Opera

Don Carlo

Giuseppe Verdi

The Spanish royal court is gripped by an icy coldness: For reasons of politics, the heir to the throne, Don Carlo has lost his bride Elisabetta to his father, the Spanish king. The crown prince is also thwarted in his political ambitions. The king, on the other hand, is powerless against the fiercely devout Grand Inquisitor.

It seems that only Carlos’s friend Rodrigo can break free of these political and private constraints. But his bold dream of freedom leads to catastrophe. Giuseppe Verdi explores his great theme, the incompatibility of politics and private happiness, through almost all the characters in this opera, which premiered in 1867. For modern audiences it paints an oppressively topical social panorama. In cooperation with the Salzburg Easter Festival, the Semperoper presents »Don Carlo« in the four-act Italian version of 1884, supplemented by a new instrumental prologue by composer Manfred Trojahn, which sets up the background to the drama.

Opera in four acts
With a prologue for orchestra (world premiere) and an interlude for violoncello solo by Manfred Trojahn
Libretto by Joseph Mery and Camille du Locle, translated into Italian by Achille de Lauzieres-Themines and Angelo Zanardini

Performed in Italian with German and English supertitles

Premiere
22. October 2021,

No further performances in the current season.

Premiere cast

Sächsischer Staatsopernchor Dresden
 Sächsische Staatskapelle Dresden

Co-production with the Salzburg Easter Festival

Generously supported by the Semperoper Foundation


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Stücktrailer

Don Carlo

The Spanish royal court is gripped by an icy coldness: For reasons of politics, the heir to the throne, Don Carlo has lost his bride Elisabetta to his father, the Spanish king. The crown prince is also thwarted in his political ambitions. The king, on the other hand, is powerless against the fiercely devout Grand Inquisitor. It seems that only Carlos’s friend Rodrigo can break free of these political and private constraints. But his bold dream of freedom leads to catastrophe. Giuseppe Verdi explores his great theme, the incompatibility of politics and private happiness, through almost all the characters in this opera, which premiered in 1867. For modern audiences it paints an oppressively topical social panorama. In cooperation with the Salzburg Easter Festival, the Semperoper presents Don Carlo in the four-act Italian version of 1884, supplemented by a new instrumental prologue by composer Manfred Trojahn, which sets up the background to the drama.
Making-of

Don Carlo – Making-of (3)

For our production of Giuseppe Verdi’s Don Carlo, Ivan Repušić conducts the Staatskapelle Dresden. He considers the scenes with only one or two singers on stage to be the most dramatic and emotional moments of the piece. Watch our making-of video to find out what Ivan Repušić has to say about the musical challenges and the cast.
Making-of

Don Carlo – Making-of (1)

Giuseppe Verdi’s opera Don Carlo premiered in 1867. In this work the composer explores his great theme, the incompatibility of politics and private happiness, through almost all the characters. For modern audiences it paints an oppressively topical social panorama. In cooperation with the Salzburg Easter Festival, the Semperoper presents Don Carlo. The four-act Italian version from 1884 will be performed, supplemented by the instrumental prologue newly composed by Manfred Trojahn, which sets up the background to the drama.
Making-of

Don Carlo – Making-of (2)

Heike Scheele designed the stage set for Vera Nemirova’s production. The library as a place of knowledge and power, that is the central idea of this direction. For me, libraries are always places with a respectful aura of importance, of which people feel small, explains Heike Scheele. You can experience how she has transferred this to the stage of the Semperoper starting tomorrow in our premiere production of Don Carlo.
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