The New Criterion

America’s leading review of the arts and intellectual life
- Harry Mount, the London Telegraph

Music

February 2008

New York chronicle

by Jay Nordlinger

On Un ballo in maschera at the Metropolitan Opera and Ross Lee Finney's Chamber Music at the Bruno Walter Auditorium.

Among the recent offerings at the Metropolitan Opera was Verdi’s Un ballo in maschera, or A Masked Ball. This is the opera Verdi wrote in 1859, between Simon Boccanegra and La forza del destino. Ballo is not widely regarded as one of Verdi’s best operas—but it certainly may be regarded as such. It unquestionably contains some of his best music, and he spreads that music around, to the various voices.

For tenor (the part of Gustavo III, or Riccardo—more about that in a moment), he has, among other things, “La rivedrà nell’estasi.” For soprano (the part of Amelia), he has, among other things, “Morrò, ma prima in grazia.” For baritone (Anckarström or Renato), he has “Eri tu”—one of the great monologues. For contralto (Ulrica), he has “Re dell’abisso.” It is very unusu ...

You need to login to view the full text of this article.

Jay Nordlinger is a Senior Editor at National Review.


more from this author

This article originally appeared in The New Criterion, Volume 26 February 2008, on page 54

Copyright © 2008 The New Criterion | www.newcriterion.com

http://www.newcriterion.com/articles.cfm/new-york-chronicle-23-3765
rate this article

E-mail to friend

add a comment

you must be a new criterion subscriber to post a comment. {subscribe now}

Subscriber login

The New Criterion

View Cover

Already a print subscriber? click for online access

You might also enjoy

Concert note

by Ben Finane

On Alfred Brendel at Carnegie Hall.

New York chronicle

by Jay Nordlinger

On the St. Lawrence String Quartet at the New York Society for Ethical Culture, members of the Berlin Philharmonic at the Knickerbocker Club, the Salzburg Festival at the Morgan Library, and the Kirov Orchestra & Chorus at Carnegie Hall.

New York chronicle

by Jay Nordlinger

On the Lorin Maazel's Tchaikovsky festival, the Cleveland Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, the pianist Ivan Moravec at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the London Symphony Orchestra & Chorus at Lincoln Center, and the St. Petersburg Philharmonic at Carnegie Hall.

By the author

New York chronicle

by Jay Nordlinger

On the San Francisco Symphony at Carnegie Hall, Daniel Gaisford at Bargemusic, the Berlin Philharmonic's Salzburg Easter Festival, Dmitri Hvorostovsky at Carnegie Hall, Julian Bliss at the Walter Reade Theater, and David Shifrin at the Rose Theater.

New York chronicle

by Jay Nordlinger

On Otello at the Metropolitan Opera, the Kronos Quartet in Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall, and the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra at Carnegie Hall.

On recordings

by Jay Nordlinger

On Maurizio Pollini's Beethoven Sonatas Op. 2, Janine Jansen's Bach: Inventions & Partita, and Matt Heimovitz's After Reading Shakespeare.

Most popular

view more >

Events

June 04 2008

OPEN EVENT: 2008 Bradley Symposium: Encounter at 10


October 22 2008

GALA EVENT: The New Criterion Benefit Art Auction


January 25 2009

TRAVEL EVENT: The New Criterion Cruise