After the music-dramatic operas “Macbeth” and “Simon Boccanegra,” Verdi returned to the bel cant opera of numbers with “Un ballo in maschera.” With this work Verdi offers the listener five brilliant parts and great scenes. Even the premiere was one of Verdi’s most brilliant successes of his career, and the work began its triumphal march around the world.
The confession of love – the famous duet “Teco io sto”
Verdi conceived the duet of Riccardo and Amelia immensely dramatic. The music to “Teco io sto” does not come to rest. Dissonances and syncopations reflect a blind ecstasy. Riccardo formally squeezes the “I love you” out of Amelia. Verdi himself in later years felt this scene to be one of his great compositional moments.
The version by Jussi Bijörling with Zinka Milanov comes from a recording of a live performance and shows two artists at the very highest level. Overwhelming and ecstatic is the confession of love (7:15). The document comes from a 1956 post-filming of two actors “singing” the 1940 Milanov/Björling playback recording.
Teco io sto – Björling/Milanov
Renato’s determination for revenge
To the characteristic “Verdi baritone” Verdi wrote many great arias full of melancholy and pain. “Eri tu” is one of the greatest arias of this subject.
Listen to “Eri tu” in the great interpretation of the Italian baritone Ettore Bastiannini, which really gets under your skin!
Eri tu che macchiavi quell’anima – Bastiannini
Riccardo’s Great Aria
Verdi presents the tenor with a difficult task in this famous aria. Both breathed pianissimo and full forte are called for, the voice demands low notes, but also has dramatic, long passages written in high notes, and goes up to high Bb.
We hear Luciano Pavarotti in this scene. Riccardo was Pavarotti’s favorite Verdi role, along with the Duca in Rigoletto.
Forse la soglia attinse… Ma se m’è forza perderti – Pavarotti
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