Giuseppe Verdi's versatility as a composer of grand opera emerges in his mature works, but unlike later compositions such as Aida , Don Carlo doesn't rely on pomp and spectacle as a primary ingredient. Set in Spain and France during the reign of King Philip II, Don Carlo immerses us in the turmoil and persecution of the Spanish Inquisition. Rather than re-create a dark, Dostoyevskian vision of the grand inquisitor as pure evil, Verdi sets up the clash between church and state as a potent context for personal conflict. Inspired by the psychological depth of Schiller and the ironic brilliance of King Lear , Don Carlo probes the internal agonies of characters caught in a web of intrigue and civil unrest, particularly King Philip. In staging Don Carlo , Houston Grand Opera appreciates Verdi's aim to get to the heart of betrayal and suffering.
Sets are simple and elegantly spare, and in moments, exquisitely faithful to detail.
Rather than parade the Inquisition's horror and exorcism, Spanish director Emilio Sagi takes a subtler approach. In its first attempt to stage Verdi's five-act Italian version, HGO never allows the onstage spectacle to overshadow the work's symphonic grandeur. Led by HGO music director Patrick Summers, the Houston Symphony offers a bold interpretation of what many believe is Verdi's best work. When the story begins, the 17th-century war between France and Spain has just ended. Carlo pledges his love for the princess, and she returns the affection.