Masquerade ball in a large libretto. Choosing a Masquerade Theme

D. Verdi Opera Un ballo in maschera

Perhaps there is no other masterpiece in the history of opera that has two sets of main characters, moreover, so far from each other: Swedish aristocrats in one case and American officials in another. This is the main intrigue behind the creation of Giuseppe Verdi's seventh most popular opera Un ballo in maschera, which is still performed today in both plot variations.

Summary (original libretto version)

Morning in the Royal Palace of Stockholm, 1792, Gustav III receives visitors. His secretary, Count Ankarström, warns of danger - Count Ribbing and Count Horn are here among the crowd, planning his assassination. But more important for Gustav is that Ankarström is unaware of the love he has for the secretary's wife, Amelia - her name on the guest list of the upcoming masquerade excited the king. However, after pleasant memories of his beloved, Gustav draws attention to another guest - Mademoiselle Arvidson. Upon learning that this is a famous fortune teller, the king decides to visit her. The conspirators see a chance to realize their plans.

Mademoiselle Arvidson's home is crowded with visitors, a noble lady is looking for a meeting with her. Gustav, who is incognito among people in a fisherman's costume, recognizes Amelia in this lady - she came to ask for help in getting rid of forbidden love. The fortune teller recommends that she collect herbs growing on the execution field. As Amelia leaves, Gustav asks the fortune-teller for information about his future. She predicts that he will be killed by the friend who first gives him a hand. Since it turns out to be Ankarström, everyone laughs at such an incredible prophecy.

Amelia, under the cover of night, comes to a deserted place for herbs. Gustav secretly follows her, confesses his love and receives confirmation of the reciprocity of his feelings. Ankarström suddenly appears, warning the king that the conspirators have tracked him down. Amelia throws on her veil. Gustav and Ankarström exchange capes. Before disappearing, the monarch takes the word from his secretary that he will see the lady away without revealing her face. The enemies surround the couple, believing that in front of them is Gustav. Amelia is protective of her husband, but in doing so, she betrays herself. Ankarström becomes the object of ridicule and vows revenge.

A dramatic scene takes place in Ankarström's house - the count is determined to kill his wife, but understands that the main culprit is not her, but Gustav. He hosts the conspirators and forces Amelia to draw lots - which of them will kill the king. This fate falls on him. Gustav signs a decree transferring Ankarström to serve in England. Amelia tries to warn her lover of the danger through an anonymous letter, but the king ignores him.

An evening of a masquerade ball. Ankarström asks Oscar under what mask his master is hiding. Amelia tries to persuade Gustav to leave the ball, but does not have time - the secretary stabs him with a knife. The King assures his killer that there was nothing between him and Amelia, utters words of forgiveness, and dies.

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Interesting Facts

• There is not a single major opera star in the 20th century who did not take part in the productions of Un ballo in maschera. L. Pavarotti, J. Björling, D. Di Stefano, C. Bergonzi, P. Domingo, J. Carreras shone as Gustav (Richard), E. Bastianini, R. Merrill, T. Gobbi, P. Cappuccili, R. Bruzon, D. Hvorostovsky, M. Callas, C. Ricciarelli, B. Nilsson, L. Price, R. Tebaldi, M. Caballe as Amelia.
• The historical fact that served as the basis of the plot - the attack on Gustav III, happened at a masquerade ball at the Royal Swedish Opera on March 15, 1792. The king was mortally wounded by a pistol and died two weeks later. The conspiracy had purely political motives - a group of conservative nobility, among which was Ya. Yu. Ankarström (he, of course, did not serve as a royal secretary), wanted to free himself from a ruler who followed the principles of enlightened absolutism. Until his execution, Ankarström did not give out the names of his associates to the investigation. However, they still became known and punished. As for the love line - it was an absolute fiction, starting with the never-existing Amelia. According to contemporaries, Gustav III had no interest in women at all.
• Un ballo in maschera is an opera filled with sinister laughter. There is also a laughing aria, and even a laughing quintet.
• In this job Verdi used a new type of hero for himself - the page Oscar. This is a male role for a woman. Such a character is typical of the French operatic tradition, with couplet songs and a virtuoso decorated coloratura part.
• Ulrika (Mademoiselle Arvidson) is one of Verdi's most striking characters written for mezzo-soprano. This heroine is comparable to the gypsy Azucena from Il trovatore and is one of the composer's ways to indicate the fatal nature of events.
• The performers of the main male roles at the premiere of the opera Gaetano Fraschini (Richard) and Leone Giraldoni (Renato) have previously become the first interpreters of Verdi's heroes. Fraschini sang 4 more premieres - "Alzira", "Corsair", "Battle of Legnano" and "Stiffelio". Zharaldoni performed the title role at the premiere of " Simona Boccanegra».

The best opera arias

"La rivedra nell estasi" - Richard's aria (listen)

"Eri tu che macchiavi quell'anima" - Renato's aria (listen)

"Re dell" abisso - Ulrika's aria (listen)

"Volta la terrea" - Oscar's aria (listen)

History of creation and productions

The playwright Antonio Somma was approached by Verdi to work on the libretto of King Lear, which was left unfinished after the death of his longtime collaborator Salvatore Cammarano. So, in 1853 and 1855, two versions of the libretto of King Lear were created, which never found their musical form. Meanwhile, the San Carlo Theater in Naples was waiting for a new work for the maestro. In September 1857, Verdi invited Somme to write a text based on the plot of E. Scribe's play Gustav III, or Un ballo in maschera. The composer was captivated by this story, which twice managed to form the basis of operas: in 1833 - "Gustav III" by D. Aubert, in 1843 - "Regent" by S. Mercadante.

But in the process of work, difficulties arose: the Bourbon censorship banned the libretto from being staged. In her opinion, it is better to replace the king with a duke, move the action to the pre-Christian era, the conspirators should not harbor hatred for the king, but should simply fight for power, and - no firearms on stage! The authors devoted the Christmas week of 1857 to work on editing the libretto. As a result, the action unfolded in Pomerania, the king became a duke, and the opera was called “Revenge in the Dominoes”. It would seem that a compromise has been found, and Verdi returns to Naples in January 1858 with the score of the modified opera.

Rehearsals were about to begin, but on January 14, an unsuccessful attempt on the life of Emperor Napoleon III happened, a few days later his culprit, who turned out to be Italian, was captured, and a serious threat loomed over the opera again. The following censorship demands were: to replace the wife with a sister, to remove the ball, to remove the episode with the lot, and not to show the murder on stage at all. The impresario of the San Carlo Theater tried to independently rework the libretto, changing the time and place of the action, the main characters and the plot - the opera would have been called "Adelia from Adimari", but Verdi did not give consent to this and initiated the termination of the contract. The theater sued him, which, however, the maestro won.

December 3, 2015

What exactly do you associate a masquerade ball with? With something mysterious and romantic or mysterious and ancient?

Unsolved mysteries of masks and silhouettes in the twilight, stunning images and songs that penetrate right into the heart - all this is a masquerade ball for adults! Only here every guest can feel like an aristocrat of the Middle Ages, feel the full depth of colorful flowers and costumes in the style of MardiGras, an exquisite carnival in Venice, a ball of nobility in the palace of Louis XIV or a Victorian operetta.

All these ideas can be brought to life at a birthday party, corporate party, prom, New Year's Eve, Halloween, wedding or just a meeting of good old friends. A masquerade ball is a holiday where old traditions and modernity are harmoniously combined.

The essence of the masquerade ball

Masquerades originate from ancient Greece, where noisy holidays were held with dressing up and processions in masks to music, singing and incendiary dances in honor of the god Dionysus. In medieval Europe, masquerades became very popular in aristocratic circles starting from the 14th century. Dressing in a different suit or putting on a mask, a person went beyond the limits of the norm, and was transferred to a world of prohibitions, harmony, and otherworldly power. Feeling like someone else for at least one evening, people rested from the daily bustle and were distracted from the harsh reality of the world. Soon the mask began to symbolize equality between different segments of the population; it did not separate people according to their religion or status.

The masquerade was the perfect event for weaving intrigue, gossip, unrestrained fun, and, of course, forbidden love. Everyone who was wearing a mask could pretend to be a different person for the evening, show themselves from the other side, which had a positive effect on the fight against their own complexes. The true "I" of each person was lost at the ball, in the twilight of the masquerade a new personality was born, with its own mystical history ...

What kind of story you write depends on the proper organization of the party.

Definition of subject matter

A masquerade ball can be of different themes, and depends on the preferences and imagination of the organizers, as well as the general vision of the holiday. Consider the brightest topics for the event:

• MardiGras is a holiday for lovers of rich colors, unusual images and unrestrained fun.
• The Phantom of the Opera is a Victorian party accompanied by classical music.
• An aristocratic party in the spirit of France of the 18th century is a celebration of luxury, pompous outfits, expensive jewelry and gourmet food.
• Old Hollywood is an event dedicated to glamor and social life, all guests of the event coquettishly hide their faces behind exquisite masks.
• Movie-cartoon masquerade is a celebration of the heroes of your favorite cartoons and movies, suitable for both children's and adult holidays.

Important factors in determining the theme of the party is the allocated budget and the venue of the holiday. Some masquerade balls are relatively economical, such as the Old Hollywood style party, while MardiGras requires you to shell out a good deal for the ballroom and costumes.

Masquerade ball invitations

After determining the theme of the masquerade, it is necessary to organize invitations for guests. The main symbol of such celebrations is the mask, so it is not surprising that invitations are most often made in her style. The front side can be decorated as a Venetian boudoir, that is, sheathed with elegant fabric, painted with gold colors and sparkles.

You can make simpler options, for example, cut a mask out of cardboard, paint it with glitter glue, paints, markers or confetti.

The text of the invitation may be different, but it is important to indicate the date, location of the event, theme, dress code. Each guest can come up with a name for himself in accordance with the theme of the holiday. For example, if the party is in the style of the French aristocracy of the 18th century, then the guests can become Josephine, Constance, Jacques, Louis, etc. It will be interesting and spicy at the same time.

Costumes for a masquerade

Attire is very important for a themed party, and it's bad if some guests ignore the line that warns about the theme of the evening. To avoid embarrassment, you need to introduce a few rules:

• Invitations are given to the guests of the event at least 2 weeks before the Masquerade.
• A dress code is discussed with each guest without fail.
• You need to have a few extra masks for those who are still poorly prepared for the holiday.

A costume for a masquerade ball should be thought out to the smallest detail and extraordinarily luxurious, with notes of sexuality and humor. He must show all the mystery of the image.

In cities, there are many places where costumes, wigs and necessary accessories are rented, you just need to give the phone to guests. Also, the costume can be sewn to order or manually, if you have seamstress skills.

Girls for the holiday can dress up as a queen, lady, movie diva of the 20s or Princess Elsa from the Frozen cartoon. Suits in the style of a count, baron, Zorro or even the image of Marlon Brando are perfect for men - a black tailcoat with a bow tie will always be in place.

party masks

Separately, it is worth mentioning the masquerade mask as a symbol of this holiday. Even an ordinary tailcoat or a little black dress, along with an elegant mask, will look harmonious at the ball. The perfect plaster mask can be easily prepared at home. You will need some tools and skills of an artist-decorator. For cooking you need:

• 20 tapes of medical plaster based on gauze, measuring 2.5 cm by 4 cm.
• Cream.

The face is smeared with cream, plaster strips soaked in water are applied to it. After drying on the face, an impression is taken and it is given the desired shape with a sharp knife. Then everything depends solely on the will and imagination. The mask can be painted, decorated in different styles, decorated with different materials, stones, threads, sequins, etc.

It is much easier to make a fabric eyeglass mask at home. Pearls, guipure, sequins - this is a small fraction of what can bring a hint of mystery and perfection into the eyes of a woman in a mask.

The most affordable accessory for a party will be a blindfold mask. Its presence will make a woman's look full of charisma, expression and mystery.

Room decoration

The atmosphere at a holiday of this type simply has to be mysterious and unusual for all guests, otherwise the whole meaning will be lost.

If a large-scale party is planned, then you can order the services of special agencies for the design of banquet halls. If the masquerade will take place in an apartment or a private house, then the organizers themselves should take care of decorating the rooms.

The main decor elements for the festive room will be beads, feathers, candles, mirrors. Well, masks, they should be everywhere. On the walls you can hang themed posters depicting Venice, balls in France from the period of the 18th century, paintings by famous artists of that time, tapestries and candelabra.

An interesting and practical idea would be to decorate the room in one color scheme. This will significantly reduce the problems of choosing matching colors, and save money.

The walls of the room can be draped with burgundy, green and blue fabrics. Garlands will perfectly complement the decor of the hall, it can be pendants of flowers and butterflies.

If the party is planned in a fun and modern movie-cartoon style, then you can decorate the walls with posters of your favorite cartoon and movie characters, install some funny tantamares (decorations with holes for faces for photographing), scatter confetti and streamers around the rooms. Gold, silver, yellow, red, blue balloons and electric garlands are also used as decorations for a masquerade ball.

Musical arrangement

If the party is organized in the style of a masquerade ball of the Middle Ages, then the best music will be the classics: Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and other masterpiece creations. Eternal music like no other will fill the evening with a pleasant atmosphere, encourage the images of guests, and invite you to talk on important topics or just have a good time with friends.

If the party is organized in a cartoon style, then modern hits, songs that remind friends of a fun pastime in their youth, or any other fun music can be the musical accompaniment.

Entertainment at the ball

Undoubtedly, the main form of entertainment at the ball is dancing: classical, Latin or modern.

At the masquerade ball of the time of Louis XIV, dance cards were in circulation, each lady was awarded a certain gentleman, with whom she was obliged to dance the whole evening. A similar practice can be offered to single guests at your masquerade. The ladies themselves will draw a card with the name of the gentleman, and maybe by the end of the evening a few more strong couples will be organized among your friends.

At such a thematic holiday, you can spend the following entertainment.

"Theater"

The guests are divided into two groups. One makes up an interesting and funny script, and the other person embodies it on an impromptu stage under the clear guidance of the “director” from the first group. The script for the team can be a parody of everyone's favorite movie, theatrical performance or a fairy tale.

"Competition for the best image"

A traditional competition at almost all events. It is important that the participants carefully prepare for its holding and think over their image to the smallest detail. The winner is the participant who received the most applause for his costume.

"Queen of the Masquerade Ball"

Girls are simply thrilled by various beauty contests. The most beautiful, mysterious, sophisticated, sexy and at the same time interesting lady becomes the queen of the masquerade ball. The winner will wear a crown all evening and be surrounded by all sorts of honors.

"Auction"

Holding an auction is an aristocratic occupation. You can use an unusual handmade mask, a bottle of rare wine, a shoe of the queen of the evening, etc. as lots. An important feature of this game is the host's sense of humor, able to conduct an auction in a positive and cheerful atmosphere.

At the very beginning, the minimum bid per lot is set, it can be a coin of a designated denomination or a small denomination.

"Thematic photo session"

Who doesn't want to get a photo for memory, and even in such a chic way. Therefore, an interesting and positive photo session of the guests of the holiday will give everyone present a great mood.

"Dress Contest"

In the company of best friends, you can be a little frivolous and, for example, take and change into a costume of the opposite sex. Ladies will become gentlemen and vice versa. After a fun dressing up and applying make-up on the newly made "ladies", you can hold a contest where participants will compete for the title of "Mrs Gentleman" and "Mr Lady".

"Spacious petticoat"

Such a competition is only suitable for an 18th century European style party, as it requires ladies in dresses with puffy skirts. The essence of the competition: two girls in dresses and a team of guys choose, the more gentlemen fit under each skirt, she wins. You need to hide under a magnificent dress completely, no peeking arms and legs. Fun for all guests of the holiday is guaranteed.

Another version of this competition: one of the girls has a gentleman hiding under her skirt. Guests must guess which of them is hiding the lucky one.

Gifts and prizes

As gifts and prizes at a masquerade ball, beautiful masks, hair accessories, pendants with keys, butterflies under an elegant tailcoat, or comic prizes can be used. For example, a bandage on a leg, a mustache on a stick, a mask with a nose or a funny shape.

Treats and table setting

The idea of ​​a classic masquerade ball does not provide for a standard feast. Party guests are treated from a buffet table. Ideally, hire waiters, but if this is not possible, then you can simply organize the distribution of snacks and drinks yourself.

Treats of the evening might include beef medallions, mussel or shrimp salad, rosemary chicken, French bread, sesame buns, and more. From drinks cognac, red or white dry wines, champagne are perfect.

Dessert can consist of “mask” cookies, strawberries, grapes, cakes decorated with lacy chocolate patterns, and, of course, a cake decorated with a holiday theme.
A masquerade ball is a fun and original event, the relevance of which has not been lost for centuries. Each guest of the evening can feel like an aristocrat of the 19th century, an actor of the 20s or partners of Bonnie and Clyde, trying on the appropriate image. The main thing is to be fun, interesting and unusual.

A masquerade is a place where time epochs intersect, the past becomes the present, so that a beautiful and bright future can take place.

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Features of terminology

“Masquerade” was any phenomenon in which there was a change in appearance for the purpose of decoration, surprise, deception, etc. So, for example, the dressing up of the Russian troops in Swedish military dress in order to misinform the enemy in the battle of Narva in 1704, a contemporary quite rightly calls a “masquerade”

Taking this into account, as well as the fact that masquerades in Russia appeared before balls, and even more so “masquerade balls”, we will act in line with the traditions of names that have developed in Russia since the 18th century, that is, call them “masquerade” any an event whose participants acted in special costumes or masks. At the same time, we emphasize that most traditionally, the word "masquerade" is used to denote costumed and masked balls.

Masquerade and pre-Petrine cultural traditions

The traditions of the masquerade in Russia, like many similar forms of public leisure, are of a directive borrowed nature and began from the era of Peter the Great. One can, of course, emphasize the traditional character of costume dressing in Russian folk culture, which laid the foundation for later masquerades. You can not do this, but repeat after Pylyaev his brief indication at the time of the birth of Russian masquerades: “... the first masquerades in Russia were introduced by Emperor Peter the Great on the occasion of peace with the Swedes, in 1721; they continued then at the court for seven consecutive days. In the sense of Christmas games and dressing up, masquerades were still known under Tsar Ivan the Terrible. Masquerades in Europe came into use in 1540; Michelangelo's disciple, Granici, gave the first such solemn masquerade in honor of Paul Aemilius.

On sound reflection, there is every reason to lean more towards Pylyaev's opinion. The masquerade was borrowed not in its individual elements, but as a whole, as a structure that has special properties characteristic of it as a whole and not deducible from a simple enumeration of individual parts. Costume design is characteristic of any national culture. Sh. Kompan, for example, traces the origin of masquerades to the Roman Saturnalia.

These traditions had deep roots in Rus', so that the masquerade of Russia of the New Age, being pan-European in nature, was established, having in its individual elements some kind of national support (“counter currents” according to Veselovsky). However, it did not evolve from folk culture, but was introduced once in a complete form, often distancing itself from folklore in style, content of elements, contextual basis, binding to real life events, and even in its own semantic load, ignoring mystical symbolism and traditional ritualism, joining the secular rituals, which have a different expressive language and excellent symbolism. On the contrary, in the composition of individual elements one can see a similarity with what was already in Russia before Peter.

The kinship of phenomena was felt by contemporaries themselves. This was manifested, in particular, in the adequacy of the old terminology used at the first stages of borrowing to designate new events. The change of terms is especially noticeable in the times of Peter the Great, when the innovations were still fresh and the vocabulary was not fully established. For example, a fragment of a story about an Italian opera from the Notes of the Steward Tolstoy in Venice in 1697: “... they start playing in those operas at the first hour of the night, and end at the 5th and 6th hour of the night, and they never play during the day. And comes to those operas a lot of people in mashkars, in Slavonic mugs» .

So, the masquerade of the time of Peter is another masquerade, originating from Europe, but not from the Russian folk tradition. However, along with borrowings, many elements in the style of its design are brought from folk celebrations. Let's compare two events that are outwardly extremely similar, of which the first is a completely European secular holiday using folklore elements (the wedding of Nikita Zotov in 1715) and the second is an ordinary folk festival, from a series of entertainments of Russian landowners at the beginning of the 19th century.

1. “As soon as the procession set off, all the city bells rang and all the drums sounded from the ramparts of the fortress to which they were heading; various animals were made to scream. The whole society played or strummed various instruments, and together it made such a terrible deafening noise that it is impossible to describe. 2. “In winter, a horse race and a masked carnival were organized. Crowds of girls and women gathered for this purpose in the manor's yard; there they smeared their faces with soot, so that the train would look more like a masquerade performance. The smeared and soiled were put into large sledges in the likeness of baskets and, having surrounded the train with mounted riders, they moved from village to village, from village to village, with the sound of tambourines, basins and pans. Hearing this noisy orgy from afar, people flocked from everywhere to admire how the gentlemen amuse themselves.

As we can see, in the times of Peter the Great, the proximity of style to folk costumed amusements was expressed quite confidently. The most important differences related to the symbolic, semantic basis of the celebrations. Later, in the European-influenced masquerades of the era of Catherine II, the closeness becomes less obvious. Meanwhile, the folklore traditions of disguise are still alive, but only in their own circle of existence. They continued to exist in the everyday way of life of the people and the layer of district landowners close to them, while the enlightened classes of both capitals cultivate a different European masquerade.

The first masquerades in Russia

The very idea of ​​disguise does not imply dancing as an obligatory element, which is especially noticeable at the initial stage of its existence in Russia. The masquerade in Peter's times did not originate as a ball, but as a masquerade procession or other public (often street) action. One can even strengthen this statement by stating that, in general, the masquerades of the time of Peter the Great distanced themselves from dance.

The era is characterized by several manifestations of such a masquerade: a masquerade procession, masquerade-sleigh rides and colorful jester's masquerade performances, where rituals and, in general, the existence of the Most Joking Cathedral, frequent jester's weddings (alternately, dwarfs, then giants) and even clownish funerals. For example, the Frenchman Wimeny - a cheerful, intricate man, made for fun for the sake of amusing "Samoyed kings", and therefore permanently drunk, until his very inevitable death, being forced to amuse a high person in the role of a drinking companion. Among the examples are the masquerade riding on sledges that took place in Moscow in 1722, “to which the form of sea vessels is given”, the wedding of Prince-Papa P.I. Buturlin in a “masquerade” dress. This also includes colorful costume processions in masks along the streets of St. Petersburg. One of those, which was in 1723, is named like that - "Company Mashkarada".

To a large extent, such “masquerades” seem to be a special case of the manifestation of the traditions of “carnival”, where, in fact, costumes, masks, dressing up and similar procedures were not always frankly expressed.

Masquerade in Russia at the beginning of the 18th century

The 18th century is a turning point in the culture and art of Russia, at this time a new mentality is being formed, which develops interest in a person as a person. The passion for incarnations, hoaxes, and the stage leads to the development of theatrical festivities, as well as the appearance of a costumed portrait. Trends in comprehensive Europeanization. The first manifestations of theatricalization were mummers and buffoons (folk amusements were timed to coincide with the holidays of the calendar and had a cult character). Carnivals - the origins in pagan antiquity - mummers, taking on animal form. The popularity of "popular comedies", Shrovetide games. Gradually, the performance and the masquerade lose their connection with the cult. In Europe to this day, many carnivals are associated with the feasts of certain saints.

In Europe - everyone is incognito, in Russia - masks were removed before entering.

Masquerade - the tradition of dressing up, putting on masks comes from ritual actions (shamanism, totem rites, paganism). This tradition passed into the Middle Ages and beyond. Permissiveness and impunity are a feature of masquerades. Mummers, clownish dressing - from Byzantium. Over time - the loss of cult significance => entertainment. People with physical disabilities often took part in carnival processions. The ideological load is a course towards secularization. Nystadt world => celebrations, carnivals, fireworks. 1723 - masquerade - national costumes + professional (miners, sailors). In the same year - magnificent festivities on the occasion of the founding of the fleet. Masquerade characters: antique heroes, ethnic, professional costumes, costumes of animals, birds. They wore masks. Anna Ioannovna has a whole army of crackers-rattlers. Elizaveta Petrovna is a lover of festivities, rules of events. 1744 - men appeared in women's clothes, women in men's clothes, producing a kind of travesty. Front sights were widely used. Invitations were used, checks were made on persons who arrived for the holiday. A list of absentees was compiled. Court masquerades - in the houses of the nobility. December 1739 - January 1740 - Ice House (Kraft, Eropkin). The length of the Ice House is 17 m (ice cannons, trees, birds, dolphins, a life-size elephant). Inside the house, the entire interior is icy. Elizabeth introduced a French taste to masquerades.

Masquerade in Russia in the second half of the 18th century

1754 - 3 days of masquerade dinners in honor of the birth of Paul I. Masquerades were often held in country residences (Oranienbaum - Peter III arranged many festivities there, performances of Italian opera, masquerades). Peter III often arranged wild festivities (turned into bacchanalia). Many did not like them (Catherine about the environment of Peter III - "there's a bastard"). Catherine arranged a theatrical performance in Oranienbaum - people of different classes could visit it, including those who could not get into the Winter Palace. For people of non-noble classes, masquerades were also arranged - “free masquerades” (tickets - 3 rubles / piece). Posters were posted. At such events, one could dine, drink, play cards on card tables (Italian Lakatelli). The trend adopted under Elizabeth for French taste is intensifying. Under Catherine, masquerades were supposed to show the power and wealth of Russia in front of foreigners. Catherine celebrated her accession to the throne with festivities (“Triumphant Minerva” - the script of the actor Volkov).

"Catherine II in the form of a triumphant Minerva" (Stefano Torelli) - a painting in the Tretyakov Gallery, there are repetitions in Tsarskoye Selo. The coronation took place in Moscow in 1763, then Catherine returned to St. Petersburg. Masquerade at the Winter Palace and Tsarskoye Selo.

The age limit for visiting masquerades is 13 years old, then it was raised to 15 years old. The Winter Palace hosted 8 masquerades a year. Entrance is free, 10 thousand tickets were sent out, about 5 thousand came. Not only nobles, but also merchants and bourgeois (but not all) could attend. There were also children's masquerades - they took place in the Winter Court (in the southern wing, half of Paul I). They were held for children from 7 to 12 years old (children could be accompanied by their parents in an ordinary, not masquerade, dress). For one of these holidays, Turkish costumes were made (Paul was a sultan). 1770 - festivities in honor of the Prussian prince Heinrich (Apollo Hall, 3.5 thousand masks). Masquerades were often arranged after theatrical performances at the Opera House. Private Naryshkinsky Garden on the Moika - every Wednesday and Sunday. (1 rub. - ticket, if there were performances - 2 rubles).

Masquerades in honor of military victories - 1791 - in honor of the victory over Ishmael (3 thousand participants). Under Pavel, a masquerade dress became mandatory (under Catherine, only a mask + strict regulations up to color could be used). The festivities at the end of the century became exquisite (and at the beginning of the century, as a rule, holy fools took part in them). Evolution from Peter's Christmas fun to stylized colorful masquerades.

Literature

• Berezovchuk L. N., Voznesensky M. V. Masquerade // Musical Petersburg. Encyclopedic Dictionary. XVIII century. - T. 1. - Book. 2. - K - P. - St. Petersburg: Composer, 1998. - S. 185-189.
• Compan Sh. A dance dictionary containing the history, rules and foundations of dance art with critical reflections and curious anecdotes related to ancient and new dances / Per. from French - M.: In type. V. Okorokova, 1790. - Articles "Masquerade" and "Mask" see: p. 291-298.
• Masquerade in St. Petersburg in 1841 Afisha/ Message Ya. I. Dovgalevsky, foreword. M. I. Semevsky // Russian antiquity, 1883. - Т. 39. - № 8. - S. 411-420.
• An old poster for a masquerade in the Mikhailovsky Palace. February 2, 1844/ Message P. A. Efremov // Russian archive, 1884. - Kn. 3. - Issue. 5. - S. 59-64.
• Taneev S. I. Masquerades in capitals (Material for history) // Russian archive, 1885. - Book. 3. - Issue. 9. - S. 148-153.
• Timofeev S. Regarding the article “The Age of Carousels and Masquerades in Russia”  //Historical Bulletin, 1885. - vol. 22. -   No. 11. - pp. 482-484.
• Uspensky B. A."Stupid wedding" in St. Petersburg in 1740 // Uspensky B. A. Around Trediakovsky. Works on the history of the Russian language and Russian culture. - M.: Indrik, 2008, p. 534-545

Notes

1. The compiler of the first systematic essay on dances published in Russian, Charles Compan, sees Arabic roots in the word "masquerade": “This word comes from the Italian Mascarata, which is also derived from the Arab mascara, meaning a joke or a mockery ...”

– Ancient Egypt and France contemporary to the author, medieval Spain, Sicily and Genoa… the composer did not ignore the United States of America either. However, when conceiving the opera Un ballo in maschera, the author least of all assumed that its events would unfold across the ocean. Initially, it was about a true fact from the history of Sweden: in March 1792, the leader of the aristocrats, dissatisfied with the liberal attitude of King Gustav III, inflicted a mortal wound on the monarch during a masquerade ball. The French playwright Eugene Scribe wove a love affair into this political story: in his play Gustav III of Sweden, the killer of the king is jealous of his wife. The French composer Daniel Aubert has already taken Scribe's drama as the basis for the opera, but Verdi also decides to turn to this plot.

The libretto was written by the Venetian writer Antonio Somma at the composer's request. In January 1858, Giuseppe Verdi completed the opera, which was originally called Revenge of the Dominoes, and transferred it to the Neapolitan theater of San Carlo. And then politics intervened in the plans of the composer and the theater: in France, there was an attempt on Napoleon III, and his political emigrant from Italy committed it. In the face of the violent backlash that followed this event, it was truly unthinkable to show the assassination of the king on stage. At first, the opera was categorically banned, then the composer was offered a modified version of the libretto, written by ... an employee of the police censorship department: the action was transferred to medieval Florence, the king became a simple nobleman, and the murder scene at the ball was excluded.

Giuseppe Verdi was deeply indignant at this treatment of his work and refused to make the required changes. It came to a serious conflict: the impresario of the theater intended to sue the composer, who also filed a lawsuit, the case received publicity and caused indignation among the Neapolitans. Verdi had problems with censorship before - but it had never come to such a scandal, even King Ferdinand II had to intervene. In the end, a compromise was found: the ban on the opera was lifted, and changes were made to the libretto - but not as originally intended. The action was transferred to the USA - a country where there were never kings at all, Gustav III turned into Richard Warwick - the governor of Boston, Count Ankarström - into his secretary named Renato, other conspirators - Counts Ribbing and Horn - received the names Samuel and Tom. Antonio Somma refused to recognize such a libretto as his work, and it was signed NN. Subsequently, the text was revised by Francesco Piave.

The music of the opera Un ballo in maschera is extremely rich in melodic terms, it abounds in expressive orchestral touches, many melodies are based on everyday dance and song genres - for example, Renato's arioso in the first act ("Thormed with power from above" is sustained in the rhythm of the bolero, and Amelia's appeal to the sorceress Ulrika ("I want to forget") in terms of intonation resembles a romance. The main conflict is already reflected in the overture, where the sinister theme of the conspirators is compared with the lyrical theme of love, which later will play an important role in Richard's characterization - in particular, it is built on it. aria in the first act (“She will flash before me again”), and during his monologue in the second scene of the fourth act, she appears in the orchestra. Richard's aria in the rhythm of the barcarolle ("Wave will not betray me in the gray sea"), and the tragic denouement occurs during the mask ball glad. Even separate numbers are built on contrasts - for example, in the quintet from the fourth act, the thirst for revenge that seized Renato and the conspirators, Amelia's grief and the carelessness of Oscar the page are combined. In general, this character, with his carelessness, often sets off the terrible events of the opera - for example, in the final picture, the tragic denouement is preceded by his elegant song in a waltz rhythm.

The stage fate of the opera Un ballo in maschera, which became so seriously complicated already during its creation, remained difficult in the future. It was never staged in Naples - the premiere took place in February 1859 in Rome, at the Apollo Theater. The performance was a huge success.

Subsequently, when staging the opera Un ballo in maschera, the action is often transferred to Italy or - as Giuseppe Verdi originally suggested - to Sweden. Sometimes inconsistencies arise in this case - when the place of action is changed, and the names of the characters remain the same (however, sometimes the list of characters also changes - the main character becomes Gustav III). But, despite all these difficulties, Un ballo in maschera is staged in various theaters around the world. She is immortalized even in space: the asteroid of the main belt, discovered by the Russian astronomer S. Belyavsky in 1917, was named Ulrika - in honor of the sorceress from the opera.

Musical seasons

Un ballo in maschera is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi to a libretto by Antonio Somma based on a story by E. Scribe. The first performance took place at Rome's Teatro Apollo on February 17, 1859. The plot of the opera is based on the story of the assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden, but was heavily modified at the request of censorship. Many productions now use the original Swedish names.

Un ballo in maschera is the only Verdi opera set in the United States of America. Moreover, it was transferred there by accident, or rather by the censor. The plot of Verdi's opera was based on a play by the French playwright Eugène Scribe, and his play was originally based on the assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden. But in 1858, almost on the eve of the premiere, there was an attempt on Napoleon III. The authorities of Naples were frightened: they considered that the opera about the assassination of the king could inspire the Neapolitans to revolt. As a result, Verdi was required to make certain changes to the plot. The censors (people are always very smart and cunning) agreed that the plot would not hurt anyone if it was not a king at all who was killed, but just a viceroy in some colonial Boston. Thus, the opera was eventually performed the following year - not in Naples after all these vicissitudes with censorship, and in Rome. And now we say it with confidence - there was no rebellion, and not a single king was killed as a result of this opera. When the Metropolitan Opera revived the production in the 1940s and again in the 1950s, the setting was moved to Sweden, where it was originally intended to be. But even so, it was not without curiosities. For example, the directors kept the names of the characters - this is how the singers learned them.

Un ballo in maschera premiered on February 17, 1859 in Rome. About this, the 23rd opera by Verdi, distinguished by the richness of melodies and vocal diversity, they said that every phrase in it is musical, and every melody is vocal. The Russian premiere of "The Ball" took place on the stage of the Bolshoi Theater on December 8, 1880. Having withstood another production and renewal in the 90s of the XIX century, Un ballo in maschera disappeared from the poster in 1902, only to return to the stage of the Bolshoi only 77 years later in the production of Algis Zhuraitis and Semyon Stein and in the luxurious scenery of the chief artist of La Scala, representative famous Russian "picturesque" dynasty of Nicholas Benois.

Characters.

Richard, Earl of Warwick, Governor of Boston (Gustav III - King of Sweden) - tenor
Amelia, Renato's wife - soprano
Renato, Amelia's husband, Richard's secretary - baritone
Oscar, page - soprano
Ulrika, fortune teller - contralto
Judge - tenor
Sylvan tenor
samuel bass
Tom bass

Act I
Picture one

Morning. Richard, the governor of Massachusetts, (Gustav III) receives visitors, among them are Richard's enemies: Samuel and Tom, whose displeased murmur is mixed with the general praise of the governor. Page Oscar brings Richard a list of people invited to the ball, which should take place soon. Among those invited is Amelia, the wife of the secretary and friend of the Creole governor Renato, with whom he is secretly in love. Renato informs Richard that Samuel and Tom are plotting to threaten the governor's life. Then they, as well as Oscar and the judge, go in masks to the Negro Ulrika, the famous sorceress.

Picture two

Ulrika does magic in her dwelling. Richard appears dressed as a fisherman, but at that moment Silvano, Amelia's servant, asks to receive his mistress. Ulrika is left alone with her. Richard, hiding, hears their conversation. Amelia admits that she is in love and asks for a potion that would cure her of her criminal passion. The sorceress tells Amelia to go to the wasteland at night, where executions are performed, and collect magic grass there. As soon as the young woman leaves, Richard asks Ulrika to tell his fate. Ulrika says that he will die at the hands of a friend. Richard is skeptical. The sorceress warns the count that whoever shakes his hand first will be his killer. This person turns out to be Renato, and everyone is convinced of the falsity of her predictions.
Act II

Night. Desert field near Boston. The moon illuminates the silhouettes of the gallows. Amelia is here. She is in love with Richard, and the thought of being separated from him is unbearable for her. Richard appears and confesses his love for her. With delight, he learns that Amelia also loves him. Their idyll is broken by the unexpected arrival of Renato: he warns the governor of imminent danger. Richard asks to take care of his lady, who has hidden her face under a veil, and runs. Renato blocks the way for the conspirators, Amelia, having come to his aid, accidentally reveals her face. Samuel and Tom laugh at Renato. He, burning with a thirst for revenge, arranges a meeting with them, intending to participate in the conspiracy.

Act III
Picture one
An office in Renato's house. In the background is a full-length portrait of Richard. Renato threatens Amelia with death, she asks to be allowed to hug her son for the last time. The husband understands that he must take revenge not on her, but on a traitor friend, and bitterly turns to the portrait. Samuel and Tom arrive and, together with Renato, decide to draw lots for who will kill the count. Renato forces Amelia to draw lots: it falls on her husband. The murder is to take place during a masquerade ball, and the conspirators are already looking forward to victory.
Picture two
Richard's office. He signs a decree according to which Renato and his wife must move to England. Sad premonitions crowd his soul when he thinks of Amelia.
Picture three
Ball. Richard hurries to see his beloved Having mingled with the crowd of guests, Renato finds out from Oscar what mask Richard is hiding under. Amelia warns him of the danger, both are again seized with passion. Richard informs Amelia of the upcoming separation. As he says goodbye to her, Renato delivers a fatal blow to him. Amid everyone's confusion, Richard exonerates Amelia. He dies, having forgiven his killers.