Met Opera Archives Search

Verdi's "Masked Ball" is a very fine musical entertainment, especially in the 2nd and 3rd acts, As is well known, he had libretto trouble with the censors who objected to an opera about a regicide. The Metropolitan pretends that the action is in Sweden, as in Scribe's "Governor of Boston." But the ridiculous conspirators, Samuel and Tom, are still with us; and the story is altogether one of the more preposterous of opera librettos.

Nevertheless, the music is so fine, and there is so much of it, that the Metropolitan is quite right in reviving it and giving it one of their best productions. Last night's performance was Italian opera at just about its best. Zinka Milanov was a splendid prima donna and Bruno Walter conducted the score with both polish and zest. With these two as standard for the performance, the opera was very effectively set forth.

Miss Milanov was in fine voice last night and sang the music with incomparable fervor. Hers was a performance such as we have not often had in Italian opera in past years. Jan Peerce was an excellent Riccardo. If his singing was not quite up to Miss Milanov's, it was still sonorous and completely reliable throughout. Leonard Warren, as Renato, brought down the house with his third act aria and the applause was deserved as his singing was admirable. Kerstin Thorborg brought her exceptional ability, both dramatic and vocal, to the not very rewarding role of Ulrica. Pierette Alarie did well in the part of the page.

One pleasant thing about "The Masked Ball," aside from the music, was that the Metropolitan production was attractive to the eye. The ball-room scene was really quite stunning, and the abandoned heath of the second act was at least as good as the heaths we usually get in "Macbeth." Bruno Walter conducted the music as though he loved it and thus brought a freshness and vitality to it that the opera needs if a revival is to be a success.

Search by season: 1945-46

Search by title: Un Ballo in Maschera,

Met careers