Organization

Singer

Bass

Matti Salminen

Philip II

Tenor

Jonas Kaufmann

Don Carlo

Soprano

Anja Harteros

Elisabeth of Valois

Baritone

Thomas Hampson

Rodrigo

Mezzo-soprano

Ekaterina Semenchuk

Princess Eboli

Eric Halfvarson

The Grand Inquisitor

Robert Lloyd

A Monk

Mária Celeng

Thibault

Sen Guo

A Voice from Heaven

Conductor

Antonio Pappano

Stage director

Peter Stein

Set designer

Ferdinand Wögerbauer

Costume designer

Anna Maria Heinreich

Lighting designer

Joachim Barth

Choreographer

Lia Tsolaki

Chorus master

Jörn Hinnerk Andresen

Benjamin Bernheim

The Count of Lerma

Royal Herald

Salzburger Festspiele

Others

Concert Association of the Vienna State Opera Chorus

Orchestra

Wiener Philharmoniker

Chor der Wiener Staatsoper

Italian

Don Carlo (Italian version)

Salzburg

Austria

Großes Festspielhaus

Along with Shakespeare and Victor Hugo, Schiller was one of Verdi's favorite dramatists; the setting of "Don Carlos" became his most ambitious and most extensive opera ever. In no other work did Verdi depict such a variety of human relationships. No less impressively, his music describes the scene of the action and the atmosphere of hopelessness that characterizes this dark drama from the start.

In the 1840s, Verdi worked on three of Schiller's plays as models for an opera: "Giovanna d'Arco" (after "The Maid of Orleans"), "I Masnadieri" (after "The Robbers") and "Luisa Miller" ( after "Cabal and Love"); Around twenty years later, "Don Carlos" was the crowning glory of Verdi's Schiller settings. Many connoisseurs call it the master's best opera. The work, with six major vocal parts, various smaller roles and a comprehensive chorus, is one of the most important artistic challenges in operatic literature, and is available in numerous versions: premiered in 1867 as a commission from the Paris Opera, "Don Carlos" comprised five acts and - the then convention of the equivalent to French opera - a grand ballet.

For many years, "Don Carlos" was mostly to be found in the schedules as a four-act opera: the first act was often completely omitted, other scenes were missing. A return to the full five-act version began in the second half of the 20th century. Verdi has given the individual characters and situations various musical leitmotifs and commemorative motifs, the connection between which can only be understood through a complete performance of the work.

The Spanish heir to the throne, Don Carlos, meets his fiancé Elisabeth von Valois in the forest near Fontainebleau, whom he is to marry for political reasons. This time, the reason of state also corresponds to the feelings of the heart: Elisabeth and Carlos declare their love for each other. A messenger brings the news that Elizabeth's father, King Henry II, does not want his daughter to marry Carlos but to his father, King Philip II, in order to seal the peace agreement between the two countries. Desperate, Carlos flees to the monastery of Saint-Just, to which his grandfather Charles V had retired before his death. The voice and figure of a praying monk are enigmatically reminiscent of the deceased monarch.

Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa, tries to rouse his friend from despair by winning him over to Protestant Flanders' struggle for liberty against Catholic Spain. Posa also mediates a meeting between Elisabeth and Carlos, during which Carlos madly declares his love for his stepmother; However, Elizabeth rejects him. Later, when Posa and King Philip started talking, Posa frankly expressed his opinion about the situation in Flanders, whereupon the king, impressed, took him into his confidence, told him about the difficult situation between his wife and his son and warned him about the Inquisition.

During a nightly meeting, Princess Eboli and Elisabeth exchanged their robes. Eboli meets Don Carlos, but he mistakes her for Elisabeth and reaffirms his love for her. Eboli's feelings turn from love to hate; even Posa is unable to save the situation. As a precaution, he takes all political documents that could compromise Carlos.
At a ceremonial execution of suspected heretics, Don Carlos turns the sword on his father. To prevent worse, Posa intervenes and disarms his friend. Don Carlos is arrested.

During a sleepless night, Philip is tormented by thoughts about his life: his wife never loved him, his son turned against him, the Inquisition determines how his power is to be exercised. The Grand Inquisitor asks him to sacrifice the rebel Posa, Philip's last confidant, to the ecclesiastical court.

Elisabeth is missing a jewelry box and is amazed to find it with the king. Philipp forces his wife to open the casket, sees a picture of his son in it and accuses Elisabeth of adultery. Princess Eboli confesses to the queen that she is Philip's mistress and that she gave him the casket. As punishment, Elisabeth gives her the choice between exile and a monastery.

Posa has drawn the main suspicion of the rebellion. When he visits Don Carlos in prison, the henchmen of the Inquisition shoot him from behind. Philipp comes to get his son out of prison. A crowd of rebels wants to free Don Carlos, but the sudden appearance of the Grand Inquisitor holds the crowd back.

In the cloister of the Saint-Just convent, Elisabeth awaited her stepson to say goodbye and encourage him to fight for freedom in occupied Flanders. King Philip and the Grand Inquisitor surprise them both. The sinister monk in the guise of Charles V draws Carlos into the monastery and saves him from capture. The others remain helpless.

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