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PL) n Ballo in MASGITERA 239 UN BALLO IN MASCHERA a Opera in three acts. | _vibretto by Antonio Somma ‘Adapted ony Bupine Soares Gustave IIT for Auber's "Gustave III ou Le Bal Masqué" rst pe '@ Apollo Theater in Rome on February 17, 1859 CHARACTERS! gicordo (Gustavus I, ms of Warwick and Governor, secretly in love with Amelia: tenor tas of Renato secretly in love with Riccardo: soprano : am ee ttm), secretary to the Governor: baritone jane (Count Ribbing), conspirator against Riccardo: bass ‘omaso, (Count Horn), conspirator against Riccardo: bass Ulrica (Madame Arvidson), a fortune teller: contralto Silvano (Christian), a sailor: baritone Oscar, a page: soprano Judge: tenor ; . Amelia's manservant: tenor ruties, officers, sailors, men, women and children of the populace, followers of Samuel and Tomaso, servents, maskers and dancing couples ‘The time is the end of the 17th century in Boston and environs. THE PLOT ACTI Scene One Inside the Governor's residence Several officers and deputies are waiting for the Governor, Count Riccardo of Warwick, to arrive. A group of conspirators headed by Samuel and Tom is also present. The page Oscar enters and smmounces the entrance of Riccardo, who grests the assembled and accepts their petitions promising justice to all. Oscar shows Riccardo the invitation list for a masked ball that is being Flenned. ‘When Riccardo seas the name of Amelia, he momentarily loses himself in thoughts ‘about her. Riccardo is secretely in love with Amelia who is married to his trusted friend Renato, who now enters as well. The Chief Justice arrives with some documents waiting for the Governor's signature, including a banishment order for the soothsayer Ulrica. Oscar defonds tho supposed prophetess and Riccardo, as a joke, asks his whole court to visit Ulrica in disguiso, All agreo, including Samuel and Tom, who hope that the occasion will provide them with an opportunity to assassinate Riccardo "The names in brackets are those of the characters in the original ‘Swedish setting. The censors frowned upon regicide being shown on the stage, and Verdi lator changed the locale to Boston, aso changing the names. ‘The opera nowadays is sometimes presented in its Swedish sotting (with the appurtenant Swedish names) or in America, with its original Italian names. 240 Scene Two . Utrica's dwelling - a snvokes the Prince of Darkness in front of Ulrica, surrounded by her follower a fishermen, ‘soon followed by Silvano, o slotming cauldron. Riccardo eves dissed #2 © oT Promised gold and @ promotion, Si. Th latter has his fortune 1010 2Y ind furtvely slips it and a purse of gold into Silvangy, po ; ibbles a note, is : see te prope is instantly proven true. The crowd Selene Ulrica as a groat fock*t ‘ae A knock is, hheard at a secret door. Amelia's oer aoa sks for a Private Bee ng isi i immediately recognizes him Amelia's confest a la mistress loosed vm Aol asks the soothsayer to help her rid herself of it 135° Ta re net here is cortain herb, which must be picked outside the city under the gatie be) at midnight. This magic herb will cure her of her guilty passion. Riccardo vows to go there too. ve, and Riccardo asks his fortune to be told. Ulrica says he is « ma ‘will soon dio at the hands of an assassin who is also his front i i im that the murderer shall be the L Riccardo laughs at the prophecy, but Ulrica tells him that : eats ce eens eet, ‘Riccardo is greatly emused, as his best friend, Renato now enters avi shakes his hand as he reveals Riccardo's true identity. Ulrica is pardoned and she thanks Riccardo, continuing to warn him, while Silvano, reappearing, leads the crowd in a hymn of praise to his ruler. Oscar and the court arri of high rank and thet he ACT II : A field by the gallows in the outskirts of the city It is midnight and Amelia has followed Ulrica's instructions. She has come to pluck the magic herb. Riccardo suddenly appears and they confess their love to one another. As Amelia reminds him of his duty towards his friend Renato (her husband), Renato himself arrives and warns Riccardo that the conspirators are after him. Amelia is veiled, so that her husband Renato does not recognize her. Riccardo agrees to escape only after he makes Renato promise to accompany the veiled woman into the city without seeking to discover her identity. When Riccardo leaves, the conspirators, Samuel and Tom arrive, and as Renato is about to duel with them, Amelia intervenes and her veil accidentally falls off. The conspirators mock the astonished Renato, who now invites them to come to his house the next morning. As they leave, Renato drags Amelia off. ACT Scene One Ronato’s study Renato enters with Amelia. Refusing to listen to her i will kil explanations, he tells her that he hor, but allows her as a lest gesture of grace to see their son. Afterwards, alone, looking #t Riccardo's portrait, he accuses his friend of having destroyed his life and his love for his w#® Un Ballo in Maschera, Act I 242 ACTI ‘Scene One ‘A hall in the Governor's house. It is morning. Delegates, . ce to his room. i L gents, (in the background is the eniranes, Gi! waiting for Riccardo to arrive. In the forage”. commoners and officials are milling about, o” We = can be seen Samuel and Tom with their follor OFFICERS AND GENTLEMEN dee pone rails a ristora, Posa pace, a — Repose in peace, to refres! ° ‘rik:kardo ‘tuo ‘nobile ‘kor a te peso ‘su ‘kwesta dimora oh Riccardo _—il'tuo_nobile cor. A to seudo su questa a Oh Riccardo —-your_ noble heart. To you(a) shield over this nee ‘sta ‘dum ‘verdsine ‘mondo amor sta dun vorgine mondo Yamor. stands of a virgin world the love. (Repose in peace, noble Riccardo. May lovely dreams refresh your heart. The love of a virgin world stands as a shield for you over this house.) SAMUEL, TOM AND FOLLOWERS © ‘sta Hodjo ‘ke pre’para ‘il ‘fio Esta Yodio che prepara il fio And there's the hate which prepares the _ penalty, ripen'sando ‘ai katduti ‘per te ripensando ai caduti por te, reflecting _on those (who have) fallen because of — you. ‘kome ‘speri diffezo lobsblio ‘sul:le ‘tombe imfe'litfi no'ne Come speri, disceso Yobblio sulle tombe infelici non As youhops, descended oblivion on the graves unhappy _hasn't. (As you hope, oblivion has not descended on the unhappy graves.) (Oscar enters from the Count's rooms.) OSCAR sa'vantsa ‘il ‘konte S'avanza il Conte. Is arriving the Count. (Riccardo ontors, greeting the assembled.) to frionds and soldiers and t then to the Delegates, aan . ‘voi ‘del ‘par diletti a ‘me Friends ines clan © ese Sle adel par dilotti a me! mine, soldiers, and you ikohaive deer to me! Me now is given the various petitions.) ~ Un Ballo in Maschera, Act I 243 sete ame saspet:ta ‘io ‘ded:d3o ‘su ‘mjei_‘fidi por a ame s'aspetta: Todeggio su’. miei fidi beeen to me they are due: Imust over my — faithful subjects i mn perke ia 'pago ‘onpi ‘voto ‘se “ddgusto Negar Porch sia pago ogni voto, so giusto. ch over so thet (they) itbe granted every wish, if it is just. ba er the petitions I must watch over my faithful subjects and grant their every wish. if they ax just) eto ‘il poter none ‘ke de sod:dgettti palo il poter non che de! _soggotti Bonutifal — POWST isn't that ofits subjects je takrime ‘nonterd3e Je lecrime non terge, the tears doesn't dry, fe —_ adinkotrrotta ‘glorja ‘nom ‘mira ad incorrotta gloria non mira. touncorrupted —_glory doesn't aim at. end (Power is not beautiful if if doesn't dry the tears of its subjects or if it doesn't aim at uncorrupted glory.) OSCAR (to Riccardo) yeddgere Vi ‘delle ‘dantse limvito Loggoro vi piaccia delle danze Tinvito. Road may it please you of the dances the invitation. (May it please you to read the invitation to the dances.) RICCARDO a'vresti: ‘kwalke belta dimentikats Avrsto qualche —ibelta dimenticato? Could you some beauty have forgotten? OSCAR (giving him a paper) ‘ek:kovi ‘nomi Eccovi i nomi. Here are the names. RICCARDO (reading the paper, to himself) a ‘dessa agkor ‘lanima'mia ‘in ah —dessa_ancor! Lianima mia in Ah she again! My soul — in ‘opi grandettsa —o'blia ‘la rive'dro ogni grandezza —_oblia! La rivedrd every grandeur —_ forgets! Tl see her again Tadsante nel pal:lore rggiante nel pallore edint in (her) —_palor ‘ei rapita lei rapita her — enraptured nel:lestazi nell'estasi in ectasy 244 Un Ballo in Maschera, Act I 7 ‘rola udra : Y damore la’sua patrol qui comer amore ‘dn sua parola ud and here resound, of love her word I shall hear. (and I shall hear her words resounding with love.) : " ‘pwoi djem:mata a ‘festa ° ‘doltfe ‘notte ‘ffendece wu ‘pwol : ° dolce notte, scendere tu —_—pudi germata a fost: oh sweet night, descend you may bejewel festively. (Oh sweet night, decend festively bejewelled.) a ‘la ‘mia ‘stel:la_€ ‘kwesta ‘ke nona eh lamia stella 8 — questa che non ha! eh my star is thisone which heaven doesn't have! (Ah, but this is my star, which heaven doesn't have!) SAMUEL, TOM AND FOLLOWERS (softly) ‘lora none ‘ke ‘tutto. ‘kwi— dope'rar ‘ne 'tokhe Lora non 8, che tutto qui d'operar ne togli The hour it isn't, for all here of operating prevents us: (This is obviously not the hour, for everything here is working against us.) ‘dalle nemike ‘sofke ‘mekko uffir sa'ra Dalle nemiche _soglie. meglio uscir sara. From the enemy thresholds _ better to leave it will be. (It is better if we leave this hostile threshold.) OSCAR, OFFICERS AND GENTLEMEN ‘kon dgeneroza —a'fifetito ‘entro ‘se'stesiso —a'sisorto Con generoso _affetto. entro so stesso —assorto, With generous affection in _ himself he's absorbed, il nostro ‘bene Odidsetto ‘de 'swoi_pen'sjer fa'ra il nostro bene oggetto de! suoi_pensier fara. our welfare object of his thoughts _he will make. (ho will make our welfare the object of his thoughts.) RICCARDO (to Oscar) a ‘Yfen:no mio ‘di'la kon alttendi 1 cenno mio dila conessi _attendi. The signal mine there with them — await, (Wait for my signal in there with them.) (All withdraw. As ho is leaving Oscar meots Renato at the entrance.) OSCAR (to Renato, who approaches) ‘libero © ‘il ‘vark> a'vvoi Libero il varco a voi. Free is the way to you. (Tho way is open to you.) Un Ballo in Maschera, Act | ‘To 'spozo ‘suo lo sposo suo!) her husband!) 70 (to himself) ENA ‘kome triste alp:par de Come triste appar! Bn how sed he appears! RICCARDO (to himself) amelja Amelia! RENATO (bowing) ‘konte Conte... Count RICCARDO > Yel (Oh ciel, (Oh heavens, RENATO (coming closer) turbato ‘il mio sippor Turbato _il mio signor, Upset my lord, (You're upset, my lord,) ‘mentre dovunkwe il ‘nome ‘suo ‘inklito swana mentre dovunque il nome suo in suona? while everywhere thename yours gloriously sounds? RICCARDO ‘per laglorja =e ‘molto ‘nulla ‘per ‘kor Por lagloria © @molto, _—nulla per cor. For glory its much, nothing for the heart. se'greta atferba ‘kura mopsprime Segreta, acerba cura m'opprime. (A) secret, bitter care _oppresses me. RENATO e'ddonde E donde? And wherefore? RICCARDO anny ‘nom ‘pju Ahno.. non pi Ab no... no more... RENATO I shell say it, ka'd3on cagion. reason. 245 246 Un Ballo in Maschera, Act I RICCARDO ‘gran ‘dio (Gran Dio!) (Great God!) RENATO ‘so So 1know E che? And what? RENATO ‘so tutto ‘dga_—kwesta 'soska ‘stesisa ‘non ‘te. —sikuro_azilo So tutto. Gia questa soglia stessa non td sicuro asilo. I know all. Even this threshold itself is not for you a safe haven. RICCARDO prosegwi Prosegui. Continue. RENATO ‘un ‘reo di'zeppo ne'‘l:lombre ‘si matura i ‘dgorni ‘twoi minat:tfa Un reo disegno nell'ombre simatura, i giorni tuoi minaccia. A criminal plot in the shadows is hatching, the days yours threatens: (A criminal plot is hatching in the shadows and threatens your life.) RICCARDO (with elation) a Aje—‘di'tfo'ke ‘parli ‘ 1 ‘sai Ah! glia dicid che pari? alto naa it. ‘Ab! that’s what you'e talking about? Something else youdon't know? RENATO se udir ‘ti pjatfe i Se udir ti piace i If to hear you care to the (If you care to hear the names...) RICCARDO ke importa io dis, Cho importa? Is) ranseaess What doos it matter? T thom despise. RENATO zve'larli e ‘mio dover Svelarli & ~~ mio dover. To reveal them is my — duty. Un Ballo in Maschera, Act I 247 RDO ae ‘nel 'sangwe —kontaminarmi allor dovrei inom ‘fia ‘Tack nel sangue —_contaminarmi allor dovrei. Non fia, Besilent: my blood poison then I should. Let it not be, {Besilont! It would poison my blood. Let that not be.) lve ‘del ‘opal ‘mio ‘lamor ‘mi ‘gwardi nol vo. Del popol mio Yamor mi guardi, [don't wish it. Of my people the love keep watch over me, (Idon't want thet. Let my people's love for me keep watch over me.) e'mi proteg:ga itd:dio emi protegga Iddio. and may me protect God. (and may God protect me.) RENATO Alla To the ‘daltre daltre to other's ‘vita ‘ke vita che life thet ‘mi mille thousand tarride tarride smiles on you e ‘mille e mille and thousand ‘di spe'rantse di speranze of hopes ‘vite ‘il vite il lives the ‘gaudjo e gaudio and joy destino destino destiny ‘pjena piena, full, sinkatena s'incatena! is linked! (The destinies of thousands and thousands of other people are linked to the life that smiles on you, full of hopes and joy.) te perduto ove ‘la ‘patrja Te perduto, ova la _patri (With) You lost, where is the homeland, ‘kol ‘suo ‘splendid avivenir col suo splendido —_avvenir? with its splendid _ future? € sara do'vunkwe ‘sempre ‘kjuzo ‘il ‘var ‘alle ferrite E sara dovunque sempre chiuso il varco alle _ ferite, And will be everywhere always blocked the path to wounds, Perke 'skudo ‘del ‘tuo ‘petto € ‘del ‘popals lafifetsto Perch’ scudo del tuo petto & — del_—_popolo Vaffetto? because shield to your breast is of the people the affection? (And will the path to wounding you be everywhere always blocked because your people's Affection is a shield for you?) del:lamor ‘pju ‘desta © ‘lodjo ‘le ‘sue ‘vi a kol pir 'amor pit = desto & Todio le sue vittime a colpir. Then love more quick is hate its —_ victims to strike. Wate is quicker to strike its victims than love.) Un Ballo in Maschera, Act I OSCAR (entering) i primo “dsuitfe 11 primo giudice The first judge RICCARDO savas Stavanzi Let him approach. JUDGE fering the dspaces oth Const for his i ‘kone Conte! Count! jgnature) RICCARDO fe tego Wand a dma donna or donde Cho leggol... Mi bando ‘ad una donne; or donde’ What do I read! ‘The banishment for @ = womans Now why? te ‘wa ra? iewal e@—il'suo nome che whet (is she) guilty? Qui @ — ilsuo nome? Whet is her name? JUDGE sappetia ulrke el Seppella Uric, del Shes called Urice, ofthe future a divine (Har name is Ubca and sho fortun tle) intone kui safollann tute tip Intomo cui sfflleno tute Testi. ‘Around — whom crowd all_—_—reads, del furuo taka civinitfe Dol futuro alta vinarice.. Of the future the high foretell. JUDGE ‘ke —nellantro = abjetto. ‘jaa Cho nalfntro abet chiama ia Who inher den misereble calls thewert pope Jy the original score the Judge's line reads 7 supa sag nega Uo fy lod pp lia diame nn bot 2 alae prompled the Netopoan Opera (and Lam su ages. Posen day S080 te aloss incendiary wording ne many ler companies) 8 ‘ogni feo kon'sitko —sospetta egg dogni reo consiglio —sospotta, «= 8 gia ofevery evil counsel Suspected she is already. dowuts € ‘ne ‘muta ‘voto ‘mio fe ee nd muta voto mio. Due is toher exile: Nor changes the wish mine. (My wish does not change: She deserves to be exiled) RICCARDO (to Oscar) ke ne i w Che ne di’ tu? What say about it you? OSCAR difenderla —_voKkio ‘volta ‘laterrea—fronte ‘alle Difenderla —_vogtio. Volta laterrea —_fronte alle Defend her I wish. Having tumed her ashen face towards the la ‘sua pupil:la ‘kwando. ‘able ‘belle la sua pupilla, quando _—allo_belle her eye, when to the lovelies il fin _pre'ditfe ‘mesto 0 felitfe dei ‘lors amor il fin predice mesto 0 felico dei loro amor! the end predicts sad or happy of __ their loves! OG Un Ballo in Maschera, Act 1 249 stele stelle stars (How Ulrica's eye flashes, as she turns her ashen face towards the stars, as she predicts for the lovely girls how their happy or sed loves will end!) © ‘kon Iutfifero —dakckordo oppor Econ _Lucifero d'accordo —_ognor! She's with Lucifer inleague always! | | ke —_protettor | coppia... che __protettor! What lovely couple. what a protector! OSCAR kia profetika = ‘sua ‘gonnafffersra Chi la profetica — sua_—_gonna afferra, Who the prophetical her skirt grasps, (Whoever grasps her prophetical skirt.) u ‘passsil ‘mare ‘voli ‘alla ‘gwerra 2 passi’l mare, voli alla guerra, Whether he cross the sea (or) —fly off to war, Te'sue vitfende sdavi amare ‘da‘kwesta —alpprende nel “dubsdjo le sue vicende soavi, amare da questa apprende nel_— dubbio is

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