Gustavo III is an opera by Giuseppe Verdi to a libretto begun in early 1857 by the Italian playwright Antonio Somma. Never performed during Verdi's lifetime, the opera was later revised and renamed Un ballo in maschera. A reconstruction of the original work was performed by the Gothenburg Opera in Sweden during the 2002/03 season.
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Vincenzo Torelli, secretary to the Teatro San Carlo's management approached Verdi in early 1856 with a contract offer, the proposed opera being Re Lear, an opera based on Shakespeare's King Lear. It was known to be a subject dear to the composer,[1] but this libretto, for which Somma and Verdi had worked for some time, raised concerns for Verdi, not the least of which was finding a suitable cast in Naples.
Even though it proved to be impracticable to continue with Re Lear, Verdi signed a contract in February 1857 for performances during the 1857/58 carnival season, but, as the year progressed and with time running out, he had misgivings and failed to meet commitments regarding Lear. Finally, by September 1857 he wrote to Torelli:
Thus, after failing to come up with anything suitable, Verdi turned to the historical subject of King Gustav III of Sweden's 1792, who was shot while attending a masked ball in Stockholm and died thirteen days later. Anckarström, his assassin, was executed. Eugène Scribe's libretto written for Daniel Auber's 1833 opera Gustave III, which was first given in Paris in 1833 and which was very successful, was the basis for Somma's new libretto for Gustavo III. However, it was historically very inaccurate.
Throughout the autumn of 1857 correspondence between librettist and composer flowed regularly,[3] but on 19 October, Verdi sent a synopsis to Torelli although he immediately received a letter from the latter warning him that "a change of locale would be necessary at the very least and the poet had better be advised of this".[4] While Verdi did not necessarily see a problem in changing location, he did lament the loss of other things: "what a pity to have to give up the pomp of a court like that of Gustavo III. Then too it will be difficult to find another monarch on the lines of that Gustavo. Poor poets, poor composers"[5]
When Somma's verses (to which Verdi had contributed a significant amount, including an initial prose outline)[6] were sent to the composer by late November 1857, the outline of the opera was complete, and Verdi had begun to create musical sketches of significant scenes. But it was at this same time that word came of the seven requirements imposed by the Naples censorship. These included that (i)"The King must become a Duke"; (ii) "the action must be transferred to a pre-Christian age"; (iii) the conspirators must not hate the Duke because they wanted to take power; and (iv) "no firearms".[7]
Somma had several suggestions - including a 12th Century setting of which Verdi disapproved. Then he proposed Pomerania and Verdi approved. The pair spent Christmas of 1857 together working on changes. In addition, Somma insisted that his name be changed on the libretto to "Tommaso Anoni".
Discussions with the censors eventually resulted in the location being changed to Stettin in Pomerania in Northern Germany, the main character becoming a Duke, and the title becoming Una vendetta in dominò. A compromise seemed to have been reached. However, as has been noted, "Verdi did not begin preparing the skeleton score[8] for Un vendetta before composer and versifier decided on the Pomeranian setting"[9] By the time of Verdi's arrival in Naples, he brought with him the skeleton score. With the major issues seeming to have been resolved and rehearsals of Un vendetta about to begin, an attempt to assassinate Emperor Napolean III in Paris by three Italians led by Felice Orsini occurred on 14 January 1858.
This attempt resulted in further demands: the Naples Chief of Police ruled that the opera's text would have to be entirely re-written.[10] Verdi regarded this as outrageous and, in his letter to Somma, he lays out his objections: "I'm drowning in a sea of troubles. It's almost certain that the censors will forbid our libretto" and he continues with a list of their demands:
If these kind of changes were to be made, Somma replied, then he would insist that the title be changed and "another author be credited with the words".[12] But Verdi had already responded to the Naples management's proposal to bring in another librettist and re-name the opera Adelia degli Adimari with a setting in 14th Century Florence: "...I cannot commit the monstrosities that were inflicted here (Naples) on Rigoletto ".[13] Verdi rejected any involvement with Adelia and was sued by the theatre for breach of contract. In a counter suit, he claimed damages and, in giving instructions to his lawyer, he laid what he regarded as the absurdity of some of the requirements. These include the substitution of one word of the opening chorus' "Die!" for "He sleeps". In summary, he rhetorically asks:
However, while many of the negotiations noted above were going on, Verdi was determined to find a location for his opera, and, in March 1858, after contacting his friend, the sculptor Vincenzo Luccardi in Rome requesting information on the performances of a play Gustavo III then being presented there, he proposed that Rome stage the work. Verdi sent the libretto of the opera under the name of Gustavo III, which at that point was identical to Un vendetta but with the original setting and names restored.[15] When he received the libretto, reaction from Jacovacci, impresario of the Teatro Apollo (where Il trovatore had been presented successfully) was encouraging, but he warned the composer that there may be problems with the censor. Verdi was surprised: "In Rome they allow Gustavo III as a spoken play but won't allow a libretto on the same subject. Very strange!"[16]
At first, Verdi wanted the libretto returned, but Jacovacci's persistance prevailed, and it was found that the censors did not insist on such dramatic changes as originally had been though possible. However, the prime demand was the movement of Gustavo III from Europe to elsewhere. Verdi proposed Boston in the 17th Century to Somma, alternatively "the Caucasus perhaps?".[17] Eventually, when the censors refused to allow a Duke, Somma came up with "Riccardo Conte di Varvich (Warwick)" (and refused to make other changes), and that was acceptable. But, once again, Somma refused to have his name appear on the libretto.
By 11 September 1858, Verdi wrote to Somma accepting the revised changes in Gustavo III, but now renamed as Un ballo in maschera. Until his arrival in Rome in January 1859, Verdi was involved in completing and orchestrating the opera. Basing it as he did on the skeleton score of Un vendetta, Verdi transformed the setting and characters' names to fit the requirements. The score's text required modification to agree with Ballo and not Un vendetta, orchestration was completed, and musical changes and adjustments were made.[18] Significant changes in the music occurred after 11 September and are detailed by Gossett[19]
The first performance of the new opera was presented on 17 February 1859.
After Ballo became successful Verdi could probably have returned the opera to its original Swedish setting by around 1870, when Italian unification removed much of regional censorship,[20] but he never did so. The Boston setting became "standard" until the mid-20th Century.
Ballo has become part of the standard repertory and is often performed.
Gustavo III disappeared for close to one hundred and fifty years, but it again made an appearance with the publication of the critical edition of Un ballo in maschera and the subsequent "hypothetical reconstruction",[21] based on the unorchestrated original and much of Una vendetta "grafted" [21] onto Un ballo's score, in a production by the Gothenburg Opera in Gothenburg, Sweden in during the 2002/03 season.[22] The complete history of Gustavo III has been outlined by musicologist Philip Gossett in his Divas and Scholars.,[23] but, as noted by George Loomis, for the 25% of the score which is lost:
146 years after Verdi took his libretto for Gustavo III away from the theatre for it was being prepared for an 1858 production - the Teatro San Carlo in Naples - Gustavo III was given at that theatre in January/February 2004.
| Role |
Voice type |
|---|---|
| Gustavo, King of Sweden | tenor |
| Amelia, wife of Anckarström, in love with Gustavo | soprano |
| Count Anckarström, husband of Amelia and Gustavo's secretary, best friend and confidant | baritone |
| Oscar, Gustavo's page | coloratura soprano |
| Madame Arvidson, a fortune-teller | contralto |
| A judge | tenor |
| Cristiano | bass |
| Amelia's servant | tenor |
| Count Ribbing | bass |
| Count Horn | bass |
| Year | Cast (Gustavo III, Anckarström, Amelia, Ulrica Arfvidsson, Oscar) |
Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra |
Label[25] |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | Thomas Lind, Krister St. Hill, Hillevi Martinpelto, Susanne Resmark, Carolina Sandgren |
Maurizio Barbacini, Gothenburg Opera House Orchestra and Chorus (Recording of the original version given under the title Gustavo III with reconstructed score from drafts written by Verdi) |
Audio CD: Dynamic Cat: CDS 426/1-2 |