Censorship and Opera: Un Ballo in Maschera
Presented by Prof. Jesse Rosenberg
Friday, June 3 at 6pm CT
Italian Cultural Institute of Chicago
Prof. Jesse Rosenberg presents Verdi’s “Un ballo in maschera” ahead of the upcoming performances of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra directed by Riccardo Muti.
Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera” has long been a mainstay of the operatic repertoire, but its creation and the circumstances leading to the premiere performance in 1859 were vexed to the highest degree on account of the composer’s battle with censorship. Nor were the difficulties definitively resolved at the time of the first performance, since their effects continue to be felt in performances today. The upcoming performances by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra (June 23, 25, and 28), directed by Riccardo Muti and featuring an outstanding cast of soloists, will provide an opportunity to hear the work in concert form – in some ways an ideal solution to the difficulties presented by the opera.
A limited number of seats are available. Registration is required. Please note that all guests attending the event in-person are required to wear facial masks, properly covering the nose and mouth, and to provide both a photo ID and proof of full vaccination against Covid-19. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after the completion of a CDC or WHO recommended vaccine regimen.
The event will also be available for streaming via Zoom. Register.
Jesse Rosenberg has served on the musicology faculty of Northwestern University since 1998. A specialist in Italian opera of the 19th century, he has published on Rossini, Donizetti, Bellini, Verdi, and the writings of the critic and scholar Abramo Basevi. More recently he has focused on the intersection of Italian opera and Jewish identity as evidenced in works from the 19th and 20th centuries, with special studies related to Jewish themes in fascist-era opera and attempts to come to terms with the Holocaust in Italian operas since the second world war.