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DON CARLO
Giuseppe Verdi
1813 - 1901

Opera in five acts
Libretto by François Joseph Méry and Camille du Locle
(Translation: Achille de Lauzières-Thémines and Angelo Zanardini)
First performed March 11th 1867, Opera Paris, first performance of the revised five act italian version December 26th 1886, Teatro Municipale, Modena
Sung in Italian with German surtitles
Duration: c. 3 1/2 hrs. incl. one interval

ABOUT THE PIECE

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When, after an absence of almost forty years, Giuseppe Verdi’s Don Carlo returned to the stage at Oper Frankfurt in September 2007 it caused something of a sensation. The Scottish director David McVicar and his production team managed to combine the splendour of grand opéra with the power of a present day, intimate play. It is the drama that takes central stage, the opulence of the costumes and scenery are simply means to an end: the corset of courtly etiquette, the obligations of office, responsibility and the rivalry for political power are symbolised by the costumes. A critic in the FAZ (newspaper) wrote that the success of McVicar’s production was »due to his subtle psychological direction of the artists, his consumate sense of scenic proportions and dramatic mood changes and the great musicality he obviously possesses, which is mirrored in the events on stage«.

Supported by Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen