Don Carlo Is Met Opera's Feb. 18, 2023, Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Verdi's Don Carlo is the Feb. 18, 2023, Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as ninth of the 2022-2023 season's 24 Saturday radio broadcasts.

Günther Groissböck as Spanish Inquisition-controlled King Filippo II in the 2022-2023 Met Opera season's first revival of David McVicar's new production of Verdi's Don Carlo; scenic designs by Charles Edwards, costumes designed by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, lighting designed by Adam Silverman, choreography by Leah Hausman: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook Nov. 2, 2022

Verdi's Don Carlo is the Feb. 18, 2023, Saturday matinee broadcast, airing at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time as the ninth of the 2022-2023 season's 24 Saturday radio broadcasts.

Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901) composed Don Carlos as the 23rd of his 26 completed operas. Don Carlos numbered as the third of three Verdian operas inspired by works written by 19th century German philosopher-playwright Friedrich von Schiller (Nov. 10, 1759-May 9, 1805). Verdi sourced Schiller's Die Räuber ("The Robbers"), Kabale und Liebe (“Intrigue and Love”) and Don Karlos, Infant von Spanien ("Don Carlos, Infante of Spain") for I Madnadieri ("The Bandits" or "The Robbers"), Luisa Miller and Don Karlos, Infant von Spanien ("Don Carlos, Infante of Spain"), respectively.

Verdi set his third Schillerian opera to a French libretto begun by French librettist, novelist, playwright and poet François Joseph Méry (Jan. 21, 1797-June 17,1866) and completed by French librettist and theatre manager Camille du Locle (July 16, 1832-Oct. 9, 1903). An Italian libretto, entitled Don Carlo, by Angelo Zanardini (April 9, 1820-March 7, 1893) incorporated an Italian libretto by Achille De Lauzières (1818-1894).

Verdi's Don Carlos premiered Monday, March 11, 1867, at Salle Le Peletier. The theater was located at 12 de la rue Le Peletier, in the ninth Parisian arrondissement (9e arrondissement de Paris). Salle Le Peletier homed the City of Light's (Ville-Lumière) national opera from Sunday, Aug. 19, 1821, until its destruction by fire on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 1873. Since its founding Friday, June 28, 1669, as l'Académie d'Opéra, the city's opera has undergone name changes, with its most recent designation, since Saturday, Feb. 5, 1994, as Opéra National de Paris. At the time of the premiere of Don Carlos, the company was named Théâtre Impérial de l'Opéra (since Saturday, July 1, 1854) and was known popularly as l'Opéra Le Peletier.

Don Carlos received its Metropolitan Opera Premiere Thursday, Dec. 23, 1920, and tallied seven performances in the 1920-1921 season. The opera premiered under the title of Don Carlo, with an Italian libretto.

The 2022-2023 Met Opera season's performances of Don Carlo mark the opera company's first revival of the new production that David McVicar created for the 2021-2022 season. The Scottish opera and theatre director had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Feb. 16, 2009, in the opera company's 600th performance of Verdi's Il Trovatore.

The new production's debut, which took place Monday, Feb. 28, 2022, marked the opera's first performance in French at Met Opera, as noted by the Metropolitan Opera Archives Database (MetOpera Database) entry for the new production's debut. The new production was presented as Don Carlos.

The 2022-2023 season's first revival, which reverted to an Italian libretto, was presented under the opera's Italian title of Don Carlo. Don Carlo received nine performances in the 2022-2023 Met Opera season. Don Carlo opened Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The second through ninth, closing performances were offered Monday, Nov. 7, at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time; Friday, Nov. 11, at 7:00 p.m.; Tuesday, Nov. 15, at 7:00 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 19, at 12:00 noon; Wednesday, Nov. 23, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 26, at 7:30 p.m.; Wednesday, Nov. 30, at 7:00 p.m.; and Saturday, Dec. 3, at 12 noon.

Met Opera's Feb. 18, 2023, Saturday matinee broadcast airs the first revival's opening performance from Thursday, Nov. 3, 2022.

Carlo Rizzi conducted all nine performances of Don Carlo in the 2022-2023 Met Opera season. The Italian conductor had made his Met Opera debut Friday, Oct. 29, 1993, in the opera company’s 989th performance of La Bohème by Italian opera composer Giacomo Puccini (Dec. 22, 1858-Nov. 29, 1924).

Russell Thomas appeared in the first (aired as the Feb. 18 Saturday matinee broadcast) and third through seventh performances in the title role of the oldest son, heir apparent, love rival and political opponent of 16th-century Spanish King Filippo II. The American operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, March 10, 2005, as a Royal Herald in the opera company’s 178th performance of Don Carlo.

Russell Thomas shared the princely role with Rafael Davila, who sang Don Carlo in the first revival's second and eighth through ninth, closing performances. The Puerto Rican tenor had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Jan. 19, 2017, as Don José in the opera company's 1,002nd performance of Carmen by French Romantic Era composer Georges Bizet (Oct. 25, 1838-June 3, 1875).

Eleonora Buratto appeared in the revival's first five performances as Elisabetta di Valois, Filippo's wife and Don Carlos's former fiancée. The Italian soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, March 4, 2016, as Norina in the opera company’s 136th performance of Don Pasquale by 19th-century Italian bel canto opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848).

Eleonora Buratto shared the queenly role with Angela Meade, who sang Elisabetta in the first revival's sixth through ninth, closing performances. The American operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, March 21, 2008, in the opera company’s 83rd performance of Verdi's Ernani.

Peter Mattei appeared in all nine performances as Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa, whose self-incrimination triggers his murder by the Inquisition. The Swedish operatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Jan. 24, 2002, as Count Almaviva in the opera company’s 392nd performance of Le Nozze di Figaro by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

Yulia Matochkina appeared in all nine performances as Princess Eboli, King Filippo's mistress, whose love for Don Carlo is unrequited. The Russian mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Saturday, May 28, 2022, as Maddalena in the opera company's 908th performance of Verdi's Rigoletto.

Günther Groissböck appeared in all nine performances as King Filippo II, who marries his son Don Carlo's fiancée. Groissböck's appearances add to his Met Opera portfolio the role that he originally had been scheduled to perform, but from which he had withdrawn, in the new production's 2021-2022 season debut. The Austrian bass had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2010, as Colline in the opera company’s 1,224th performance of Puccini's La Bohème.

John Relyea appeared in all nine performances as the Grand Inquisitor, who controls the Spanish throne and fervently enforces burnings-at-the-stake. His appearances in the first revival marked his first reprisal of the inquisitorial role that he had added to his Met Opera portfolio in the new production's 2021-2022 season debut. The Canadian operatic bass-baritone had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Feb. 24, 2000, as Alidoro in the opera company's 13th performance of La Cenerentola by Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868).

The 2022-2023 Met Opera season's lineup of Saturday matinee broadcasts continues with the Feb. 25, 2023, airing of Dmitri Dmitriyevich Shostakovich’s Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk. The replay of the opera company's Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022, performance of Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk is scheduled as the 10th of the season's 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts.

Eleonora Buratto as political pawn Elisabetta di Valois (left), Peter Mattei as Flanders supporter Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa (right), and Yulia Matochkina as jealous, then remorseful Princess Eboli (upper right) in the 2022-2023 Met Opera season's first revival of David McVicar's new production of Verdi's Don Carlo; scenic designs by Charles Edwards, costumes by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, lighting by Adam Silverman, choreography by Leah Hausman: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook Nov. 10, 2022

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Dedication

This post is dedicated to the memory of our beloved blue-eyed brother, Charles, who guided the creation of the Met Opera and Astronomy posts on Earth and Space News. We memorialized our brother in "Our Beloved Blue-Eyed Brother, Charles, With Whom We Are Well Pleased," published on Earth and Space News on Thursday, Nov. 18, 2021, an anniversary of our beloved father's death.

Image credits:

Günther Groissböck as Spanish Inquisition-controlled King Filippo II and Peter Mattei as Flanders supporter Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa, in the 2022-2023 Met Opera season's first revival of David McVicar's new production of Verdi's Don Carlo; scenic designs by Charles Edwards, costumes designed by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, lighting designed by Adam Silverman, choreography by Leah Hausman: Günther Groissböck @GGboeck, via Twitter. Nov. 15, 2022, @ https://twitter.com/GGboeck/status/1592588531712786432https://twitter.com/GGboeck/status/1592588531712786432?cxt=HHwWgIDQoZ21gZosAAAA

Eleonora Buratto as political pawn Elisabetta di Valois (left), Peter Mattei as Flanders supporter Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa (right), and Yulia Matochkina as jealous, then remorseful Princess Eboli (upper right) in the 2022-2023 Met Opera season's first revival of David McVicar's new production of Verdi's Don Carlo; scenic designs by Charles Edwards, costumes by Brigitte Reiffenstuel, lighting by Adam Silverman, choreography by Leah Hausman: The Metropolitan Opera, via Facebook Nov. 10, 2022, @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/pfbid02b9QTzGV9eBdw9UEN8fNuR9fSgaY98GT9uzqi7cUDkFLcEE1crFSUwJKucMVVUoUYl

For further information:

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“Debut: Russell Thomas.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351189 Don Carlo {178} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/10/2005.
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“Debuts: Dimitri Tiliakos, Günther Groissböck, Brandon Mayberry.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 353654 La Bohème {1224} Metropolitan Opera House: 12/01/2010.
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Günther Groissböck @GGboeck. "Last show today of #doncarlo #9 ⁦@MetOpera. EARLY CURTAIN." Twitter. Dec. 3, 2022.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/GGboeck/status/1599066497569136641

Günther Groissböck @GGboeck. "Tonight #doncarlo @MetOpera radiobroadcast ⁦@SIRIUSXM @CarloRizziMusic @METOrchestra @MetOperaChorus @travlingtenor @EleonoraBuratto #petermattei #yuliamatochkina #johnrelyea #alexandrosstavrakakis." Twitter. Nov. 15, 2022.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/GGboeck/status/1592588531712786432

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Merola Opera Program @merolaopera. "MEROLINI DEBUT ALERT. Congratulations to @ToniMarieOpera (‘15), who made her @MetOpera Debut last night in “Don Carlo” as Voice from Heaven and to John Relyea ('95), who returns to the Met stage as the Grand Inquisitor! #MakeItMerola #Opera #Merola #Music #Debut #Art." Nov. 4, 2022.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/merolaopera/status/1588622681779347458

The Metropolitan Opera. "Soprano Eleonora Buratto, starring as Elisabeth in Verdi’s Don Carlo, sings with 'an elegant tone and brilliant high notes.' -- The New York Times. Maestro Carlo Rizzi returns to the podium tomorrow, November 11, to lead an exceptional cast that also features tenor Russell Thomas in the title role, mezzo-soprano Yulia Matochkina, baritone Peter Mattei, bass-baritone John Relyea, and bass Günther Groissböck. Purchase tickets: bit.ly/3xTGxIu Photo by Ken Howard / Met Opera" Facebook. Nov. 10, 2022.
Available via Facebook @ https://www.facebook.com/MetOpera/posts/pfbid02b9QTzGV9eBdw9UEN8fNuR9fSgaY98GT9uzqi7cUDkFLcEE1crFSUwJKucMVVUoUYl

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Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. "Don’t miss your final chance this season to see the superb maestro @CarloRizziMusic conduct Verdi’s Don Carlo in David McVicar’s monumental production! On stage tomorrow, Dec 3: http://bit.ly/3xTGxIu. Ken Howard / Met Opera." Twitter. Dec. 2, 2022.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1598803030232768524

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Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1599063413350494208

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Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1589719162133565440

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Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1598009909031096320

Metropolitan Opera @MetOpera. “'I want to enjoy what I’m doing. That’s why I’m happy about these three works at the Met. Each one, in a different way, has been rewarding.' -- @CarloRizziMusic in an interview with the @nytimes. Rizzi conducts twice more this fall: http://bit.ly/3xTGxIu." Twitter. Nov. 30, 2022.
Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1598075230231986176

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Available via Twitter @ https://twitter.com/MetOpera/status/1587862653824864257

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