For the second of two staged operas at this year’s International Festival, Zurich Opera gave the UK production premiere of Verdi’s A Masked Ball under the baton of Gianandrea Noseda. Though the piece, originally titled Gustav III, was inspired by the assassination of Gustav III of Sweden during a masked ball in 1792, a series of censorship regulations ultimately led Verdi to place the action in colonial Boston. Adele Thomas’ production feels oddly timeless, and it’s easy to imagine 18th-century Swedish royals, Colonial-era American politicians or even everyday people in the present day acting with the same stealth and subterfuge. Hannah Clark’s set and costume designs were slick and stylish, with mostly monochrome giving way to lush purples and sage greens for a pop of colour.

Taking the role of Amelia, Elena Stikhina sang with a supple soprano while mezzo Yulia Matochkina gave an ominous mystique to the role of the soothsayer Ulrica. The stand-out soloist was Dalibor Jenis as Renato, who performed the role of the double-crossed husband with a powerful command. Musically though, the highlight was the ensemble work, with the Zurich Opera House chorus sounding rich and resplendent.

Reviewed at Festival Theatre; picture: Jess Shurte.