This week on World of Opera, Lisa Simeone hosts a performance of Verdi's Un Ballo in Maschera from the Bavarian State Opera. Zubin Mehta leads this starry production with tenor Piotr Bezcala as Riccardo, the governor of Boston, and soprano Anja Harteros as his secret love, Amelia.
Based on the actual assassination of Sweden's King Gustav III at the end of the 18th century, Verdi moved the plot of this story to the Americas due to the pressure of censors (who balked at the idea of staging the murder of a king in his royal court).
World of Opera airs Thursdays at 4 pm, Saturdays at 5 pm and Sundays at 1 pm on the Operavore stream.
Cast:
Amelia: Anja Harteros (soprano)
Riccardo: Piotr Beczala (tenor)
Renato: George Petean (baritone)
Ulrica: Okka von der Damerau (mezzo-soprano)
Sam: Anatoly Sivko (bass)
Tom: Scott Conner (bass)
Oscar: Sofia Fomina (soprano)
Silvano: Andrea Borghini (baritone)
Bavarian State Orchestra and Chorus
Zubin Mehta, conductor