Educational Media Reviews Online

The longest and one of the most powerful of Verdi’s operas is fully realized here in all its drama with a stellar cast under the direction of Nicholas Hytner. The story is based on the historic love triangle of Elizabeth of Valois, Phillip II of Spain and Phillip’s son, Don Carlo, as recounted in Schiller’s great poem, Don Carlo. Set in the Spanish Court during the Reformation and Inquisition, the court is rife with political, religious and sexual intrigue.

The opera opens with Elizabeth and Don Carlo in the forest of Fontainebleau, where they have met and fallen in love during the negotiations to end the war between France and Spain. They are virtuous young lovers, but before the act ends they are plunged into despair having learned that, as the final seal of the treaty, Elizabeth has been pledged not to Don Carlo but to his father. She feels compelled to accept to end the suffering of the ordinary people on both sides. It is indeed admirable that this scene has not been cut in this production, as is so often the case, for without it Elizabeth’s acquiescence to marry Phillip is not logical, and it would be a shame to miss the exquisite music of this first act.

Rolando Villazon in the title role sings and acts splendidly, expressing clearly the growing frustration and anguish he experiences at court with Elizabeth so near but unobtainable. Marina Poplavskaya is superb as Elizabeth, regal and restrained, a woman trapped in an impossible situation, unable to express her feelings for Don Carlo. Phillip II as sung by Ferruccio Furlanetto is outstanding, portraying an older man, disappointed in marriage, rigid, unwilling to have mercy on those condemned by the Inquisition or on the oppressed Flanders Protestants even as his son pleads on their behalf. The stylized sets are effective while the sumptuous period costumes are outstanding. The only criticism is the lack of subtitles. This is a complex, lengthy psychological drama with many twists and turns and the missing subtitles make it difficult to follow and fully appreciate. It is a fine production that I would have rated highly recommended if subtitles had been included.