If Verdi's "Un ballo in maschera" were just a "love story with a political conspiracy in the background," it would undoubtedly ensure initial intrigue but not the popularity that only the musical and scenic splendor, characteristic of his entire oeuvre, could provide. The whole score is adorned with unparalleled elegance, transparency, and refinement. In addition, the perpetual emphasis on the fact that people are fond of masquerading, i.e., skillfully hiding behind various masks, at the libretto level allowed Verdi to deftly vary and escalate the theme of betrayal as a background but dominant line that guides the plot. As it has already been noted regarding "Un ballo in maschera," "In this opera, no person would carry betrayal on their shoulders. The king betrays a friend because he seduces his wife, the wife betrays her husband because he engages in an immoral affair, and a friend betrays the king because he wants to kill him out of revenge." However, above all, Verdi, as always, seeks and finds ways to connect and execute the themes of love and betrayal, or conspiratorial themes, as two leitmotifs of the entire opera. Despite constant and numerous contrasts, the work has its characteristic color (tinta musicale), permeating it equally with other successful operas by Verdi.