Un ballo in maschera

While not one of my favourite Verdi operas ('La Traviata', 'Rigoletto', 'Otello', 'Don Carlo' and 'Aida'), there is still a good deal to admire about 'Un Ballo in Maschera'. It mayn't have the most plausible of all plot-lines in Verdi's operas, but it does have characters you care about and music ranging from the very, very good to the absolutely sublime, "Eri Tu" (bar none of his greatest ever arias for any voice) especially fits under this category.

This 1978 La Scala production is wonderful and a near-triumph. Available only on audio CD for a while and only recently been uploaded online in full version, in either form it is a must see and especially hear for anybody wanting to see the magic of traditional staging and great performers at the height of their powers.

Being Franco Zeffirelli, this 'Un Ballo in Maschera' is big, lavish and grand visually with sumptuous traditional costumes. But this doesn't in any way swamp the drama or feel overblown or stuffy, the big Ulrica scene in Act 1 is very atmospheric and the ballroom scenes opulent. The picture quality is a little hazy, which may have been how it was broadcast, but the sound is remarkably excellent, with a real clarity and a real sense of spontaneity without the audience distracting too much. Nice intimate video directing too without being overly reliant on close ups.

Staging is traditional, like most productions of 'Ballo' available. While there are productions in general of any opera that have more detailed staging and make character motivations clearer, there is a good deal of fun, intensity and pathos. It's simple but never simplistic and easy to follow instead of convoluted from anything that would confuse the drama.

Musically, this 'Ballo' is near perfect. The orchestral playing has majestic grandeur and sensitive nuance to the maximum, while the chorus, despite some somewhat stolid acting perhaps, are well rehearsed as an ensemble and sing with sonorous warm tone. Claudio Abbado conducts with real suavity, sympathetic grace and dramatic alertness, some of it some of the best conducting he ever did at the house.

Luciano Pavarotti is in a role tailor made for him, he was a famous Riccardo before this production and since and for me one of the better Riccardos in one of his best roles. Sure his acting is basic (with that being said he is nowhere near as oblivious to the rest of the cast as he would become in some of his later career performances), but he has such a lively personality and is very animated in the face. His singing is absolute perfection, ringing golden tone, crystalline diction and pitch-perfect intonation and musicianship, the money high notes spot on in attack and sound and why not show them off if you've got them.

Piero Cappuccilli was also a famous interpreter of Renato, and, again like Pavarotti for Riccardo, he's one of my favourites in the role and it's one of his best (he always excelled in the complex authority roles). As to be expected, he is superb here, maybe he could have done more with his Act 1 aria but the much meatier music and drama he has later on (especially a show-stopping "Eri Tu") was brilliantly done. He has a perfect technique and a beautiful, large even voice that shows a lot of intensity, complete with a thrilling top and immaculate phrasing. He has been criticised for not being the most exciting of actors, but he captured Renato's loyalty, jealousy, hurt and thirst for vengeance with great intensity, authority and heart-wrenching poignancy.

Elena Obraztsova is a vocally booming and dramatically blood-curdling Ulrica, with a volcanic low register (who knew that a low G for a mezzo could be so powerful?). Daniela Mazzucato sparkles as page-boy Oscar, with a mischievous charm and sparkling presence, the voice is light and agile, if slightly fuller-voiced and less chirpy than more famous Oscar interpreters. Samuel and Tom are perfectly cast, including a young Luigi Roni.

My only reservation was with Mara Zampieri's Amelia. She acts and sings with a lot of feeling and nuance (especially in her very moving "Morrò, Ma Prima in Grazia", and her dynamic range is very wide-ranging and expressive. More of the problem was vocally. Not the tone, which is limpid, sometimes tremulous and flute-like, yes this is coming from somebody who is being more charitable to her voice than other reviewers come across for her other available performances. But that it just didn't sound right in the role, which is more a spinto role but hearing it sung by a voice more suited to more girl-ish roles like Lucia and Sophie ('Der Rosenkavalier') didn't quite go.

Otherwise, a wonderful, near-triumphant production. 9/10 Bethany Cox