A control apparatus for an elevator in which a permanent magnet synchronous motor using a permanent magnet as a field magnet is provided as a winch, with respective phase terminals of said permanent magnet synchronous motor being short circuited to form a dynamic brake circuit, comprising: capacitors for short circuiting the respective phase terminals of said permanent magnet synchronous motor when said dynamic brake circuit is formed, said capacitors comprising a plurality of capacitors each with a switch (SW, SW1 - SW5) connected in parallel; a reactor (12, 14, 14a) provided for each phase of said permanent magnet synchronous motor at a location between each of said capacitors and said motor, each of said reactors comprising a tap changer having a plurality of taps; a switching device for switching the respective phase terminals of said permanent magnet synchronous motor from a drive circuit to said capacitors to provide connections therebetween; characterized in that it further comprises: a circuit for switching said capacitors between a star connection and a delta connection so as to short circuit the respective phase terminals of said permanent magnet synchronous motor, wherein the capacitance of said dynamic brake circuit is made variable; a rescue operation execution determining section for determining, based on a command from an elevator control panel, whether rescue operation is to be executed; a brake condition extracting section for extracting a braking condition of said elevator from said elevator control panel; and a short circuit selecting section for changing, upon receipt of a rescue operation executing command from said rescue operation execution determining section, the capacitance or inductance of said dynamic brake circuit by driving either one of a changing circuit for said star connection and said delta connection, said switches (SW, SW1 - SW5) of said capacitors and said tap changers of said reactors (12, 14, 14a) based on the braking condition of said elevator extracted by said brake condition extracting section. capacitors for short circuiting the respective phase terminals of said permanent magnet synchronous motor when said dynamic brake circuit is formed, said capacitors comprising a plurality of capacitors each with a switch (SW, SW1 - SW5) connected in parallel; a reactor (12, 14, 14a) provided for each phase of said permanent magnet synchronous motor at a location between each of said capacitors and said motor, each of said reactors comprising a tap changer having a plurality of taps; a switching device for switching the respective phase terminals of said permanent magnet synchronous motor from a drive circuit to said capacitors to provide connections therebetween; a circuit for switching said capacitors between a star connection and a delta connection so as to short circuit the respective phase terminals of said permanent magnet synchronous motor, wherein the capacitance of said dynamic brake circuit is made variable; a rescue operation execution determining section for determining, based on a command from an elevator control panel, whether rescue operation is to be executed; a brake condition extracting section for extracting a braking condition of said elevator from said elevator control panel; and a short circuit selecting section for changing, upon receipt of a rescue operation executing command from said rescue operation execution determining section, the capacitance or inductance of said dynamic brake circuit by driving either one of a changing circuit for said star connection and said delta connection, said switches (SW, SW1 - SW5) of said capacitors and said tap changers of said reactors (12, 14, 14a) based on the braking condition of said elevator extracted by said brake condition extracting section.