The visually impressive staging of Don Carlo, created by the German director Claus Guth, with set design by Etienne Pluss and costume design by Petra Reinhardt, premiered at Teatro di San Carlo in Naples in the latter part of 2022. Don Carlo is one of Verdi's most ambitious operas. As such, it went through several revisions in both French and Italian during the composer's own lifetime. Verdi’s masterpiece will be performed in Italian at the Latvian National Opera.
The events of Giuseppe Verdi's emotionally charged opera Don Carlo are set in the 16th century France and Spain. The plot revolves around negotiations for a peace treaty between the two countries, involving the marriage of the Spanish prince Carlo to the French princess Élisabeth. When political considerations lead to Carlo's beloved Élisabeth becoming the wife of own father, Philippe II, the protagonist finds himself at a crossroads of politics, love, and religion that could shape the future of entire Europe.