Un Ballo in maschera at Arena Di Verona

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2. Un Ballo in maschera

ACT ONE

Scene I

A room in the house of the governor

Riccardo is accomplishing his duties as Governor of Boston. Oscar, his page, asks him to approve the list of guests invited to a ball: among them is Amelia, with whom the Count is in love. Renato, Amelia's husband and the Count's faithful secretary, warns him that a plot is being prepared against him, but Riccardo will not listen to the names of the conspirators, preferring to rely on the love of his people. At the same time, yielding to the pleas of his page Oscar, he refuses to sign a decree exiling the fortune-teller Ulrica. He proposes instead to visit Ulrica and invites everyone to meet in her house, where he will be present disguised as a fisherman.

Scene II

The fortune-teller's house

The Count (as a fisherman) and his friends arrive at the fortune-teller's house. A short while after, a maid arrives announcing that a lady is waiting outside and wishes to speak to the fortune-teller. The latter sends everyone out of the room and goes to fetch the lady from outside. Amelia enters and reveals that she is in love with Riccardo. She asks Ulrica in which way she may free herself of her guilty passion. Riccardo, who recognized Amelia's maid, is concealed in a corner, so he can hear the conversation and is delighted by her confession of love. The fortune-teller tells Amelia that she must gather a magic herb, at midnight, in a sinister place outside the town. Riccardo decides that he will follow her. Amelia leaves the cave and the others all come back in. Riccardo can finally ask Ulrica to foretell his future. Her terrible answer is that he will be killed very soon by the first person who will shake his hand. At this moment Renato enters and shakes Riccardo's hand. Riccardo lets himself be known and at the same time congratulates the fortune teller, joking with her about how absurd her prophecies are.

ACT TWO

A lonely place on the outskirts of Boston

Terrified by the ghostly surroundings in this place of ill omen, Amelia arrives on the scene. Her anxiety is increased by the fact that she is torn between her love and her conscience. The arrival of the Count upsets her even more. He pleads with her passionately and succeeds in inducing her to admit her love for him. Renato, her husband, appears suddenly to warn Riccardo that the conspirators are on their way to kill him and exhorts him to take flight immediately. Amelia barely has time to cover her face with a veil to avoid being recognized. After much insistence, Riccardo agrees and then instructs Renato to escort the veiled lady back to the town, making him promise that he will make no attempt to discover her identity. Immediately afterwards, the conspirators Samuel and Tom arrive. They have mistaken Renato for the Count and are confident that the opportunity has arrived to put their plan into effect. On discovering their mistake, the baffled murderers demand to know the identity of the veiled lady. Amelia is forced to unveil. Renato is horrified at discovering the deception of which he has been the victim and is mocked by Tom and Samuel.

ACT THREE

Scene I

Renato's study

Renato has decided to seek vengeance and to join forces with Tom and Samuel, whom he has called to a meeting in his house. He tells Amelia he has decided to kill her but allows her to see her son for the last time, but then relents; instead he will take vengeance upon Riccardo, her seducer. When Samuel and Tom arrive, he informs them of his intentions. It is then decided that only one of them will be the killer. Their three names are put into an urn and Amelia is called upon to draw one out. The lot falls on Renato. An invitation to attend a masked ball arrives from the Count, borne by Oscar; it will provide an excellent opportunity to carry out their plan.

Scene II

The Count's sumptuous study

Riccardo has decided to cast aside his infatuation for Amelia and signs a document ordering the transfer of Renato and Amelia back to England. Oscar arrives with a note given to him by an unknown lady. It warns the Count to beware at the ball but he takes no notice of the threat.

Scene III

The ballroom

Renato cleverly tricks Oscar into revealing how the Count will be disguised. Riccardo meets Amelia and bids farewell to her. The sad parting is interrupted as he is stabbed by Renato. As he lies dying, Riccardo tells Renato that Amelia is innocent of all wrong and then pardons his assassin.