In the second half of the 16th century, a peace treaty between France and Spain is to be sealed by the marriage of the Princess Elizabeth of Valois, daughter of Henry II, and Don Carlo, son of Philip II and heir to the Spanish throne. When Don Carlo (Jonas Kaufmann) and his future spouse Elizabeth (Anja Harteros) meet for the first time, it is love at first sight. However, their happiness is short lived, as the terms of the peace treaty are soon altered: Henry II now intends to marry his daughter to King Philip himself. To ensure peace between France and Spain, Elizabeth consents, leaving Carlo devastated.
Premiered in 1867 at the Paris Opera, Verdi's Don Carlo met with lukewarm critiques that cast it as an example of the "Wagnerization" of Verdi's style. In the bicententennial Verdi-Wagner year, the 2013 Salzburg Festival offered a benchmark production of this rich and rewarding work—whose reputation as a masterpiece is long since assured—with a cast to make any Verdi fan's dreams come true, including superstar tenor Kaufmann and other unrivaled Verdian interpreters of the day.
Picture: © Monika Rittershaus
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