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Music:Giuseppe Verdi.Lyrics:Joseph Méry och Camille di Locle after Friedrich von Schillers play (1787) och Eugene Cormons play Philippe II, roi d´Espagne (1846)
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First performance at the Grand Opéra in Paris at the 11 of March 1867 or 10 januari 1884 at Teatro alla Scala i Milano.
| Role | Voicetype |
|---|---|
| Don Carlos | tenor |
| Elisabeth | soprano |
| King Philip II | bass |
| Posa | baritone |
| Eboli | mezzosoprano |
| Count Lerma | tenor |
| Tebaldo | sopran |
| Storinkvisitorn | bass |
| A monk | bass |
| The voice from heaven | |
| Countess Aremberg | silent part |
Time and place: France and Spain around 1560
Don Carlos imagines himself back at his first meeting with Elizabeth de Valois - a jubilant meeting of two people who fell in love at first sight. But he also recalls how brutally it ended; their engagement was never proclaimed; for the sake of peace Elizabeth sacrifieced her own happiness. She became Queen of Spain, but as the consort of Philip II, Don Carlos´father.
The past stands out in another vision: the big moment when Emperor Charles V abdicated - to live a simple life in the monastery of San Yuste.
The friend of Don Carlos´youth, the Marquis of Posa, has just returned to Spain from the oppressed Flanders. Don Carlos confide to him the love for his stepmother. Posa succeeds in rousing Don Carlos from his resignation by imploring him to go to Flanders and fight for the freedom of the people.
Princess Eboli is entertaining the ladies of the Court while they are waiting for the Queen. Posa succeeds in persuading Elizabeth to go to a meeting with Don Carlos. Don Carlos is summoned, and he arouses hope in Eboli who is secretely in love with him. Don Carlos asks the Queen to plead his cause with the King: that Philip shall surrender Flanders to his son. Their passion bursts out during their conversation, and the meeting ends in despair. The jealous Philip finds his wife unattended - and humiliates her by banishing her confidante, the Countess of Aremberg. Philip gets into contact with Posa who at once implores the King to give the Flemish people their freedom. Philip admires his candour and believes he has found a friend - in spite of their opposite political ideologies. He confides to Posa his suspicion that Don Carlos and Elizabeth are having a love affair, and calls Posa his closest friend.
Eboli has taken the first step towards a reconciliation and sent a messages to Don Carlos, requesting a meeting. Don Carlos thinking the request is from Elizabeth and being in love, hurries off to the assignation. When he realises his mistake, he has already betrayed his secret love, and Eboli threatens to revenge herself. Posa, who has arrived on the scene. Realises how dangerous she is - he secures Don Carlos´secret letters - and urges him again to fight for Flanders freedom.
Heretics are brought to the stake at an autodafé. Members of the Court are present, but Don Carlos interrupts the festivities by leading a group of Flemish deputies who ask the King for Flemish independence. At the same time Don Carlos asks Philip to be appointed governor of the Flandern. Philip declines all requests. Don Carlos draws his sword against his father - and Posa alone has the courage to disarm him. Don Carlos is arrested. The heretics are burnt.
After a sleepless night Philp sits brooding on his lonely life - he realises that Elizabeth has never loved him. He aska the Grand Inquisitor´s advice and the rebellious Don Carlos is sentenced to death, and Posa must die, too. Elizabeth tries to convince her husband of her fidelity, but Philip has lost his self-control and rages against his wife. In the end, though, he understands that she is innocent.It was the jealous Eboli who had supplied the King with material which was compromising for Elizabeth and Don Carlos. She is consumed with self-reproach and decides to save Don Carlos from prison before retiring to a convent herself.
To save Don Carlos from deathsentence Posa has arranged for the King´s spies to find the incriminating letters on him, thus revealing himself as a protagonist of freedom. Posa is shot and killed on the spot by a servant of the King. Philip reprieves Don Carrlos - but Don Carlos disowns a father who is a murderer. A crowd of people - led by Eboli - make an assault on the prison. Don Carlos succeeds in fleeing from the prison. The grand Inquisitor chrushes the rebellion.
Elizabeth takes a last farewell from Don Carlos before he sets off to Flanders. For her, life is over- but she urges him to be strong and never forget the sacrificial death of Posa and their common ideals, and never to stop fighting for these ideals. Philip finds them together and is going to hand over his son to the Grand Inquisitor, but a monk ( Charles V ) intervenes, thus saving Don Carlos from the despotic power.
Göran Järvefelt
Adress:http://www.mogensoperasidor.se/doncarlosenglish.htm