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Masked BallVerdi's Un Ballo in Maschera (Masked Ball) was inspired by the assassination of the 18th Century Swedish King Gustavus III. Austrian censors, however, wary of the opera's regicidal subject, insisted that the victim be changed to a 17th Century Pomeranian duke. No sooner had Verdi reluctantly rewritten the opera than the censors made another demand, insiting that the wary composer change its setting as well. Verdi's patience was clearly running thin. Thus Un Ballo in Maschera is populated with such characters as Riccardo (the governor), Renato, and Silvano - but is set in 17th Century Colonial Boston!
[Trivia: In 1981, a collection of small-scale instrumental works - believed by many to have been written by the composer as a teenager - was recovered from a dumpster where they were accidentally thrown by church authorities. (Verdi destroyed many of his early works; others were burned by his family after he died.)]
Verdi, Giuseppe (1813-1901) Italian composer [noted for such grand operas as
Rigoletto (1851),
La Traviata (1853),
Il Trovatore (1853),
Aida (1872), and
Requiem (composed for Alessandro Manxoni, 1874)]
[Sources: Victor Borge, My Favorite Intermissions]More Giuseppe Verdi anecdotesRelated Anecdote Keywords:
Opera Absurdity Censorship Editing Boston Assassinations Oversights 18th Century
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