Opera Review: ‘Don Carlos’: A Sweeping Canvas of 16th-Century Spain

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CHICAGO—“Don Carlos” is considered by many opera lovers to be Verdi’s greatest work, and for good reason. In this opera, the legendary Italian composer, always the moral realist, psychoanalyzes larger-than-life characters exposing their motivations, and delves into the conflict between their personal responsibility and societal expectations.

Verdi juxtaposes politics, history, and personal drama, as well as offering a sweeping canvas of 16th-century Spain that makes “Don Carlos” the most powerful and profound of all his operas.

Betty Mohr
Betty Mohr
Author
As an arts writer and movie/theater/opera critic, Betty Mohr has been published in the Chicago Sun-Times, The Chicago Tribune, The Australian, The Dramatist, the SouthtownStar, the Post Tribune, The Herald News, The Globe and Mail in Toronto, and other publications.
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