Don Carlo

by Peter Burwasser

It is a truism that Verdi was the most Shakespearean of opera composers. Three of his stage works are directly based on the Bard’s plays, but even when his sources are independent, a fascination with swirling, intersecting plot lines and vivid characterization lights up Verdi at his best. The composer seems most at home when he can maneuver around collisions of politics and love, as in Rigoletto, for example, and gloriously in Don Carlo.

As Shakespearean as this brusque masterpiece is, other more contemporary influences were suggested by the Opera Company of Philadelphia's marvelously brooding production, including Raymond Chandler and film noir. Don Carlo is set in 16th-century Spain, during the time of the Inquisition. Verdi is engaged by every possible facet of his narrative, which he populates with actors of uncertain motivation and murky loyalties, as in, say, The Big Sleep. It is also impossible to miss a remarkable proto-Freudian underlay, as exposed in the triangle between Don Carlo, his father and the lover that the father took from the son, as well as in the essentially amorous relationship between Don Carlo and Rodrigo, which is tinged with homoeroticism.

Notwithstanding an almost gratuitous conclusion and the many revisions over the years by the composer, Don Carlo has a pleasing symmetry that was palpably conveyed by this production, which begins and ends in mists and shadows, proceeding in various umber shades in between. Despite the presence of the internationally acclaimed contralto Ewa Podles, this was a very even ensemble production, with a strong backbone provided by the prominent chorus and the pliant orchestra under the direction of Maurizio Barbacini. Suffice it to say, the music itself is spellbinding, with Verdi's genius operating at full throttle, ranging from exquisite whispers to grandiloquent roars.

Don Carlo is notoriously difficult to cast, as it calls for three low male voices, two coloratura sopranos, a contralto and a tenor, all in uncompromisingly challenging parts. Bravi to OCP for assembling an attractive and well-matched cast, including many local debuts. And the excellent singing was backed up with convincing acting, a critical component in a successful Verdi performance. The staging was also impressively robust, conveying both the regal splendor of the Spanish court and the ominous influence of the inquisitors. In short, this was an evening of truly grand opera. Don't miss it.

Don Carlo

Through Feb. 15, Opera Company of Philadelphia, Academy of Music, Broad and Locust sts., 215-893-1999

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