In 1857, the Teatro San Carlo in Naples commissioned Giuseppe Verdi to compose a new opera. He chose Un Ballo in Maschera, originally set in Stockholm and based on the real-life assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden at a masked ball.
However, after Napoleon III narrowly survived an assassination attempt in Paris in 1858, censors banned the onstage murder of a European monarch. Ballo was therefore relocated to British colonial Boston, with the victim transformed into Riccardo, Earl of Warwick and governor of Boston.
In 2014, the Florentine opera company moved from the Teatro Comunale to the modern, larger and acoustically superior Maggio Musicale theatre.
In this new production, Valentina Carrasco relocates the action to Washington during the Kennedy era, casting JFK as Riccardo. The concept proves highly effective. Most audiences immediately recognise the historical trauma surrounding Kennedy’s assassination, and the final scene leaves a powerful impression. After Renato shoots Riccardo, Jackie Kennedy — wearing her iconic pink suit and pillbox hat — cradles her husband in her lap, flanked by their two children, while footage of the real-life motorcade plays in the background. Andrea Belli’s minimalist set design complements the concept well, combining archive video with movable painted images of Kennedy and silhouettes to create a series of flexible, atmospheric settings.
The production introduces several changes to the storyline. Oscar is no longer a pageboy but a glamorous secretary resembling Marilyn Monroe, perched on Riccardo’s lap during Oscar’s first aria. Riccardo, reimagined as JFK, is portrayed as a habitual womaniser, frequently surrounded by two or three women. Unfortunately, in Act II the concept overreaches: during the Riccardo/Amelia duet, Riccardo aggressively molests Amelia, undermining the innocent, idealised love at the heart of the opera.
Carrasco also reimagines Ulrica as a Martin Luther King-like figure whose lair becomes a meeting place for African American activists, ultimately invaded by the Ku Klux Klan. In the final moments, Lee Harvey Oswald fires from the side before being immediately arrested — an ending suggesting that the “magic bullet” theory serves as a cover-up and that Oswald was merely the fall guy rather than the true assassin.
Act II is relocated to a rough urban district divided by separate toilets for White and Black people, populated by drug addicts, prostitutes and hooligans. Amelia appears just as vulnerable here as she would at the gallows on the edge of town in the original setting.
Much attention centres on Austrian conductor Emmanuel Tjeknavorian, making his operatic debut after a meteoric rise as music director of the Milan Symphony Orchestra. It is an impressive first outing, even if a few recitatives reveal brief moments of disconnect between stage and pit — something likely to improve with experience.
The standout performer is Uzbek mezzo-soprano Ksenia Dudnikova as Ulrica. She commands the stage with a powerful, richly coloured voice, delivering a mesmerising ‘Re dell’abisso’. Unusually for a mezzo, she easily outshines both tenor and baritone in sheer volume. Her phrasing, range of vocal colour and burnished tone are outstanding. Having already sung major roles, she looks every inch a future star.
Italian tenor Antonio Poli makes an elegant, nuanced role debut as Riccardo. Although lacking power in the Act I ensembles, he grows in confidence as the evening progresses. His beautiful timbre comes fully into its own in Act III, especially in ‘Ma se m’è forza perderti’, where he sings with lovely legato and sensitive phrasing despite some tightness in the upper register.
Italian soprano Chiara Isotton possesses a beautiful timbre and an excellent legato line, negotiating the difficult coloratura passages with aplomb. She brings both emotional intensity to Amelia’s demanding arias and dignity to the character, even during the disturbing Act II assault scene.
South Korean baritone Hae Kang may not possess a particularly large voice, but he projects easily over the orchestra at full volume. His Renato is marked by elegance, precision and excellent breath control. These qualities are especially evident in ‘Alla vita che t’arride’ and in the Act III scena ‘Alzati’, where he shapes the central section of ‘Eri tu’, ‘O dolcezze perdute’, with finely nuanced legato phrasing.
Italian soprano Lavinia Bini sings a clear and confident Oscar, though some staccato notes lack precision.
Polish baritone Janusz Nosek is strongly cast in the minor role of Silvano.
This thought-provoking and often compelling reinterpretation of Ballo, supported by an excellent cast, is highly recommended.
Melodramma in Three Acts
Music by Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901)
Libretto by Antonio Somma
Conducted by Emmanuel Tjeknavorian
Directed by Valentina Carrasco
Cast includes Antonio Poli, Hae Kang, Chiara Isotton, Ksenia Dudnikova, Lavinia Bini, Janusz Nosek, Mattia Denti and Adriano Gramigni.
Set designs by Andrea Belli
Photo Credit: Michele Monasta
Running time: 3 hours, including one interval
Until 24 May 2026