Berlin, Staatsoper Unter den Linden, Season 2025/26
“UN BALLO IN MASCHERA”
Melodramma in 3 Acts. Libretto by Antonio Somma
Music by Giuseppe Verdi
Riccardo CHARLES CASTRONOVO
Renato AMARTUVSHIN ENKHBAT
Amelia ANNA NETREBKO
Ulrica ANNA KISSJUDIT
Oscar ENKELEDA KAMANI
Silvano CHARLES PACHON
Samuel MANUEL WINKHLER
Tom FRIEDRICH HAMEL
A Judge JUNHO HWANG
A Servant of Amelia MICHAEL KIM
Staatsopernchor
Staatskapelle Berlin
Conductor Enrique Mazzola
Stage Director Rafael R. Villalobos
Set Designer Emanuele Sinisi
Costumes Lorenzo Caprile
Lighting Felipe Ramos
Video Cachito Vallés
Choreography Javier Pérez
Berlin, 29 March 2026
The good news from the Staatsoper Berlin’s Un Ballo in Maschera,  is that Anna Netrebko is a thrilling  Amelia. Despite a silly modernistic production which imposed supposedly 1980’s American television cliches on what is essentially a traditional version of Verdi’s opera. Stage director Rafael R. Villalobos’ one interesting idea was to make Oscar the gender-fluid son of Amelia and Renato, which presented interesting possibilities and is both a modern take on pants roles and rooted in royal court practice. This clever wrinkle is poorly handled however, when Oscar, presenting as female, is in the room when Renato is selected as Riccardo’s assassin, which also makes a mockery of Oscar’s later actions at the masked ball. He confused the entire Ulrica scene by casting a black actress to lip sync Ulrica’s aria while being televised and to reinforce his concept, he made the similarly serviceable Silvano of Charles Pachon into a fake planted by Ulrica, which did have the added effect of avoiding the dubious exchange between Riccardo and the soldier. A worthy try, but ultimately distracting. Netrebko nonetheless manages to follow stage direction, maintain her character and make vocal magic. A high pianissimo in ‘Ecco l’orrido campo’ was contrasted with a full voice climactic high note in ‘Morrò’. The first aria was excellent and she ended the second stunningly. Her partner in love, Riccardo, was sung by Charles Castronovo was presented as a microphone wielding politician, pursued even at his death by cameramen. His opening aria was rather crude, and although he improved and demonstrated technical facility, there seemed to be neither musical passion nor excitement in his character. His aria and final scene were well delivered but the voice was never arresting. The Oscar of Enkeleda Kamani, too, was fully competent but not brilliant, as the role requires. Staatsoper ensemble member Amartuvshin Enkhbat made a significant debut in the role of Renato. The voice, full, rich and with a good top, is fully suited to the role. His well sung ‘Eri tu’ was also moving in the quiet legato section. More shading, nuance and dynamic contrast will assuredly come with maturity. Ulrica was also impressively sung by ensemble member Anna Kissjudit. She makes some remarkable sounds and has the top and chest voice so rare in this role. If she is able to maintain this kind of vocalism she will be singing Ulrica everywhere. Manuel Wincklher;s Samuel and Friedrich Hamel’s Tom were serviceable but a little lighter than usual. Michael Kim sang Amelia’s servant well, and Junho Hwang showed a bright attractive tenor voice as a drunken racist judge. Conductor Enrique Mazzola stripped much of the musical detritus which has accreted to Verdi over time so that harmonies and orchestral color stood out. His tempi, especially in Riccardo’s strophic sea song, were varied and interesting. The Staatsoper chorus, prepared by Daniel Juris, sang strongly, with excellent ensemble and stayed with conductor and soloists in Verdi’s big ensembles. Stage design by Emanuele Sinisi, and  costumes by Lorenzo Caprile were rather monochromatic  and drab as was the lighting by Felipe Ramos. Videos by Cachito Vallés represented television of the 1980’s, so were purposely grainy on a large scale and Javier Peréz’s  choreography was banal. All in all, an Un Ballo in Maschera with fine singing, led above all by Anna Netrebko, in a staging by Rafael R. Villalobos which simply pasted modern gestures on a plot with which they have little in common and neither further nor illuminate plot or character. Picture credits: Stephan Rabold