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Overview

Synopsis

Verdi’s grand opera Don Carlos is a story of love and devotion conflicting with political and religious upheaval. Lost on a hunting expedition, Elisabeth de Valois runs into the young Prince of Spain, Don Carlos. They immediately fall in love, and are delighted to find out that they are actually betrothed. Their happiness is not to last, and with the end of the war comes the end of their relationship: Elisabeth has been promised as bride to King Philippe, Carlos’s father, and must fulfill her duty to keep the peace.

Looking for solace in his distress, Carlos visits the grave of his grandfather, Charles V, in the local monastery. It is here that he makes an alliance with the Marquis of Posa, Rodrigue, a friendship which will prove to be of vital importance in both men’s lives. Rodrigue tells Carlos to take up the fight for peace in Flanders to take himself away from this woman, but when Carlos asks for this duty from the king, he is refused.

The King’s mistress, the Princess Eboli makes advances on Carlos and when they are rejected, she betrays his love of Elisabeth to the King. He is sent to prison and, in an incredible duet for two bass voices, King Philippe asks The Grand Inquisitor for guidance on how to deal with his son. It is decided, Carlos is to be executed and the day has been appointed. Eboli and Elisabeth help Carlos to escape, but they are found out and he is captured again by the Inquisitor’s men. Before he is able to fight or make a get away the ghostly voice of his grandfather Charles V, is heard. The tomb where he was laid to rest opens and a ghostly arm drags Don Carlos into the afterlife.

Against the backdrop of the brutal torturing and executions performed by the Spanish Inquisition, which they used to rapidly convert ‘heretics’ to Catholicism, this powerful story of intense love, and immense loss has remained popular, in its many forms, since it was first performed in 1867, and remains a strong contender in the operatic canon.

Show Information

Based on the Play/Book/Film
Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien by Friedrich Schiller
Category
Opera
Age Guidance
Thirteen Plus (PG-13)
Number of Acts
5
First Produced
1867
Genres
Historical/Biographical, Tragedy
Settings
Period, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
16th Century, France, Spain
Cast Size
medium
Orchestra Size
Large
Dancing
None
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
Mostly Male Cast, Professional Opera, Includes Mature Adult, Adult, Elderly, Child, Early Teen, Late Teen, Young Adult Characters, Medium Cast

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Philippe

Lead

Male

Bass

Don Carlos

Lead

Male

Tenor

Elisabeth de Valois

Lead

Female

Soprano

Rodrigue

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Le Grand Inquisiteur

Supporting

Male

Bass

Un Moine (A Monk) / Charles V

Supporting

Male

Bass

Le Comte de Lerme

Supporting

Male

Baritone

Thibault

Supporting

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano

Princess Eboli

Supporting

Female

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano

Voix d’en haut (Voice from above)

Featured

Female

Soprano

Une heraut (A Herald)

Featured

Male

Tenor

Tybalt

Featured

Either Gender

Soprano

Chorus

Ensemble

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto

Songs

Famously, this opera has received many different editions and versions across the centuries, each with different levels of popularity for directors and audiences. This guide will focus on the original French five-act version of the opera, although the opera is presented in Italian as often as French.

Act One

France, The Forest of Fontainbleau

Introduction: ‘Le cerf s’enfuit sous la ramure’ - Chorus of Hunters

No. 1 ‘Fontainebleau foret immensé et solitaire!’ - Carlos

Romance ’Je l’ai vue et dans son sourire’ - Carlos

No. 2 ‘Le bruit du cor s'éteint sous l’ombre épaisse’ - Carlos, Thibaut, Elisabeth

Duet ‘Que faites-vous donc?’ Carlos, Elisabeth

No. 3 ‘A celui qui vous vient, Madame’ - Thibaut, Elisabeth, Carlos

Finale ‘O chant de fête et d'allégresse’ - Elisabeth, Carlos, Le Comte de Lerme, Ambassador of Spain, Valets, Ladies-in-waiting, Countess d’Aremberg

Act Two

The Monastery of San Yuste

Introduction

No. 4 ‘Charles-Quint, l’auguste Empereur’ - Chorus of Monks, A Monk

Recitative ‘Au couvent de Saint-Just’ - Carlos, Monks

No. 5 Duet ‘Le voilà, c’est l’Infant!’ - Rodrigue, Don Carlos, ‘Charles Quint l'auguste Empereur’ Monks, Carlos, A Monk, Rodrigues

A garden outside the monastery

No. 6 ‘Sous ces bois auf feuillage immense’ - Ladies-in-waiting, Thibaut

‘Puisque dans ce couvent la Reine des Espagnes’ - Eboli, Ladies-in-waiting

No. 7 Song of the Veil ‘An palais de fées des Roise Grenadins’ - Eboli, Thibaut, Ladies-in-waiting

‘La Reine!’ - Elisabeth, Eboli, Thibaut, Rodrigue

No. 8 ‘Que fait-on a la cour de France’ - Eboli, Rodrigue, Elisabeth

‘L’Infant Carlos, notre esperance’ - Rodrigue, Elisabeth, Eboli

No. 9 Duet ‘Je viens solliciter de la Reine une grace’ - Elisabeth, Carlos

No. 10 ‘Le Roi’ ‘Pourquoi seule madame!’ -Thibaut, Philippe, Chorus

Romance ‘O ma chère compagne’ - Elisabeth, Rodrigue, Philippe, Chorus

No. 11 Duet ‘Restez. Aupres de ma personne’ - Rodrigue, Philippe

Act Three

The gardens of the Queen of Spain

No. 12 ‘Que de fleurs et que d'étoiles’ - Chorus

‘Viens, Eboli’ - Elisabeth, Eboli, Chorus

Ballet

No. 13 ‘A Minuit aux jardins de la Reine’ - Carlos

Duet ‘C’est vous ma bien aimée’ - Carlos, Eboli

Trio ‘Que dit-it?’ - Rodrigue, Carlos, Eboli

A square in Madrid, at the church of Nuestra Senora de Arocha

No. 14 Finale ‘Ce jour heureux est plein d’allegresse’ - Chorus, Monks

March

‘Ce jour heureux est plein d’allegresse’ - Chorus, Monks

‘Ouvrez vous, ô portes sacrées’ - A herald, Chorus

‘En plaçant sur mon front cette couronne’ - Philippe, Chorus

‘O ciel! Carlos! - Elisabeth, Rodrigues, Philippe, Carlos

‘Sire, sire, la dernière heure’ - Six deputies, Six Monks, Elisabeth, Thibaut, Carlos, Rodrigue, Philippe, A voice from above, Chorus

Act Four

King Philippe’s room

No. 15 ‘Elle ne m’aime pas’ - Philippe

‘Je dormirai dans mon manteau royal’ - Philippe

No. 16 ‘Le Grand Inquisiteur!’ - Comte de Lerme, Philippe, L’inquisiteur

Duet ‘Dans ce beau pays’ - Philippe, L’inquisiteur

No. 17 ‘Justice! Justice!’ - Elisabeth, Philippe

‘Oh Ciel! Que vois-je!’ - Eboli, Rodrigue

Quartet ‘Maudit soit le soupçon in fame’ - Philippe, Rodrigue, Eboli, Elisabeth

No. 18 ‘Pitie! Pardon pour la femme coupable!’ - Eboli, Elisabeth

Aria ‘O don fatal et deteste’ - Eboli

A prison, where Carlos is prisoner

No. 19 ‘C’est moi Carlos’ - Rodrigue, Carlos

Aria: ‘C’est mon jour’ - Rodrigue

‘Que parles-tu de mort?’ - Carlos, Rodrigue

No. 20 ‘Mon fils reprenez votre épée’ - Carlos, Philippe

Finale ‘Ciel! Le tocsin!’ - Courtiers, Chorus of People, L’Inquisiteur, Le Comte de Lerme, Carlos, Elisabeth

Act Five

The Cloisters of the Monastery of San Yuste

No. 21 Stances ‘Toi qui sus le néant des grandeurs de ce monde’ - Elisabeth (This aria is well known in Italian: ‘Tu che la vanita, conoscesti del mondo’)

No. 22 Duet ‘C’est elle!’ - Elisabeth, Carlos

No. 23 Finale ‘Il faut un double sacrifice’ - Philippe, Le Grand Inquisiteur, Charles V (Monk), Elisabeth, Carlos, Chorus of Monks

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

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Guide Written By:

Wendy Silvester

Wendy Silvester

Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.