Don Carlos

Don Carlos[1] is a five-act grand opera composed by

Don Carlos
Giuseppe Verdi to a French-language libretto by Joseph
Méry and Camille du Locle, based on the dramatic play Grand opera by Giuseppe Verdi
Don Carlos, Infant von Spanien (Don Carlos, Infante of
Spain) by Friedrich Schiller. In addition, it has been
noted by David Kimball that the Fontainebleau scene
and auto-da-fé were the most substantial of several
incidents borrowed from a contemporary play on Philip
II by Eugène Cormon".[2] The opera is most often
performed in Italian translation, usually under the title
Don Carlo.

The opera's story is based on conflicts in the life of

Carlos, Prince of Asturias (1545–1568). Though he was
betrothed to Elisabeth of Valois, part of the peace treaty
ending the Italian War of 1551–59 between the Houses
of Habsburg and Valois demanded that she be married
instead to his father Philip II of Spain. It was
commissioned and produced by the Théâtre Impérial de
l'Opéra (Paris Opera) and given its premiere at the Salle
Le Peletier on 11 March 1867.
Carlo Cornaglia's depiction of Act IV (the
original Act V) in the 1884 La Scala production
The first performance in Italian was given at Covent
Garden in London in June 1867. The first Italian Librettist Joseph Méry
version given in Italy was in Bologna in October 1867. Camille du Locle
Revised again by Verdi, it was given in Naples in
Language French, also in Italian translation
November/December 1872. Finally, two other versions
were prepared: the first was seen in Milan in January Based on Don Carlos
1884 (in which the four acts were based on some by Friedrich Schiller (and
original French text which was then translated). That is incidents borrowed from a
now known as the "Milan version", while the second— contemporary play by Eugène
also sanctioned by the composer—became the "Modena Cormon)
version" and was presented in that city in December Premiere 11 March 1867
1886. It restored the "Fontainebleau" first act to the Salle Le Peletier (Paris Opéra)
Milan four-act version.

Over the following twenty years, cuts and additions were made to the opera, resulting in a number of
versions being available to directors and conductors. No other Verdi opera exists in so many versions. At
its full length (including the ballet and the cuts made before the first performance), it contains close to
four hours of music and is Verdi's longest opera.[3]

Contents
 Composition history
Performance history
19th century
As Don Carlos in French
As Don Carlo in an Italian translation
Further revisions to the music and the text
1882/83 and 1886 revisions: "Milan version" and "Modena version"
20th century and beyond
Roles
Synopsis
Act 1
Act 2
Act 3
Act 4
Act 5
Instrumentation
Recordings
See also
References
External links

Composition history
Pre-première cuts and first published edition

Verdi made a number of cuts in 1866, after finishing the opera but
before composing the ballet, simply because the work was
becoming too long.[3] These were a duet for Elisabeth and Eboli
in Act 4, Scene 1; a duet for Carlos and the King after the death
of Posa in Act 4, Scene 2;[4] and an exchange between Elisabeth
and Eboli during the insurrection in the same scene.

After the ballet had been composed, it emerged during the 1867
rehearsal period that, without further cuts, the opera would not
finish before midnight (the time by which patrons would need to
leave in order to catch the last trains to the Paris suburbs). Verdi
then authorised some further cuts, which were, firstly, the
introduction to Act 1 (with a chorus of woodcutters and their
wives, and including the first appearance of Elisabeth); secondly,
a short entry solo for Posa (J'étais en Flandres) in Act 2, Scene 1;
Giuseppe Verdi, about 1870
and, thirdly, part of the dialogue between the King and Posa at
the end of Act 2, Scene 2.[5]

The opera, as first published at the time of the première, consisted of Verdi's original conception, without
all of the above-named cuts, but including the ballet.
Performance history

19th century

As Don Carlos in French

After the première and before leaving Paris, Verdi authorised the
Opéra authorities to end Act 4, Scene 2 with the death of Posa
(thus omitting the insurrection scene) if they thought fit. After his
departure, further (unauthorised) cuts were apparently made
during the remaining performances.[6] Despite a grandiose
production designed by scenic artists Charles-Antoine Cambon
and Joseph Thierry (Acts I and III), Édouard Desplechin and
Jean-Baptiste Lavastre (Acts II and V), and Auguste Alfred Rubé
and Philippe Chaperon (Act IV), it appears to have been a
"problem opera" for the Opéra—it disappeared from its repertoire
after 1869.[7]

As Don Carlo in an Italian translation

It was common practice at the time for most theatres (other than
those in French-speaking communities) to perform operas in Poster from the 1867 Paris
Italian,[8] and an Italian translation of Don Carlos was prepared production which depicts the death of
Rodrigo in the King's presence
in the autumn of 1866 by Achille de Lauzières.[9] On 18
November 1866 Verdi wrote to Giovanni Ricordi, offering the
Milan publisher the Italian rights, but insisting that the opera:

must be performed in its entirety as it will be performed for the first time at the Paris
Opéra. Don Carlos is an opera in five acts with ballet: if nevertheless the management of
Italian theatres would like to pair it with a different ballet, this must be placed either before
or after the uncut opera, never in the middle, following the barbarous custom of our
day.[10]

However, the Italian translation was first performed not in Italy but in London at the Royal Opera House,
Covent Garden on 4 June 1867 (now the Royal Opera House), where it was produced and conducted by
Michael Costa. However, it was not as Verdi desired; the opera was given in a cut and altered form, with
the first act being removed, the ballet in Act 3 being omitted, and Carlo's aria Io la vidi (originally in Act
1) being moved to Act 3, just before the terzetto. Additionally, the duet between Philip and the Inquisitor
was shortened by four lines, and Elisabeth's aria in Act 5 consisted only of part of the middle section and
the reprise.

The production was initially considered a success, and Verdi sent a congratulatory note to Costa. Later
when he learned of the alterations, Verdi was greatly irritated, but Costa's version anticipated revisions
Verdi himself would make a few years later in 1882–83.[11]

The Italian premiere on 27 October 1867 at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, conducted by Verdi's close
friend Angelo Mariani, was an "instant success", and this version, although produced in Verdi's absence,
was more complete and included the ballet.[12] For the Rome premiere on 9 February 1868 at the Teatro
Apollo, perhaps unsurprisingly, the Papal censor changed the
Inquisitor into a Gran Cancelliere (Grand Chancellor) and the
Monk/Emperor into a Solitario (Recluse).

This version of the opera was first performed in Milan at La

Scala on 25 March 1868, and prestige productions in most other
Italian opera houses followed, but it did not become a popular
success. The length was a particular problem, and subsequent
performances were generally heavily cut. The first production in
Naples in 1871 was indisputably a failure.[12][13]

Further revisions to the music and the text

Following the unsuccessful performance in Naples in 1871, Verdi
was persuaded to visit the city for further performances in
November / December 1872,[14] and he made two more
modifications to the score.[15] These were additions to the scene
for Posa and the King in Act 2, Scene 2 (Italian verses by
Antonio Ghislanzoni) to replace some of the previously cut Title page of a libretto for
material. This is the only portion of the entire opera that was ever performances at the Teatro Pagliano
composed by Verdi to an Italian rather than a French text. In in Florence in April–May 1869 which
addition, there were cuts to the duet between Carlos and Elisabeth used the Italian translation by Achille
in Act 5. de Lauzières

1882/83 and 1886 revisions: "Milan version" and "Modena version"

The idea of reducing the scope and scale of Don Carlos had originally come to Verdi in 1875, partly as a
result of his having heard reports of productions, such as Costa's, which had removed Act 1 and the ballet
and introduced cuts to other parts of the opera. By April 1882, he was in Paris where he was ready to
make changes. He was already familiar with the work of Charles-Louis-Étienne Nuitter, who had worked
on French translations of Macbeth, La forza del destino and Aida with du Locle, and the three proceeded
to spend nine months on major revisions of the French text and the music to create a four-act version.
This omitted Act 1 and the ballet, and was completed by March 1883.[16] An Italian translation of this
revised French text, re-using much of the original 1866 translation by de Lauzières, was made by Angelo
Zanardini. The La Scala première of the 1883 revised version took place on 10 January 1884 in
Italian.[17]

Although Verdi had accepted the need to remove the first act, it seems that he changed his mind and
allowed a performance which presented the "Fontainebleau" first act along with the revised four-act
version. It was given on 29 December 1886 in Modena, and has become known as the "Modena version",
which was published by Ricordi as "a new edition in five acts without ballet".[18]

20th century and beyond

In Italian

Performances of Don Carlo in the first half of the twentieth century were rare, but in the post Second
World War period it has been regularly performed, particularly in the four-act 1884 "Milan version" in
Italian. Following the notable 1958 staging[19] of the 1886 five-act "Modena version" in Italian by The
Royal Opera company, Covent Garden, directed by Luchino Visconti and featuring Jon Vickers as Don
Carlo, Tito Gobbi as Posa, Boris Christoff as King Phillip and Gré Brouwenstijn as Elisabetta, this
version has increasingly been performed elsewhere and has been recorded by, among others, Georg Solti
and Carlo Maria Giulini. Charles Mackerras conducted this five-act version (complete with Verdi's
original prelude, the woodcutters' scene and the original ending) in an English translation for English
National Opera at the London Coliseum in 1975.

Today, as translated into Italian and presented in the Milan and Modena versions, the opera has become
part of the standard repertory.

In French

Stagings and broadcasts of the original five-act French version of the opera have become more frequent
in the later 20th and into the 21st century. A radio broadcast by ORTF in France was given in 1967 with a
nearly all-French cast, with the exception of the Italian Matteo Manuguerra as Rodrigue. The BBC
Concert Orchestra under John Matheson broadcast the opera in June 1973 with the roles of Don Carlos
sung by André Turp, Philippe II by Joseph Rouleau, and Rodrigue by Robert Savoie. Julian Budden
comments that "this was the first complete performance of what could be called the 1866 conception in
French with the addition of the ballet."[20]

Some notable productions of the five act French version have included La Scala Milan in 1970, Théâtre
Royal de la Monnaie in Brussels in 1983, a co-production between the Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris and the
Royal Opera, London in 1996[21], Staatsoper Vienna 2004 and Opéra National de Paris in 2017.[22]

Roles

Jean Morère, the original

Don Carlos
 Premiere cast Revised version
11 March 1867[23][24] Premiere cast
Voice
Role (Conductor: 10 January 1884[23]
type
François George- (Conductor:
Hainl) Franco Faccio)[25]
Philippe II (Filippo II /
Philip II), the King of
Spain, son of Charles bass Louis-Henri Obin Alessandro Silvestri
V and father of Don
Carlos
Don Carlos (Don
Carlo), Infante of
tenor Jean Morère Francesco Tamagno
Spain, son and heir to Francesco Tamagno, the
the King Don Carlo in the 1884
Rodrigue (Rodrigo), Italian version
Marquis of Posa, a
baritone Jean-Baptiste Faure Paul Lhérie
friend of the Infante
Don Carlos
Le Grand Inquisiteur
(The Grand bass Joseph David Francesco Navarini
Inquisitor)[26]
Élisabeth de Valois
(Elisabeth of Valois), a
French princess Marie-Constance Abigaille Bruschi-
soprano
initially betrothed to Sass Chiatti
Don Carlos but then
married to King Philip
Princess Eboli, an mezzo- Pauline Guéymard-
Giuseppina Pasqua
aristocrat in court soprano Lauters
A monk, (the
apparition of the
deceased Emperor bass Armand Castelmary Leopoldo Cromberg
Charles V, or "Carlo
Quinto")
soprano
Thibault (Tebaldo),
(en Leonia Levielly Amelia Garten
page to Elisabeth
travesti)
A Voice from Heaven soprano
The Count of Lerma, a
Spanish delegate to tenor Gaspard Angelo Fiorentini
France
Royal Herald tenor Mermant Angelo Fiorentini
Countess of
Aremberg, a lady-in- silent Dominique Angelina Pirola
waiting to Elisabeth
Flemish envoys, Inquisitors, Ladies and Gentlemen of the Spanish Court, the
people, Pages, Guards, Monks, Soldiers – chorus

Synopsis
[This synopsis is based on the original five-act version composed for Paris and completed
in 1866. Important changes for subsequent versions are noted in indented brackets. First
lines of arias, etc., are given in French and Italian].
Act 1
[This act was omitted in the 1883 revision]

The Forest of Fontainebleau, France in winter

A prelude and chorus of woodcutters and their wives is heard.

They complain of their hard life, made worse by war with Spain.
Elisabeth, daughter of the King of France, arrives with her
attendants. She reassures the people that her impending marriage
to Don Carlos, Infante and son of Philip II, King of Spain, will
bring the war to an end, and departs.

[This was cut before the Paris première and replaced

by a short scene in which Elisabeth crosses the stage The historical Don Carlos - portrait by
and hands out money to the woodcutters; she exits Sofonisba Anguissola, 1560
without singing]

Carlos, coming out from hiding, has seen Elisabeth and fallen in love with her (Aria: "Je l'ai vue" / "Io la
vidi"). When she reappears, he initially pretends to be a member of the Count of Lerma's delegation. She
asks him about Don Carlos, whom she has not yet met. Before long, Carlos reveals his true identity and
his feelings, which she reciprocates (Duet: "De quels transports poignants et doux" / "Di quale amor, di
quanto ardor"). A cannon-shot signifies that peace has been declared between Spain and France. Thibault
appears and gives Elisabeth the surprising news that her hand is to be claimed not by Carlos but by his
father, Philip. When Lerma and his followers confirm this, Elisabeth is devastated but feels bound to
accept, in order to consolidate the peace. She departs for Spain, leaving Carlos equally devastated.

Act 2
[This is Act 1 in the 1883 revision]

Scene 1: The monastery of Saint-Just (San Jerónimo de Yuste) in

Spain

The scene takes place soon after King Philip II and Elisabeth
have married. Monks pray before the tomb of the former Emperor
Charles V ("Carlo Quinto"). The monks' leader proclaims that the
Emperor was proud but has been humbled though error.

Don Carlos enters, anguished that the woman he loves is now his
stepmother.

[In the 1883 revision, he sings a revised version of the

aria "Je l'ai vue" / "Io la vidi", which was salvaged
from the omitted first act but with some different
music and different text to reflect his current situation.
The historical Elizabeth of Valois, by
In the four-act version he already knows that he
Juan Pantoja de la Cruz, 1565
cannot marry Elisabeth. In the original, when singing
the aria, he was still expecting to marry her]
When Carlos pauses in his lament, the leader of the monks
proclaims that the turbulence of the world persists even in sacred
places; we cannot rest except in Heaven. The sound of his voice
frightens Carlos, who thinks it sounds like that of the Emperor
Charles V. Carlos further notices that the monk physically
resembles the Emperor, and recalls hearing rumors that the
Emperor's ghost haunts the monastery.

Carlos' dear friend Rodrigue, Marquis of Posa, who has just

arrived from the oppressed land of Flanders, enters. The two
greet each other joyfully (Aria: "J'étais en Flandres").

Posa asks for the Infante's aid on behalf of the suffering people
there. Carlos reveals that he loves his stepmother. Posa is first
shocked, but then sympathetic. He encourages Carlos to leave
Spain and go to Flanders, and to forget his pain by focusing on
political activity there. The two men swear eternal friendship The historical Princess of Eboli, Ana
(Duet: "Dieu, tu semas dans nos âmes" / "Dio, che nell'alma de Mendoza, by unknown artist
infondere").

King Philip and his new wife, with their attendants, enter also to do homage at Charles V's tomb, while
Don Carlos laments his lost love.

Scene 2: A garden near Saint-Just

Princess Eboli sings the Veil Song ("Au palais des fées" / "Nel giardin del bello") about a Moorish King
trying to seduce an alluring veiled beauty, who turns out to be his own neglected wife. Elisabeth enters.
Posa gives her a letter from France, which covers a secret note from Don Carlos. At his urging (Aria:
"L'Infant Carlos, notre espérance" / "Carlo ch'è sol il nostro amore"), Elisabeth agrees to see the Infante
alone. Unaware of this relationship, Eboli infers that she, Eboli, is the one Don Carlos loves.

When they are alone, Don Carlos tells Elisabeth that he is miserable, and asks her to request the King to
send him to Flanders. She promptly agrees, provoking Carlos to renew his declarations of love, which
she piously rejects. Don Carlos exits in a frenzy, shouting that he must be under a curse. The King enters
and becomes angry because the Queen is alone and unattended. His suspicions are insulting to her. He
orders the lady-in-waiting who was meant to be attending her, the Countess of Aremberg, to return to
France, prompting Elizabeth to sing a sorrowful farewell-aria. (Aria: "Oh ma chère compagne" / "Non
pianger, mia compagna").

The King now approaches Posa, with whose character and activism he is impressed, and offers to reward
him for his loyalty and service. Posa begs the King to stop oppressing the people of Flanders. The King
calls Posa's idealism unrealistic and warns that the Grand Inquisitor is watching him. The King confides
in Posa, telling him that he fears that Carlos is having an affair with Elisabeth. Posa replies that Carlos is
innocent, and offers to watch Elisabeth and to be responsible for her good behavior. The King gratefully
accepts this offer, and again warns Posa to beware of the Grand Inquisitor.

[This dialogue was revised three times by Verdi.]

Act 3
 [This is Act 2 in the 1883 revision]

Scene 1: Evening in the Queen's garden in Madrid

Elisabeth is tired, and wishes to concentrate on the following day's coronation of the King. To avoid the
divertissement planned for the evening, she exchanges masks with Eboli, assuming that thereby her
absence will not be noticed, and leaves.

[This scene was omitted from the 1883 revision]

[In the première, the ballet (choreographed by Lucien Petipa and entitled "La Pérégrina")
took place at this point]

At midnight, Don Carlos enters, clutching a note suggesting a tryst in the gardens. Although he thinks
this is from Elisabeth, it is really from Eboli. Eboli, who still thinks Don Carlos loves her, enters. Don
Carlos mistakes her for Elisabeth in the dark, and passionately declares his love. When he sees Eboli's
face, he realizes his error and recoils from her. Eboli guesses his secret—that he was expecting the
Queen, whom he loves. She threatens to tell the King that Elisabeth and Carlos are lovers. Carlos,
terrified, begs for mercy. Posa enters, and warns her not to cross him; he is the King's confidant. Eboli
replies by hinting darkly that she is a formidable and dangerous foe, with power which Posa does not yet
know about. (Her power is that she is having an affair with the King, but she does not reveal this yet.)
Posa draws his dagger, intending to stab her to death, but reconsiders, spares her, and declares his trust in
the Lord. Eboli exits in a vengeful rage. Posa advises Carlos to entrust to him any sensitive, potentially
incriminating political documents that he may have and, when Carlos agrees, they reaffirm their
friendship.

Scene 2: In front of the Cathedral of Valladolid

Preparations are being made for an auto-da-fé, the public parade and burning of condemned heretics.
While the people celebrate, monks drag the condemned to the woodpile. A royal procession follows, and
the King addresses the populace, promising to protect them with fire and sword. Don Carlos enters with
six Flemish envoys, who plead with the King for their country's freedom. Although the people and the
court are sympathetic, the King, supported by the monks, orders his guards to arrest the envoys. Carlos
demands that the King grant him authority to govern Flanders; the King scornfully refuses. Enraged,
Carlos draws his sword against the King. The King calls for help but the guards will not attack Don
Carlos. Posa realizes that actually attacking the King would be disastrous for Carlos. He steps forward
and defuses the situation by taking Carlos' sword from him. Carlos, astonished, yields to his friend
without resisting. Relieved and grateful, the King raises Posa to the rank of Duke. The guards arrest
Carlos, the monks fire the woodpile, and as the flames start to rise, a heavenly voice can be heard
promising heavenly peace to the condemned souls.

Act 4
[This is Act 3 in the 1883 revision]

Scene 1: Dawn in King Philip's study in Madrid

Alone and suffering from insomnia, the King, in a reverie, laments that Elisabeth has never loved him,
that his position means that he has to be eternally vigilant and that he will only sleep properly when he is
in his tomb in the Escorial (Aria: "Elle ne m'aime pas" / "Ella giammai m'amò"). The blind, ninety-year-
old Grand Inquisitor is announced and shuffles into the King's apartment. When the King asks if the
Church will object to him putting his own son to death, the Inquisitor replies that the King will be in
good company: God sacrificed His own son. In return for his support, the Inquisitor demands that the
King have Posa killed. The King refuses at first to kill his friend, whom he admires and likes. However,
the Grand Inquisitor reminds the King that the Inquisition can take down any king; he has created and
destroyed other rulers before. Frightened and overwhelmed, the King begs the Grand Inquisitor to forget
about the past discussion. The latter replies "Peut-être" / "Forse!" – perhaps! – and leaves. The King
bitterly muses on his helplessness to oppose the Church.

Elisabeth enters, alarmed at the apparent theft of her jewel casket. However, the King produces it and
points to the portrait of Don Carlos which it contains, accusing her of adultery. She protests her
innocence but, when the King threatens her, she faints. In response to his calls for help, into the chamber
come Eboli and Posa. Their laments of suspicion cause the King to realize that he has been wrong to
suspect his wife ("Maudit soit le soupçon infâme" / "Ah, sii maledetto, sospetto fatale"). Aside, Posa
resolves to save Carlos, though it may mean his own death. Eboli feels remorse for betraying Elisabeth;
the latter, recovering, expresses her despair.

[This quartet was revised by Verdi in 1883]

Elisabeth and Eboli are left together.

[Duet: "J'ai tout compris", was cut before the première]

Eboli confesses that it was she who told the King that Elisabeth and Carlos were having an affair, for
revenge against Carlos for having rejected her. She also confesses that she herself has had an affair with
the King. Elisabeth orders her to go into exile, or enter a convent. After Elisabeth exits, Eboli, left alone,
curses her own beauty and pride, and resolves to make amends by trying to save Carlos from the
Inquisition (Aria: "O don fatal" / "O don fatale").

Scene 2: A prison

Don Carlos has been imprisoned. Posa arrives and tells Carlos that he (Posa)
has saved Carlos from being executed, by allowing himself (Posa) to be
incriminated by the politically sensitive documents which he had obtained
from Carlos earlier (Aria, part 1: "C'est mon jour suprême" / "Per me giunto
è il dì supremo"). A shadowy figure appears--one of the Grand Inquisitor's
assassins--and shoots Posa in the chest. As he dies, Posa tells Carlos that
Elisabeth will meet him at Saint-Just the following day. He adds that he is
content to die if his friend can save Flanders and rule over a happier Spain
(Aria, part 2: "Ah, je meurs, l'âme joyeuse" / "Io morrò, ma lieto in core").
At that moment, the King enters, offering his son freedom, as Posa had Baril Gédéon, "Il Maestro
arranged. Carlos repulses him for having murdered Posa. The King sees that Verdi", cartoon by Le
Posa is dead and cries out in sorrow. Hanneron, 14 March
1867. (Museum of the
[Duet: Carlos and the King- "Qui me rendra ce mort ?" /"Chi Paris Opera)
rende a me quest'uom" It was cut before the première and,
following it, Verdi authorized its optional removal. The music
was later re-used by Verdi for the Lacrimosa of his Messa da Requiem of 1874]
Bells ring as Elisabeth and Eboli enter. The crowd pushes its way into the prison and threatens the King,
demanding the release of Carlos. In the confusion, Eboli escapes with Carlos. The people are brave
enough at first in the presence of the King, but they are terrified by the arrival of the Grand Inquisitor,
and instantly obey his angry command to quiet down and pay homage to the King.

[After the première, some productions ended this act with the death of Posa. However, in
1883 Verdi provided a much shortened version of the insurrection, as he felt that
otherwise it would not be clear how Eboli had fulfilled her promise to rescue Carlos]

Act 5
[This is Act 4 in the 1883 revision]

The moonlit monastery of Yuste

Elisabeth kneels before the tomb of Charles V. She is committed to help Don Carlos on his way to fulfill
his destiny in Flanders, but she herself longs only for death (Aria: "Toi qui sus le néant" / "Tu che le
vanità"). Carlos appears and tells her that he has overcome his desire for her; he now loves her honorably,
as a son loves his mother. They say a final farewell, promising to meet again in Heaven (Duet: "Au revoir
dans un monde où la vie est meilleure" / "Ma lassù ci vedremo in un mondo migliore").

[This duet was twice revised by Verdi]

The King and the Grand Inquisitor enter, with several armed guards. The King infers that Carlos and
Elisabeth have been lovers and demands that they both be immediately killed in a double sacrifice. The
Inquisitor confirms that the Inquisition will do its duty. A short summary trial follows, confirming
Carlos's putative culpability.

[The trial was omitted in 1883 and does not occur on any commercially available
recording, although it was performed at La Scala in 1978, and recorded on video]

Carlos, calling on God for protection, draws his sword to defend himself against the guards. He is
fighting well in spite of being outnumbered, when a mysterious figure (the leader of the monks from the
earlier scene at the tomb, which is listed here as Act 2 Scene 1 but is usually the opening scene of the
opera, since the first act is usually omitted--so the Monk appears only at the very beginning and the very
end of most performances and recordings) suddenly emerges from the tomb of Charles V. He grabs
Carlos by the shoulder, and loudly proclaims that the turbulence of the world persists even in the Church;
we cannot rest except in Heaven. The King and the Inquisitor recognize the Monk's voice: he is the
King's father, Charles V, who was believed dead. Everyone screams in shock and astonishment, while the
Monk drags Carlos into the tomb and closes the entrance.

Instrumentation
Strings: violins, violas, cellos, double basses
Woodwinds: piccolo (doubling on flute), 2 flutes, 2 oboes (2nd doubling on English horn), 2
clarinets, 4 bassoons, double bassoon
Brass: 4 horns, 3 cornets à pistons, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, ophicleide
Percussion: timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, bells in F-sharp and E-flat, tam-tam
Other: harp
 On-stage: clarinet in D, 2 clarinets in A, 4 horns, 2 flugelhorns, 2 trumpets, bass flugelhorn,
3 trombones, bombardon, double bass, harmonium, harp

Recordings

See also
Cultural depictions of Philip II of Spain

References
Notes

1. In the title of the opera and the play "Don" is used as the Spanish honorific.
2. Kimbell 2001, in Holden p. 1002. Budden, pp. 15–16, reinforces this with details of the play.
3. Budden, pp. 23–25
4. Kimbell 2001, p. 1002, notes that "some of the deleted material from this served as the seed
for the 'Lacrymosa' in the Requiem".
5. Budden, p. 25
6. Budden, p. 25–26
7. Kimbell 2001, in Holden, p. 1003
8. Budden, p. 156
9. Budden, p. 26; for the Italian translation by Achille de Lauzières, see OCLC 21815071 (http
s://www.worldcat.org/oclc/21815071) (vocal score); OCLC 777337258 (https://www.worldca
t.org/oclc/777337258) (libretto)
10. Quoted and translated in Budden, p. 27
11. Budden, p. 27
12. Budden, p. 28
13. Walker, p. 326
14. Walker, p. 417
15. Budden, pp. 28–9
16. Budden, pp. 31–38
17. 1884 Milan version: Notice de spectacle (http://catalogue.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/cb41450457d/PU
BLIC) at BnF
18. Budden, p. 39
19. [1] (http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/performance.aspx?performance=11806&row=0) Don
Carlos, 9 May 1958 Evening, Royal Opera House Collections Online, Performance
Database, accessed Oct. 1 2013.
20. Budden, p. 155
21. "Don Carlos" (http://www.rohcollections.org.uk/performance.aspx?performance=6710&row=
0). ROH Collections.
22. Mudge, Stephen J. "Don Carlos" (https://www.operanews.com/Opera_News_Magazine/201
7/10/Reviews/PARIS__Don_Carlo.html). operanews.com. Retrieved 27 March 2018.
23. Budden, p. 4
24. "Don Carlos" (https://web.archive.org/web/20120305072032/http://www.studiverdiani.it/oper
e_en/doncarlos.html). Instituto Nazionale di Studi Verdiani. Archived from the original (http://
www.studiverdiani.it/opere_en/doncarlos.html) on 5 March 2012. Retrieved 5 November
2010.
25. Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Don Carlo, 10 January 1884" (http://almanac-gherardo-casagli
a.com/index.php?Giorno=10&Mese=01&Anno=1884&Testo=Don_Carlo&Parola=Stringa).
L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).
26. Diego, Cardinal de Espinosa at the time, but not mentioned as such in the opera
Cited sources

Budden, Julian (1984), The Operas of Verdi, Volume 3: From Don Carlos to Falstaff.
London: Cassell. ISBN 0-304-30740-8.
Kimbell, David (2001), in Holden, Amanda (Ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York:
Penguin Putnam, 2001. ISBN 0-14-029312-4
Osborne, Charles (1969), The Complete Operas of Verdi, New York: Da Capo Press, Inc.,
1969. ISBN 0-306-80072-1
Parker, Roger (1998), "Don Carlos", in Stanley Sadie (ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of
Opera, Vol. One. London: Macmillan Publishers, Inc. 1998 ISBN 0-333-73432-7 ISBN 1-
56159-228-5
Phillips-Matz, Mary Jane (1994), Verdi: A Biography, Oxford and New York: Oxford
University Press. ISBN 0-19-313204-4.
Toye, Francis (1931), Giuseppe Verdi: His Life and Works, New York: Knopf, 1931
Walker, Frank (1962), The Man Verdi. New York: Knopf. OCLC 351014 (https://www.worldc
at.org/oclc/351014). London: Dent. OCLC 2737784
(https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/2737784). Chicago: The University of Chicago Press (1982
paperback reprint with a new introduction by Philip Gossett). ISBN 978-0-226-87132-5.
Other sources

Batchelor, Jennifer (ed.) (1992), Don Carlos/Don Carlo, London: John Calder; New York:
Riverrun. ISBN 0-7145-4208-3.
De Van, Gilles (trans. Gilda Roberts) (1998), Verdi’s Theater: Creating Drama Through
Music. Chicago & London: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-14369-4 (hardback),
ISBN 0-226-14370-8
Gossett, Philip (2006), Divas and Scholar: Performing Italian Opera, Chicago: University of
Chicago Press. ISBN 0-226-30482-5
Martin, George, Verdi: His Music, Life and Times (1983), New York: Dodd, Mead and
Company. ISBN 0-396-08196-7
Parker, Roger (2007), The New Grove Guide to Verdi and His Operas, Oxford & New York:
Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-531314-7
Pistone, Danièle (1995), Nineteenth-Century Italian Opera: From Rossini to Puccini,
Portland, OR: Amadeus Press. ISBN 0-931340-82-9
Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), The Oxford Dictionary of Opera New York: OUP.
ISBN 0-19-869164-5
Werfel, Franz and Stefan, Paul (1973), Verdi: The Man and His Letters, New York, Vienna
House. ISBN 0-8443-0088-8

External links
 Verdi: "The story" and "History" (https://web.archive.org/web/20131222013333/http://www.gi
useppeverdi.it/visInglese/page.asp?IDCategoria=3648&IDSezione=25313) on
giuseppeverdi.it
1867 French libretto (https://books.google.com/books?id=7UNSAAAAcAAJ&printsec=frontc
over#v=onepage&q&f=false) at Google Books
Libretto (Italian) (https://web.archive.org/web/20060605104344/http://www.giuseppeverdi.it/
stampabile.asp?IDCategoria=162&IDSezione=581&ID=19849)
Full musical score and vocal scores (Italian and French, 4-act and 5-act versions): Scores
at the International Music Score Library Project (IMSLP)
Visual evidence of the Parisian premiere on Gallica (http://gallica.bnf.fr/services/engine/sear
ch/sru?operation=searchRetrieve&version=1.2&startRecord=0&maximumRecords=15&pag
e=1&query=%28gallica%20all%20%22don%20carlos%201867%22%29&filter=dc.type%20
all%20%22image%22)
Aria list (http://www.aria-database.com/cgi-bin/aria-search.pl?opera=Don+Carlos) from aria-
database.com
Don Carlo (1960) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0491351/) on IMDb, Metropolitan Opera
Don Carlos (1965) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2207968/) on IMDb, Deutsche Oper Berlin
Don Carlo (1983, TV) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0252392/) on IMDb, The Metropolitan
Opera Presents
Don Carlo (1985) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0276079/) on IMDb, The Royal Opera
Don Carlos (1986) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0257557/) on IMDb, Salzburg Easter
Festival
Don Carlos (1996) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0254285/) on IMDb, Théâtre du Châtelet
Don Carlo (2010) (https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2074354/) on IMDb, The Royal Opera

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