Arts & Events

Opening the 2024-25 Season at San Francisco Opera, Giuseppe Verdi’s Un Ballo in Maschera brought together a splendid international cast under the baton of Music Director Eun Sun Kim. 

American tenor Michael Fabiano sang the role of King Gustavus III of Sweden; Armenian soprano Lianna Haroutounian portrayed Amelia; Mongolian baritone Amartuvshin Enkhbat sang the role of Renato; Chinese soprano Mei Gui Zhang sang the trousers role of Oscar; and Romanian mezzo-soprano Judit Kutasi sang Ulrica;. This production of Un Ballo in Maschera was designed by Italian director Leo Muscato. At the Sunday matinee I attended on September 15, all the principal singers, with the possible exception of Judit Kutasi, were in top form with soprano Lianna Haroutounian being the most outstanding. 

Following her successes here in three operas by Puccini — Madama Butterfly, Tosca, and Manon Lescaut, plus the role of Nedda in Leoncavallo’s Pagliacci, Lianna Haroutounian demonstrated here in Un Ballo in Maschera why she is celebrated worldwide as a great interpreter of Verdi In the role of Amelia, Lianna Haroutounian’s clarion high notes were extraordinary! They were perfectly phrased and possessed a bell-like clarity. As if her splendid vocal talents weren’t enough, she’s also a fine actress who digs deep into the personality of her characters. Where Amelia is concerned, Haroutounian portrayed the hesitant, conflicted elements of Amelia as she tried to deal with her feelings of love for King Gustavus while married to the King’s best friend and most loyal ally, Renato. In this respect her Amelia was well-matched by Michael Fabiano’s portrayal of Gustavus’s inner conflicts over his secret, undeclared love for Amelia. 

Malking his SF Opera debut as Renato was baritone Amartuvshin Enkbhat, who proved to be a real discovery! His plangent voice and perfect phrasing were outstanding; and his Act III aria “Eri tu,”when he shifts his anger from what he mistakenly thinks is his wife’s betrayal to that of Gustavus, was one of this opera’s many vocal highlights. Likewise, Chinese lyric soprano Mei Gui Zhang sang splendidly as Oscar,, the King’s page and friend. My only reservation about Mei Gui 

Zhang’s performance was that she flounced and shimmied all over the stage in a manner that was inappropriately feminine in a trousers role. As for Judit Kutasi’s performance as Ulrica, the sorceress, it was well-acted but surprisingly lacked the vocal impact this role demands. I say surprising because I previously lauded Judit Kutasi with praise for her singing here as Ortrud in Wagner’s Lohengrin. While Judit Kutasi didn’t sing badly as Ulrica, she was somehow underwhelming in what should be a big dramatic vocal role. Maybe she just had a bad day when I heard her on September 15h. In small roles, Korean bass-baritone Jongwon Hani was Tom, and local bass Adam Lau was Samuel, the leaders of a conspiracy against King Gustavus. 

In this Leo Mu,scato production of Un Ballo in Maschera, sets were designed by Frederica Parolini, and lighting was by Alessandro Verazzi. My only reservations are over their handling of the nighttime scene at the gallows where Amelia has been sent by Ulrica to pluck a herb that will make her forget her secret love for Gustavus. There was no gallows, and what at first seemed like fog or mist suddenly became flames leaping up from the ground. To be sure, this scene heats up when Gustavus follows Amelia and declares his secret love, getting from her an admission that she too loves him. Then the scene heats up still more when Renato arrives, warning Gustavus of a group of conspirators coming to kill him. But to have what seemed like fog or mist turn into flames was far too much heating up, in my view. 

Costumes were by Silvia Aymonino; and choreography in this opera’s final scene was by Colm Seery. Opera Chorus Director John Keene led his singers in the brief crowd scene at Ulrica’s den. Music Director Eun Sun Kim did her usual masterful job of conducting Verdi’s wonderful music. She is a real treasure! Un Ballo in Maschera continues through September 27. Don’t miss it!