A nineteenth-century masked ball for debutants

After an incandescent rendition of the duet between Amelia and Riccardo in Act 2 of this new production of Un ballo in maschera, the Covent Garden public exploded with cheers and shouts, finally able to release the tension which had built across the musical number and had become almost unbearable by the end of it. After this release of tension, I had a sense that the performance had found its firm footing, that the level of musical excellence and expressive intensity of this number would be sustained for the rest of the evening.

Musically, this was indeed a very satisfying performance. After a first act during which singers and orchestra seemed still to be searching for their top form, everything fell into place in Act 2. Pappano’s combination of tight control and great flexibility yielded many revealing insights, and kept the emotional…