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Don Carlos State Opera Vienna - Wien Sun 17.Jan 2027 replace me !Don Carlos State Opera Vienna - Wien Wed 20.Jan 2027 replace me !Don Carlos State Opera Vienna - Wien Sun 24.Jan 2027 replace me !Don Carlos State Opera Vienna - Wien Wed 27.Jan 2027 replace me !Don Carlos State Opera Vienna - Wien Sun 31.Jan 2027 replace me !At the center of the events, which take place in the second half of the 16th century, is the Spanish crown prince Carlos.
He is madly in love with Elisabeth of Valois, who has been destined to be his wife since childhood, before his widowed father King Philip II claims her for himself. This private conflict is exacerbated by a political one: Carlos' demand for the regency of the rebellious Dutch provinces - a fatal situation against the backdrop of the Inquisition trials and the power of the Grand Inquisitor.
In his production, director Peter Konwitschny spun a web of relationships of breathtaking density between the characters. Initially rejected by parts of the audience, the production soon achieved cult status and is now greeted with great euphoria every time it is revived. He also created a humorous pantomime interlude to Verdi's great ballet music in the third act, which heightens the tragedy's impact. For Konwitschny, there is a particular focus on the utopian moment that Verdi shows with the salvation of Carlos and Elisabeth at the end of the opera. For the director, the ending is therefore not a realistic retelling, but a kind of veto by the composer against the victory of the authorities who are hostile to love and life.With Don Carlos, Verdi made a significant contribution to the genre of French grand opéra. Various difficulties during rehearsals meant that the composer had to make numerous cuts against his will before the work was premiered in 1867. The production at the Vienna State Opera presents the reconstructed original version, which also includes the passages that Verdi had to cut in 1867. The special attraction of this version is its stylistic unity and the extremely precise psychological development of the characters.Verdi had to contend with two very mundane issues when composing Don Carlos: the Parisian suburban train and the audience's habits of eating after dinner. Performances were not allowed to start too early, as the audience wanted to eat their dinner comfortably and not in a hurry before going to the opera. At the same time, a performance was not allowed to last longer than the departure of the last train bringing visitors back from the suburbs. Wedged between these two fixed points in time, the score therefore had to be severely trimmed a few days before the premiere.Order your tickets for the Vienna State Opera and book your tickets now at viennaticket.at.
(Source: wiener-staatsoper.at)
