‘King Lear’. By the September the theatre management were
getting restive and turned down suggestions from Verdi personally
to supervise and direct a revival of Aroldo, Boccanegra
or an amended La Battaglia di Legnano as an alternative.
The theatre did not consider these proposals to be a fulfilment
of his contract and Verdi hurriedly cast around for another
subject. With time pressing he settled on an adaptation of an
existing five-act libretto by Eugene Scribe. This had been already
set to music five years before by Auber for the Paris Opéra
with the title Gustave III, ou Le Bal Masqué. It was
a subject that had tempted Bellini and like many of Scribe’s
libretti was based on an actual historical event, the assassination
in 1792 of Gustavus III of Sweden at a masked ball in the Stockholm
opera house. To explain the event Scribe had added a fictitious
love affair between the King and the wife of his secretary.
Given contemporary events in Italy and Europe, the censors demanded
much more besides, including transfer to a pre-Christian age.
Verdi accepted a change of location, and for the King to become
a Duke, but he insisted on a period such as that of Louis XVI’s
court. These accepted changes were submitted to the censor when
Verdi arrived in Naples in January 1858. Any chance of their
acceptance went with the news of Felice Orsini’s attempt on
the life of Napoleon III of France in Paris on 13 January. The
Naples Chief of Police ruled that the opera text would have
to be re-written in its entirety to preclude any dancing on
stage and the murder must be off-stage.
In the ensuing impasse
the San Carlo management decided that another poet would re-set
the opera to an entirely new libretto meeting all the local
legal and censorial requirements. Verdi refused to have anything
to do with the new libretto and the San Carlo sued him for breach
of contract. Verdi counterclaimed for damages and had much popular
support in Naples. The case was settled out of court with the
theatre management charges dropped on condition that Verdi returned
in the autumn to present a revival of Simon Boccanegra.
During the legal brouhaha Verdi cast around for an alternative
theatre for his opera and noted that a play titled Gustavus
III had been given in Rome. He initiated secret negotiations
with the Rome impresario Jacovacci to premiere Un Ballo in
Maschera, in that city subject to approval by the Papal
Censor. After some prevarication the censors agreed to accept
the principles of the plot and the action, provided the location
was removed from Europe to North America at the time of the
English domination. In this revised scenario Gustavus became
Riccardo Earl of Warwick, Governor of Boston, whilst his secretary
became Renato, a Creole. Un Ballo in Maschera was
premiered at the Teatro Apollo, Rome, on 17 February 1859 to
wide acclaim.
Of all Verdi operas
Un Ballo in Maschera is the one most concerned
with love and conjugal fidelity. No love duet in all Verdi matches
that of Riccardo and Amelia in act 2 as he goes to meet her
at the gallows field where she has gone to pick the herb to
cure her of illicit love. The role of Riccardo is a dream for
a lyric tenor with good legato, a touch of heft and capacity
for vocal brio. It requires a greater degree of vocal elegance
than the Duke in Rigoletto whilst also requiring the
singer to express the frivolousness of the role’s character
- so clearly expressed in the music. There has been no better
tenor suited to the role in the past sixty years than Carlo
Bergonzi the Riccardo on this issue. His phrasing in La rivedra
nell’estasi (With rapture I shall look upon her. CD 2 tr
3) is vocal elegance personified; similarly his characterisation
of Riccardo’s light-heartedness at Ulrica’s abode (CD 1 tr.
12-15). His ardent declaration of love as he meets Amelia under
the gallows (CD 1 tr. 19) is likewise flighted as is the wonderful
love duet that follows.
Amelia, the object
of Riccardo’s love, requires a lyrico spinto soprano who can
match the tenor for ardent phrasing in the act 2 love duet,
cut through the textures and soar above the orchestra in the
preceding aria, Ecco l’orrido campo (CD 1 tr. 17). It is a role
that has appealed to some admired singers of Brünnhilde, as
is the case here with Birgit Nilsson who was contracted to Decca
for their ground-breaking Ring Cycle under Solti. Whether it
was pay-back time for Decca, who also recorded Nilsson as Lady
Macbeth and Tosca, or Solti’s choice I do not know. But whilst
her clear strong silver tone cuts through the orchestral textures,
she lacks Italianate colour and does not seem to identify with
the role.
As Renato, a true
Verdi baritone role with both a lyrically expressive aria, Alla
vita che t’arride (CD 1 tr. 4) and a dramatically vehement
one, Eri tu (CD 2 tr. 7), Cornell Macneil brings good
tone with the odd moment of poor legato. A more serious weakness
comes with the casting of Sylvia Stahlmann as the page Oscar
who has a vital part to play in the evolution of the plot. Stahlmann’s
voice lacks flexibility and lightness with some thin tone and
even acidity.
The casting scores
a big success with the performance of Giulietta Simionato as
the gypsy Ulrica. She is a formidable singing actress and brings
all her skills of characterisation and tonal security to Ulrica’s
all too brief, but vital, scene (CD 1 trs 8-10).
In this his first
recorded Ballo, Solti, on the rostrum, is often hard
driving with excessive orchestral dynamics to the fore. I remember
owning a highlights LP from this recording. So great was the
density and modulation of the choral tuttis of the final scene
as Riccardo is stabbed (CD 2 tr. 16) and the concluding Notte
d’orror (Night of horror. CD 2 tr. 18) that my sophisticated
stylus would not play it, nor would that of the quality hi-fi
department of my retailer. The disc was replaced, twice, with
no improvement. At least in this CD manifestation I can hear
it properly, but thank goodness for my large reference speakers!
Apart from the very forward orchestral dynamics and placing
of the chorus, the soloists being placed a little further back,
the often-restricted sound of Rome’s Santa Cecilia has come
up well. Decca returned to that venue for another go at Ballo
in June 1970 featuring the young Pavarotti in his vocal
prime and Renata Tebaldi past her best (Double Decca 460-762-2).
The company were more successful with Solti’s second shot at
the work recorded in London in 1982 and 1983. This features
Pavarotti again, now more mannered, and the gleaming soprano
of Margaret Price as Amelia. Solti is more relaxed showing a
far greater appreciation of Verdi’s lines. But there are considerable
rivals to this issue at mid-price. Most notable are the RCA
Rome recording of 1966 with Bergonzi, again in fine voice, and
Leontyne Price as an incomparable Amelia. Robert Merrill, Shirley
Verrett and Reri Grist make up the rest of a fine cast with
all being on good vocal form (GD 86645). Regrettably the recording
has its rough patches. Also worthy of consideration is Muti’s
London recording with Martina Arroyo, Placido Domingo, Pierro
Cappuccilli, Fiorenza Cossotto and Reri Grist making a fine
quintet of soloists (EMI 566510 2).
Robert J Farr
Riccardo - Carlo
Bergonzi (ten); Amelia - Birgit Nilsson (sop); Renato - Cornell
Macneil (bar); Ulrica - Giulietta Simionato (mezzo); Oscar - Sylvia
Stahlmann (sop); Silvano - Tom Krause (bar); Samuel - Fernando Corena
(bass); Tom - Libero Arbace (bass)
