‘Don Carlo’ at Bavarian State Opera
On May 4, 10 and 17, Stephen Costello returns to the Bavarian State Opera to star in the title role of Verdi’s Don Carlo. He garnered critical acclaim for his role debut with the company in 2022, with OperaOnline praising his portrayal of the tormented prince as “marked by emotion, suffering, and hopelessness, to which he submits with little rebellion. His tenor flows effortlessly across the range, glowing with a full, bright timbre” (translated from the original).
Jürgen Rose’s enduring production is a dark, meticulously designed staging, shaped by a central crucifix symbolizing spiritual confinement and authoritarian power while sharpening the opera’s emotional and political conflicts. The star-studded cast also includes Erwin Schrott as King Philip II, George Petean as Rodrigo, Dmitry Belosselskiy as the Grand Inquisitor, Rachel Willis-Sørensen as Elisabeth of Valois, Ekaterina Semenchuk as Princess Eboli, Elene Gvritishvili as Tebaldo, and Carine Tinney as the Voice from Heaven. Ivan Repušić conducts.
Photo: Dario Acosta