Verdi Un Ballo in Maschera
27/07/1975
This production from Covent Garden is set in Stockholm, and not Boston. With Reri Grist (Oscar), Placido Domingo (Gustavus), Katia Ricciarelli (Amelia), Piero Cappucili (Renato), Patricia Payne (? - the booklet or DVD fails to credit the singer) (Ulrica) and Claudio Abbado in the pit: all at their peak, you just simply cannot go wrong when purchasing this DVD. This performance made me realise why I had fallen in love with opera: beautiful (today one should be thankful) and convincing sets and costumes, and fiery conducting and singing from all the above soloists which leaves you breathless. Domingo as the King (not the Governor of Boston) is simply ravishing! He is so convincing and dashing as Gustavus - I think very few tenors nowadays can even attempt such a convincing vocal and dramatic performance.
Movie Information
Plácido Domingo
as Gustavo III
Katia Ricciarelli
as Amelia
Piero Cappuccilli
as Anckarstroem
Reri Grist
as Oscar
Patricia Payne
as Ulrica
Elizabeth Bainbridge
as Mlle. Arvidson
William Elwin
as Silvano
Gwynne Howell
as Samuel
Paul Hudson
as Tom
Francis Egerton
as Un giudice
John Carr
as Amelia's servant
Claudio Abbado
as Self - Conductor
