Un Ballo in Maschera

Dmitri Hvorostovsky and Marcelo Álvarez in Un Ballo in Maschera. Photo: Brigitte Lacombe.

Last month I went to the Met to see a new production of Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera. I knew nothing about the opera but wanted the chance to see Dmitri Hvorostovsky.

Un Ballo in Maschera opens In the Swedish court of King Gustavo II who is in love with Amelia, the wife of his trusted secretary Count Anckarström. An incognito visit to Madame Arvisson, a fortuneteller, has Gustavo receiving the message that he will die at the hand of a friend. Later, he and Amelia meet and declare their mutual love but the arrival of Anckarström with news about conspirators causes Gustavo to depart and leave the veiled Amelia behind with her unknowing husband. When a threatened fight with the conspirators causes Amelia to fear for her husband’s safety she reveals her identity. Hurt by what he sees as betrayal by his wife and Gustavo, Anckarström first threatens to kill Amelia before deciding to kill Gustavo instead. At a masked ball at the palace, Gustavo tells Amelia that he is sending her and Anckarström away to Finland but it is too late. Anckarström shoots Gustavo who tells him that is wife is innocent before dying.

Un Ballo in Maschera can at times feel like a splintered opera, jumping from comedic moments led by the androgynous page, Oscar, played here by Kathleen Kim, to darker, serious moments. The set design didn’t help clarify this feeling. A large, classical image of Icarus dominated the backdrop while the sparse set had a modernistic, film noir look that never felt quite right.

Yet while I may not have loved the set or some of the choreography, I had no complaints about the singing. Marcelo Álvarez as Gustavo and Sondra Radvanovsky as Amelia both gave strong performances, bringing conviction to their roles while my favourite, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, was brilliant as Anckarström. The scene where he threatens to kill Amelia was a high point, showing off not just his singing but his acting skills as well. But it was Stephanie Blythe, appearing as the fortuneteller in only one scene, who seemed to blow everyone away. I’ve seen her before and she’s absolutely incredible.

On this trip I sat in the balcony, front row (very comfortable), and enjoyed a lovely conversation with my seatmates during the intermissions. I think I may be falling in love with going to the opera.

There's only one more performance of Un Ballo in Maschera left, December 14. To find out more about the rest of the season, visit here.

 

Night at the Opera

Inside the Metropolitan Opera House. Photo: Michele.

Earlier this month I went to the opera. I had never seen a live performance by the Metropolitan Opera before and was excited. 

I saw Verdi’s La Traviata. Based on the play La dame aux Camelias by Alexander Dumas, La Traviata is the tale of Violetta Valèry, a courtesan dying of consumption. Although pursued by many men she gives her heart to Alfredo Germont who toasts to true love. After a few blissful months together in the country, Alfredo’s father, Giorgio Germont, arrives and convinces Violetta to leave his son so he may preserve his family honour. Later while attending a ball with her new lover she runs into Alfredo who treats her horribly. He is chastised by his father, who tells him the real reason why Violetta left. Rushing to her side, the two lovers are reunited briefly before Violetta dies.

I picked La Traviata for one reason—Dmitri Hvorostovsky. A baritone who I first saw perform many years ago at the San Francisco Symphony, he has always been a favourite of mine. Not only is his voice incredible he’s also very handsome. He played the part of Giorgio Germont and did not disappoint. When he sang “Di Provenza il mar,” a song intended to remind Alfredo of his family, Hvorostovsky received some of the strongest applause of the evening. He also hammed it up during the curtain call, which was fun to see.

Natalie Dessay, who was suppose to sing the role of Violetta was sick that evening so the understudy, Hei-Kyung Hong, took her place (something that seems to be a trend with my theatre going this month). I quite enjoyed her performance. And Matthew Polenzani did an admirable job as Alfredo.

The set was modern and sparse, decorated with a large clock counting down Violetta’s days. I thought it worked well as a backdrop for the chorus dressed in androgynous black suits and Violetta in a shocking red dress.

And the venue. The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center is impressive, especially its chandeliers (nicknamed Sputniks) that dramatically glide up to the ceiling before curtain. My seat was all the way up in the family circle (nosebleeds) where the acoustics are amazing but, unfortunately, if you want to see the faces of the performers you’re out of luck (where are those opera glasses when you need them?). 

I so enjoyed my visit, I’ve already checked out the new season schedule for my next trip to the opera.

For more information on the Metropolitan Opera, visit their website here.