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 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 (T) 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 (T) of said reactors 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 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 (T) 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 (T) of said reactors based on the braking condition of said elevator extracted by said brake condition extracting section . <EOS>