Un ballo in maschera – Oper Köln at StaatenHaus
Director Jan Philipp Gloger presents one of Verdi’s lesser performed works which contains the usual emotional and dramatic power, creating tragic and comic situations in equal measure but often permeated by a cruel irony as characters ae subject to the conflict between the outer façade imposed by society and their inner highly emotional feelings.
Count Riccardo (Gaston Rivero) is in love with Amelia (Astrik Khanamiryan), the wife of his secretary and best friend Renato (Simone del Savio). Amelia reciprocates this love but tries with all her might to suppress her feelings and seeks counsel from fortune teller Ulrica (Agostino Smimmero). Riccardo attends in disguise and discovers from her prophecy that Renato of all people will kill him, which the Count himself can only laugh at first. H...