We’re featuring one of the most often augmented operas on this week’s Sunday Opera (8/25 3:00 p.m.) when we turn to the La Scala production of Giuseppe Verdi’s “Don Carlo.” Some opera lovers become obsessed when one says that an opera house is presenting the Italian version of the opera and are quick to point out that it’s only an Italian translation of the original French version which Verdi produced. However, in its original five-act form, it ran well over five hours, so there have been many cuts made over the years, and there are rarely any two productions that are the same.
The opera is a political thriller woven through a doomed love affair that seems to be solved with in interesting deus ex machina that has also been presented in many different ways.
In about 1560, in Madrid, Spain, Don Carlo (Francesco Meli) who is a Spanish prince loves a French princess, Elisabeth de Valois (Anna Netrebko). However, for political reasons, she marries the King of Spain, Filippo II (Michele Pertusi), that is to say, Carlo’s father. Carlo’s friend, Rodrigo (Luca Salsi), advises Carlo to devote himself to aiding for the Flanders’ people.
A court lady, Eboli (Elina Garanca), secretly loves Carlo. Carlo never forgets Elisabeth, so Eboli is jealous of her. At the square in front of the Cathedral, when people glorify the King of Spain, Carlo asks his father to help Flanders’ people. However, Filippo II refuses. Carlo unintentionally draws his sword in front of the King, so he is arrested.
Filippo II knows that Elisabeth doesn’t love him, and also worries about treatment of Carlo. Filippo II gets angry with Elisabeth who has Carlo’s portrait in her jewel box. Actually, Eboli secretly steals the jewel box, and she hands it to Filippo II which she soon regrets. Rodrigo attempts to help Carlo by insisting that that the traitor is not Carlo, but Rodrigo himself. Rodrigo says he asked Carlo for aid for the Flanders people, and Rodrigo is assassinated. Then, Carlo is released by Eboli.
At a monastery on a moonlit night, Elisabeth waits for Carlo, and he appears. They painfully decide to separate forever. Then, Filippo II appears, and attempts to catch Carlo. But, a ghost of the King’s father, Carlo V suddenly appears, and he rescues Don Carlo.
Other members of the cast include Ain Anger as the Grand Inquisitor, Jongmin Park as a monk, Elisa Verzier as Tebaldo, Jinxu Xiahou as The Count of Lerma, and Rosalia Cid as A Heavenly Voice. They’re joined by the La Scala Chorus and Orchestra conducted by Riccardo Chailly.
Stay tuned after the opera for more music by Verdi including the overture to “Aroldo,” the reworking of “Stiffelio,” his String Quartet in E minor, and an interesting arrangement for clarinet and piano of one of his more famous choruses, the Coro di zingeri from “Il Trovatore.”
