Since Salvatore Licitra’s Metropolitan Opera debut 12 years ago in Guiseppe Verdi’s “Un Ballo in Maschera,” Gustavo has been his signature role. As a last-minute replacement for the ailing Pavarotti exceeded expectations, he was immediately anointed by critics as the next Pavarotti.
His career has continued to soar with leading roles in “La Forza del Destina,” “Tosca,” “Il Trovatore,” “Don Carlo,” “La Traviata” and others written for a true Italian tenor. Now he returns to Washington National Opera for the first time since 2008 in a production of “Un Ballo” to be enjoyed by opera lovers and thousands of newcomers to the genre.
Where » Kennedy Center Opera HouseWhen » Saturday through Sept. 25Info » $25 to $200; 202-295-2400; dc-opera.org; in Italian with subtitlesSeason Opening Night Gala, a black tie, “masked ball”
Where » Embassy of ItalyWhen » 10:30 p.m. SaturdayInfo » Dinner tickets start at $500; 202-295-2437Opera in the Outfield, an HD simulcast, with games, prizes, contests and activities for children
Where » Nationals Park, 1500 S. Capitol St. SEWhen » 2 p.m. Sept. 19 (gates open at noon)Info » operaintheoutfield.org
Verdi thought the story by French playwright Eugene Scribe about the assassination of Sweden’s King Gustavus III in 1792 — a tale of forbidden love, witchcraft and murder — would make a splendid opera, but when he presented his completed work to the censors of Naples in 1857, they raised objections. It did not help that an assassination attempt was made on Napoleon III during that period. Infuriated, Verdi made some changes they demanded, ultimately appeasing them by moving the setting from Sweden to Boston.
As time passed following the opera’s successful debut in 1859, the initial objections faded and many productions shifted the setting back to Sweden. The WNO production follows suit. And to add even more authenticity to the work sung in Italian, the opening night gala at the Embassy of Italy will be a masked ball.
“What happened at the Met 12 years ago made me famous overnight,” Licitra said. “I met [Pavarotti] a year later in Germany. While we chatted in his dressing room, he told me that what happened to me happened to him at the start of his career when he was summoned to replace another tenor.”
With each performance, Licitra grows closer to Gustavo, a revolutionary king far ahead of his time, who wanted to do good for his people and steered clear of bickering factions. The Gustavo character Verdi devised was also open-minded, yet hesitant to reveal his own emotions when he fell in love with his best friend’s wife.
The showdown comes when he meets Amelia, his beloved, in the forest where she seeks an herb the sorcerer Ulrica assures her will cure her love for a man not her husband. The herb grows in a cemetery beneath gallows, receiving its magical powers from the dead hanging above. In that macabre scene, Gustavo and Amelia confess their love, but it is too late; Amelia’s husband wreaks revenge by murdering the hero at the masked ball.
When Licitra first discovered his voice, he was employed as a graphic artist for Italian Vogue. For 10 years, he studied and prepared to take the world by storm, doing exactly that at the optimum moment. Today he is hailed internationally, whether concertizing, as he did last month in Buenos Aires, or as one of the Three Tenors performing at the Beijing Olympics in 2008. He is thankful for his own bel canto voice and the good fortune that has befallen him. Nevertheless, he worries about the future of music and laments the trend that finds young people idolizing singers who use microphones.
“The use of microphones on TV sends a vulgar message to the audience,” he said. “True talent is a gift, and a good voice must sing without a mike. It’s also important for a singer to treat his voice kindly and accept only roles that serve it well. In this opera, Verdi needs a tenor with power in his lower notes and the capacity to make the high notes. It you can’t talk after a performance, that’s a signal the role you are singing is not good for your voice. The object is to make a long career. Placido Domingo is a perfect example of someone who has done this by treating his voice wisely.”
