A masked ball may seem like the ultimate party venue, but its disguises and masks can also foster intrigue.

Verdi's opera was inspired by a true historical event: the assassination of King Gustav III of Sweden at a costume ball in 1792. But before setting this event to music, Verdi had to contend with the censors, scandalised by the idea of representing a regicide on stage.

His Masked Ball is therefore set in America and focuses on the impossible love between Riccardo, the governor of Boston, and Amelia, the wife of his best friend, who takes his revenge by killing him.

Blending frivolity and gravity, Verdi's music enjoyed huge success from its Rome premiere in 1859. Director Gilbert Deflo retains the American setting but moves it to the time of Lincoln, all the better to confront the world of reason and morality with that of intuition and belief.