Don Carlo

Don Carlo

L

Genre

Opera

Run time

3h 21min

Act I. Don Carlos, the heir apparent to the throne of Spain, is to marry Elisabeth de Valois, the daughter of the King of France, in order to seal the peace treaty between their two countries. They meet for the first time in the forest at Fontainebleau and immediately fall in love. All too soon, however, their joy is interrupted by the Spanish ambassador with the news that Elisabeth is to marry not the Infante but his father, Philip II of Spain. For the sake of her country she agrees, albeit with a heavy heart.

Act II. In the cloister of the San Yuste monastery Carlos seeks comfort at the grave of his grandfather Charles V. The voice of a monk is eerily reminiscent of the dead king. Carlos’s friend, the Marquis of Posa, enters, and Carlos tells him about his forbidden love of his stepmother. Posa tries to distract him from his grief and win him over to the cause of the downtrodden inhabitants of Flanders, who are fighting for their independence. Outside the monastery Princess Eboli entertains the queen’s ladies-in-waiting with a Moorish song, while Posa asks Elisabeth if Carlos may speak to her in confidence. The Infante wants to go to Flanders as governor in order to forget his unhappy love. After Carlos has left, Philip discovers his wife alone, without an escort, and is beside himself with fury at this breach of etiquette. He tells Posa that he suspects his wife and son of adultery. At the same time he warns the idealistic, anti-establishment Marquis to beware of the Inquisition.

Act III. Carlos has received a letter of assignation, inviting him to the queen’s gardens, but the sender was Eboli, not Elisabeth. When Eboli discovers his true feelings, she threatens to expose him to his father. Posa is on the point of killing her, but Carlos intervenes. The scene changes to the square in front of Valladolid Cathedral, where heretics are to be burnt. Carlos uses the opportunity to join forces with envoys from Flanders and Brabant to ask his father to send him as governor to Flanders. When Philip refuses, Carlos furiously draws his sword. Posa attempts to defuse the tension and disarms the Infante, who is led away to prison.

Act IV. In his study in the Escorial, Philip asks the Grand Inquisitor to advise him in his conflict with his son, but the Inquisitor sees Posa as the real heretic. Philip then confronts his wife with a picture of Carlos that he has found among her effects. He accuses her of adultery. Once he has left, Eboli admits that it was she who passed the picture to the king. She also reveals that she has had an affair with Philip, at which point Elisabeth banishes her from the court. Eboli decides to take the veil. But first she will try to save Carlos, who has been sentenced to death. Posa has used certain papers to portray himself as the prime mover in the uprising in Flanders. He visits Carlos in prison to announce that he will soon be freed. He reminds the Infante of his duties towards the people of Flanders, but while he is doing so he is shot in the back by agents of the Inquisition. Carlos turns down Philip’s attempts at reconciliation. A furious mob under Princess Eboli tries to storm the prison, but the Grand Inquisitor succeeds in restoring order.

Act V . In the monastery at San Yuste, Carlos and Elisabeth meet for the last time before he leaves for Flanders. Philip and the Grand Inquisitor are about to take him prisoner, when the mysterious monk reveals himself as Charles V and draws his grandson into the safety of the cloister. /Eva Reisinger/

1867

Libretto by Josephe Méry & Camille du Locle

Teatro Comunale Modena

Orchestra Regionale dell'Emilia-Romagna

Conducted by Fabrizio Ventura

Staged by Joseph Franconi Lee

Cast: Giacomo Prestia, Mario Malagnini, Simone Piazzola, Luciano Montanaro, Paolo Buttol

Genre

Opera

Run time

3h 21min

Act I. Don Carlos, the heir apparent to the throne of Spain, is to marry Elisabeth de Valois, the daughter of the King of France, in order to seal the peace treaty between their two countries. They meet for the first time in the forest at Fontainebleau and immediately fall in love. All too soon, however, their joy is interrupted by the Spanish ambassador with the news that Elisabeth is to marry not the Infante but his father, Philip II of Spain. For the sake of her country she agrees, albeit with a heavy heart.

Act II. In the cloister of the San Yuste monastery Carlos seeks comfort at the grave of his grandfather Charles V. The voice of a monk is eerily reminiscent of the dead king. Carlos’s friend, the Marquis of Posa, enters, and Carlos tells him about his forbidden love of his stepmother. Posa tries to distract him from his grief and win him over to the cause of the downtrodden inhabitants of Flanders, who are fighting for their independence. Outside the monastery Princess Eboli entertains the queen’s ladies-in-waiting with a Moorish song, while Posa asks Elisabeth if Carlos may speak to her in confidence. The Infante wants to go to Flanders as governor in order to forget his unhappy love. After Carlos has left, Philip discovers his wife alone, without an escort, and is beside himself with fury at this breach of etiquette. He tells Posa that he suspects his wife and son of adultery. At the same time he warns the idealistic, anti-establishment Marquis to beware of the Inquisition.

Act III. Carlos has received a letter of assignation, inviting him to the queen’s gardens, but the sender was Eboli, not Elisabeth. When Eboli discovers his true feelings, she threatens to expose him to his father. Posa is on the point of killing her, but Carlos intervenes. The scene changes to the square in front of Valladolid Cathedral, where heretics are to be burnt. Carlos uses the opportunity to join forces with envoys from Flanders and Brabant to ask his father to send him as governor to Flanders. When Philip refuses, Carlos furiously draws his sword. Posa attempts to defuse the tension and disarms the Infante, who is led away to prison.

Act IV. In his study in the Escorial, Philip asks the Grand Inquisitor to advise him in his conflict with his son, but the Inquisitor sees Posa as the real heretic. Philip then confronts his wife with a picture of Carlos that he has found among her effects. He accuses her of adultery. Once he has left, Eboli admits that it was she who passed the picture to the king. She also reveals that she has had an affair with Philip, at which point Elisabeth banishes her from the court. Eboli decides to take the veil. But first she will try to save Carlos, who has been sentenced to death. Posa has used certain papers to portray himself as the prime mover in the uprising in Flanders. He visits Carlos in prison to announce that he will soon be freed. He reminds the Infante of his duties towards the people of Flanders, but while he is doing so he is shot in the back by agents of the Inquisition. Carlos turns down Philip’s attempts at reconciliation. A furious mob under Princess Eboli tries to storm the prison, but the Grand Inquisitor succeeds in restoring order.

Act V . In the monastery at San Yuste, Carlos and Elisabeth meet for the last time before he leaves for Flanders. Philip and the Grand Inquisitor are about to take him prisoner, when the mysterious monk reveals himself as Charles V and draws his grandson into the safety of the cloister. /Eva Reisinger/

1867

Libretto by Josephe Méry & Camille du Locle

Teatro Comunale Modena

Orchestra Regionale dell'Emilia-Romagna

Conducted by Fabrizio Ventura

Staged by Joseph Franconi Lee

Cast: Giacomo Prestia, Mario Malagnini, Simone Piazzola, Luciano Montanaro, Paolo Buttol

Info

Rating

For All Audiences

Production year

2013

Global distributor

--

Local distributor

Unitel Classica

In cinema

10/12/2014