The Zurich Opera’s production of Verdi’s *A Masked Ball* received a mixed reception during its run at the Edinburgh International Festival. Directed by Adele Thomas, the staging sparked discussion for its contrasting visual and dramatic elements, as well as its contemporary contextual framing.
The opera’s climactic ball scene—the moment when a love triangle is violently resolved—lasts only about 15 minutes but appeared to dominate the production’s design and budget. The finale featured lavish Victorian costumes, energetic cancans, and a chorus rotating on an illuminated merry-go-round, providing a stark visual and emotional contrast to the earlier scenes.
The bulk of the opera, however, was marked by a subdued and monochrome aesthetic. Thomas opens with a post-mortem scene, setting a somber tone that continues throughout most of the performance. The principals performed within a confined "stage-within-a-stage" setup positioned far back from the orchestra pit, which initially caused challenges in the balance between singers and musicians and affected the overall rapport.
Set and costume designer Hannah Clark employed a largely grey palette, which combined with flickering lighting to evoke the uncertain ambiance of 1880s America, a period when electric lighting was still emerging. This setting was chosen by Thomas to reflect contemporary American social issues such as gun violence, racism, and addiction, though the thematic connections to these subjects were not fully evident in the production.
Gianandrea Noseda conducted the Zurich Opera orchestra, whose disciplined and expressive performance was widely praised. The orchestra’s sound retained an Italianate character, complementing the score’s dramatic arc while responding to the staging challenges.
The work was double-cast, with the reviewer’s highlighted cast including Slovakian baritone Dalibor Jenis as Renato, whose portrayal expressed intense anger and emotional turmoil. Stephen Costello and Elena Stikhina performed as Riccardo and Amelia, respectively, producing moments of passion despite the restricted physical staging that limited their interaction. Yulia Matochkina’s contralto was noted for bringing depth to the role of Ulrica, the fortune-teller figure, while Rebeca Overa took advantage of her role as Oscar, the page, with energetic charm.
Overall, the production’s tension between its dreary visual approach and the explosive musical and dramatic moments elicited a nuanced response, with particular praise for the orchestra’s power and the leading performances, even as some staging and thematic choices raised questions about clarity and impact.