Review: Don Carlo at the Atlas
Don Carlo translates beautifully to the big screen. Like many operas, it is a story of star-crossed lovers, friendship, and betrayal. It boasts a huge orchestra and chorus and demands endurance from the singers. The music is delicious. There are countless delightful lyrical moments that capture the audience. It should be an easy sell, but as Verdi’s longest opera it can be challenging to sit through.
Director Stéphane Braunschweig kept his viewers alert by offering visually stimulating picturesque scenes (reminding one of a Fra Angelico painting or perhaps a tableaux) and a unique interpretation of classic staging. Knowing his stodgy cast, the director tactfully stationed them at various marks around the stage and instead directed the audience’s attention to each central character’s doppelganger – young children who gave life to the action-packed story. This also offered depth to the protagonists who seemed constantly plagued by their allegiances – unsure whether to follow their hearts or be politically correct. In one scene, for example, Don Carlo raises his sword to challenge his father, the King. When the King demands his court disarm Carlo, only Rodrigo (Carlo’s best friend but also the King’s confidante) steps forward. It is not he, however, but his boyish-version who asks Don Carlo to relinquish his weapon. In this moment, the audience stands in Carlo’s shoes, watching as he has no choice but to surrender, not to Rodrigo the man, but to Rodrigo his childhood bosom-buddy. Visually and aurally, it is a powerful moment to behold.
TNG readers might also be particularly intrigued by this opera as it has numerous gay undertones, and some feminist motifs. There seem to be friend pairs that are just a little closer than you would expect from a story taking place in mid-16th century Spain. And, the staging supports this theory. Of course, this is entirely a biased speculation, but it surprised me how often the thought popped into my head.
As I mentioned in my review of Don Giovanni, the Atlas Theater, although somewhat off the beaten-path, is a beautiful space and definitely worth visiting even if not for this opera series.
In case you missed it, the opera will be screened again this Sunday (May 9) at 2PM. You can purchase tickets online at: www.atlasarts.org – make sure to get the special 20% off discount for TNG readers by entering the promo code opera20.
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