The World's Most Famous Operas: A Masked Ball

Music by: Giuseppe Verdi
(1813–1991)

Translated into Arabic by: Samir Shikhani

An opera in four acts, first produced in Rome in 1859.

The Characters:

• Riccardo: the King
• Renato: his secretary
• Amelia: Renato's wife
• Samuel
• Tomasso
• Oscar: the King's boon companion
• Ulrica: a fortune-teller
• Silvano: a sailor
• A judge, servants and retainers, some of the townspeople.

Time: the eighteenth century.
Place: Sweden.

Act One

The scene: the assembly hall in the royal palace.

The curtain rises on the chorus singing a song from which we understand that the nobles are of two factions: one loyal to King Riccardo, and one, led by the conspirators Samuel and Tomasso, laying plans to assassinate him.

Oscar, the King's companion, announces his master's entrance and presents him with a list of those invited to the masked ball that is to be held. The King studies it and reads out the names it contains, and when he reaches the name "Amelia," signs of rapture and contentment appear on his face. For he loves this lady, despite her being the wife of Renato, his private counselor and dearest friend.

The King dismisses the men of his retinue, and they have scarcely withdrawn when Renato enters to warn him of the plot being woven around him. But the kind-hearted King refuses even to hear the names of the enemies who wish him ill, lest he be forced to punish them.

Meanwhile one of the judges enters to obtain the King's signature on a decree banishing the fortune-teller Ulrica. Oscar intervenes on the fortune-teller's behalf, insisting that she harms no one, and that many people of high station consult her and believe in her power to know the unseen; so the King orders the judge to pardon her.

This incident, however, reminds the King of something: he summons his retinue once more and proposes that each of them disguise himself, and that they all visit the fortune-teller that afternoon.

Renato takes this as an ill omen, while those conspiring against the King's life see in it a golden opportunity to help them achieve their ends.

The scene ends with everyone going out to prepare for the visit to the sorceress.

Act Two

The scene: the house of the fortune-teller Ulrica.

It is a spacious hut, desolate, dark, wrapped in mysteries. Some of the townspeople have gathered to watch the fortune-teller, trying to discover what the future holds in store for them. Ulrica herself inspires terror with the filthy, worn-out rags she wears, bent over her huge crystal ball and chanting, "O king of the jinn, make haste!"

A stranger enters the room — none other than King Riccardo in disguise. Those present scowl, and he withdraws, vexed, to the back of the hall. Ulrica announces that she has summoned the king of the jinn, who reveals the unseen. Silvano, a young, hot-tempered sailor, comes forward and asks the fortune-teller to read his future. She takes his hand, examines his palm, and says his future is bright and smiling. The King hears this and slips into the sailor's pocket, unseen, an order appointing him an officer in the royal navy. When Silvano is about to pay the fortune-teller's fee, he discovers the promotion, and everyone rejoices that the prophecy has come true.

There is a knock at a secret door of the fortune-teller's hut, and Amelia's servant appears; he has come to inform Ulrica of his mistress's wish to meet her alone. The fortune-teller consents to the wish and dismisses everyone present — except King Riccardo, who hides in a dark, far-off corner to learn the details of the interview.

Amelia has come to consult Ulrica about her plight: she finds herself lost in love for the King, but she wants to forget him, for she is the wife of his most faithful friend, his private counselor. To bring this about, the fortune-teller proposes that she go at midnight to the execution ground outside the city; beneath the gallows she will find certain herbs, and in them lies her cure from her unclean love.

The King hears all this and resolves within himself that Amelia shall not go alone on that errand.

Amelia departs, and a clamor rises as the members of the King's retinue enter the hut once more, each in the most complete disguise. The King wears a sailor's jacket, and has asked that his fortune be told before anyone else's. Ulrica takes his palm and says it is the palm of a man of loftier station than the jacket he wears suggests, and refuses to predict anything about his future. But he insists

and presses his demand, until she sees no way out but to tell him frankly that he will meet his death at the hand of a traitor... at the hand of the second man to shake his hand!

The King makes light of this saying, but everyone else is deeply affected and hesitates to shake the King's hand — except Renato, who was not present when the fortune-teller uttered it. The moment he arrives and sees the King, he shakes his hand. The King tosses the fortune-teller a purse full of coins, and all go out singing, praising the generosity of their monarch.

Act Three

Scene One: a plain covered with snow.

The night is moonlit, and Amelia is searching beneath the gallows in the execution ground for the herbs that will cure her of the disease of her love for the King, terrified at finding herself in that desolate, deserted place. As the clock strikes, announcing midnight, a specter appears before her and she trembles at the sight of it — but she soon makes out that it is the King himself. He pours out his passion to her and presses her to hear his confession of love; she finds no escape from it, and asks him to help her save herself from herself. Before long her husband Renato arrives, and Amelia drops a veil over her face. Renato informs the King that the conspirators have learned he is in this deserted place and have resolved to assassinate him, and implores him to flee before it is too late. He refuses at first; but Amelia intervenes and begs him to save himself, and he consents — on condition that Renato escort "the lady" to the city without attempting to lift the veil from her face. Renato swears to it, and he and the King exchange the cloak he is wearing.

As Renato and Amelia are about to leave, they are met by the two conspirators, who are struck with disappointment when they discover that the man wearing the King's dress is none other than Renato. Samuel proposes uncovering the lady's face to identify her; Renato, faithful to his oath, prevents him and threatens to strike with the edge of his sword anyone who lets himself think of approaching the lady. Strife is on the point of breaking out, so Amelia herself lifts the veil from her face to spare bloodshed — and Renato is thunderstruck. As for the two conspirators, they consider the meeting of Renato and his wife outside the city a delicious joke!

Before the curtain falls, Renato tells his wife that he will keep his promise and escort her as far as the city. But she detects in his voice a sentence of death.

Scene Two: a room in Renato's house.

Renato reproaches his wife for her betrayal of him, saying that death is her recompense. The poor woman tries to refute the charge and show her innocence, but in vain. When she is certain of her husband's resolve to kill her, she asks his leave to see her little son; he permits her, and she goes out of the room, and Renato remains alone. His glance falls on a large portrait of the King hanging on the wall, and he swears to take revenge on him, certain that he is guiltier than Amelia.

By prior appointment Renato receives the conspirators Samuel and Tomasso, and makes clear to them that he will join them, without disclosing the reason, and promises to offer his son as a hostage in proof of his sincerity.

The two conspirators can do nothing but believe him, and the three decide to draw lots to determine who shall carry out the task of killing the King.

At that moment Amelia enters and announces that Oscar has been sent by the King, bearing an invitation to the ball. Renato asks his wife to draw a slip from the urn; she does — and behold, the slip bears Renato's name.

Oscar arrives, glad and merry, and presents the invitation to the masked ball to be held at the royal court that very night.

When Renato and his two companions learn that the King will be present, they decide to go. The curtain falls as they perfect the plan by which they will recognize one another in their masquerade costumes.

Act Four

Scene One: a hall in the royal court.

It is the night of the ball, and the King has sat down alone at his desk, resolved to act honorably and put an end to his betrayal of his friend Renato. He signs a paper providing for the dispatch of Amelia and Renato on an official mission to England. It is a decision that falls heavily upon his heart, but there is no avoiding it. He sings a short, moving song that begins: "Life is over for me!"

Oscar enters carrying a letter from an unknown lady, in which its sender (who is none other than Amelia) warns him against attending the ball, for a plot is being laid to assassinate him. He pays no heed to the warning, fearing that his absence would be taken for cowardice. The music swells, announcing the opening of the ball, while Riccardo prepares to attend it.

Scene Two: the vast ballroom.

The dancers, men and women, sway to the strains of the boisterous music, and the conspirators exchange brief whispers, having failed to recognize the King in his masquerade dress.

It happens that Oscar meets Renato, who tells him frankly that he has recognized him. Renato pulls off Oscar's mask and begins to question him about the whereabouts of his master the King. At first he refuses to disclose anything, but before long he describes the King's costume to him, after Renato tells him that he has important matters to lay before the King.

Riccardo and Amelia meet at the other end of the stage, and she tries to turn him from his resolve and make him leave the ball to escape the plot. The King refuses to heed her words and bids her a warm farewell, repeating: "I love you, I love you." And while he is telling her that he had intended to send her to England in her husband's company, Renato springs forward and strikes him with his sword.

The dancing continues a few moments longer; then those present realize what has happened and fall upon Renato.

As for the King, breathing his last, he pardons Renato, as he pardons all the others who conspired against him, and delivers to Renato the decree dispatching him to England.