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| Soprano Doina Dimitriu, Amelia |
1. Un ballo in maschera is based on a well-documented historical event: King Gustavus III of Sweden was assassinated by Captain Anckarström at a masquerade party on March 16, 1792. Gustavus was never in love with Anckarström’s wife, however—see Timeline link for details.
- Does your appreciation of the opera depend on its historical accuracy?
- Can you name other operas based on historical, recent, or current events?
- Can you think of historical, recent, or current events that would make good operas? If so, where would you add or subtract characters or plot details? What would the arias be?
2. To appease the censors, Verdi and Somma (librettist) transplanted Un ballo in maschera from Stockholm in 1792 to Boston in 1692. BLO’s production restores the Swedish setting.
- Where else could you imagine this story happening?
- Verdi seems to have chosen Boston because it was remote and unknown—he seems not to have known of the Salem witch trials of 1692, for example. Would your setting need to be remote, nearly imaginary?
- What plot elements would you modify for your new setting? Might the masked ball itself become some other sort of event?
3. Consider the female singers in Un ballo in maschera.
- We first see Amelia at Mam’zelle Arvidson’s place, not her own home. How does this affect our perception of Amelia?
- Mam’zelle Arvidson is a deep contralto. How does her voice affect our sense of her character?
- Could the story work without Oscar, the young page? What does Oscar’s character add to the opera? What do pages and servants contribute to drama?
4. Verdi admired Shakespeare. One Shakespearean trait in Un ballo in maschera is the mix of comedy into a tragic story. For example, some of the eavesdropping scenes and disguises are silly and unbelievable. And the conspirators sing a “Ha ha ha!” chorus when Amelia drops her veil.
- Can you find other absurd or comic moments in Un ballo in maschera?
- How do comic moments affect your response to the overall tragedy?
5. Does Mam’zelle work magic? Or is she just observant? That is, if she can hear and see everything the audience hears and sees (more than the other characters!), could she figure out everything without actual magical powers?
 6. Who are the powerful characters in Un ballo in maschera?
- What makes them powerful?
- What about their voices shows the audience that these characters are powerful?
7. Who are the most likeable, sympathetic characters in Un ballo in maschera? Are any of the characters in Un ballo in maschera purely good or purely evil?
8. Imagine a sequel to Un ballo in maschera.
- What happens the next day in the Anckarström household?
- What becomes of their son, who is invoked by both parents but never appears in the opera?
- What might Amelia have said to the son after her husband granted permission for one final embrace?
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