Don Carlo
Nicholas Hytner directs Verdi’s dramatic opera: a tale of love, ambition and intrigue set in 16th-century Spain.
Photos
Introduction
Don Carlos falls in love with Elizabeth, daughter of Henry II of France. But his father, King Philip II of Spain, intends to marry her himself to secure a peace treaty. Can Don Carlos give up his love for the good of the state?
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Background
Politics and religion are dangerously entwined in Giuseppe Verdi’s Don Carlo. Based on a 1787 play by Friedrich Schiller, Don Carlo was first performed at the Paris Opéra in 1867. Verdi made extensive revisions to the opera over the following 20 years. This production by Nicholas Hytner follows the five-act 1882 version – Verdi’s final thoughts on the work.
Don Carlo contains a host of vividly drawn characters, depicted through some of Verdi’s most complex music. The chilling Grand Inquisitor imposes his will in thunderous, dark-toned music, while the revolutionary Marquis of Posa sings a stirring duet with Don Carlos in praise of freedom. And in Eboli and Elizabeth, Verdi created two of his most sympathetic heroines. The Royal Opera’s staging provides a powerful backdrop, and conjures up the Renaissance splendour of 16th-century France and Spain.
Thanks to
Co-production with Norwegian National Opera and the Metropolitan Opera, New York
Production generously sponsored by
Generous Philanthropic Support from
Mrs Susan A Olde OBE, Sir Simon and Lady Robertson, Spindrift Al Swaidi, David Hancock, Mrs Philip Kan, Marina Kulishova, Mrs Trevor Swete, Mrs Mercedes T Bass, the Maestro’s Circle, the Verdi Syndicate and the Royal Opera House Endowment Fund
How to support the Royal Opera House
Running time
About 4 hours 20 minutes | Including two intervals. Acts One and Two will last for about 1 hour 35 minutes, followed by a 30 minute interval. Act Three will last for about 38 minutes, followed by a 20 minute interval. Act Four will last for about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Language
Sung in Italian with English surtitles
Credits
| Director | Nicholas Hytner |
| Designs | Bob Crowley |
| Lighting design | Mark Henderson |
| Movement Director | Scarlett Mackmin |
| Fight director | Terry King |
Related links
- www.rohcollections.org.uk Costume, photographic & poster collections - Don Carlo
- en.wikipedia.org Wikipedia: Don Carlo
