Guiseppe Verdi's Don Carlos and Aida

Don Carlos and Aida


Guiseppe Verdi’s “Don Carlos” and “Aida” are both considered to be two of the grandest operas ever composed; however, “Aida” has always surpassed “Don Carlos” in its popularity from its premiere until recently. Although, we can find many parallels between the story lines and music treatment of these two opera, there are several key differences in these operas that separate them. It can be argued that Don Carlos is the more innovative and more musically creative of the two.
“Don Carlos” is an opera composed in five acts for the Paris Opera which has also been produced in Italian in four acts. Verdi has rejected the subject of Schiller’s “Don Carlos” in the 1850’s but later preferred the subject matter to the likes of “King Lear” which would probably lack spectacle and “Cleopatra” which could produce an unsympathetic love story. The French libretto was begun by Joseph Mery and completed by Camille du Locle, the son-in-law of the General Manager of the Paris Opera. Verdi added two major scenes to the original play, one between King Philip and the grand inquisitor and the other between Philip
and Posa. Most of the work on the opera was done in 1866 but due to a conflict between Italy and Austria the work was interrupted. Verdi in fact asked to be released from the contract but was refused and the premier was scheduled for the fall of 1866. However, the opera was not premiered until March 11, 1867 due to various obstacles, including a strike and illness. When the rehearsal period at the Grand Opera was coming to a close in February of 1867, Verdi had to make extensive cuts because of the length of the opera. Some of the scenes that were cut, included a long Prelude and Introduction to Act 1, part of the Philip-Posa duet in Act 2, and both the Elisabeth-Eboli and the Carlos-Philip duets in Act 4. The premiere with cast that included Louis-Henri Obin (Philip), Paul Morère (Don Carlos), Jean-Baptiste Faure (Posa), Marie Sasse (Elisabeth) and Pauline Guéymard-Lauters (Eboli) was not received very well by the audience and critics alike. In 1872, for the Italian version of the Opera, Verdi made further alterations. He restored and rewrote the Philip-Posa duet and cut parts of the final duet between Carlos and Elisabeth. Later in 1882–1883, he once again revised the opera because of time constraints. A lot of passages have been changed but most importantly the whole of Act 1 was eliminated and Carlos’s aria was placed into the following act. Also, the ballet required for the Grand Opera had no further purpose and was eliminated along with the Chorus of the Inquisitors.

“Aida’s” history is as complicated as the one of “Don Carlos”. Verdi was once again searching for a quality libretto and was supplied with one in 1870, when Du Locle sent Verdi an invented story set in Egyptian antiquity by Auguste Mariette. Verdi had refused to supply a composition to open the Suez Canal in 1869; but he accepted this libretto to open a new Opera House in Egypt. He appointed Antonio Ghislanzoni as the librettist. Verdi completed the orchestration of his score in Italy but the entire production of the opera was delayed by the Franco-Prussian war. Aida was first performed in Cairo, on the 24th December 1871, directed by Giovanni Bottesini, and cast included: Eleonora Grossi (Amneris), Antonietta Anastasi-Pozzoni (Aida), Pietro Mongini (Radames) and Francesco Steller (Amonasro). The opera was an immediate hit. For the Italian premiere at La Scala on the 8th of February 1872, Verdi made a couple of changes to the score but nothing as drastic as his revisions in “Don Carlos”. “Aida” became extremely successful with the Italian public, even though some critics responded negatively to some musically non-progressive passages.
“Aida” has always been perceived as one of the biggest spectacles in the opera world. However, it can be said that with the exception of the triumphant Egyptian army return scene in Act II it is very much an opera of a chamber-like feel with subtle orchestration. There are two major themes present in the prelude. A chromatic one played by the violins is associated with Aida throughout the opera and a more scalar theme is associated with the priests. “Aida” can be characterized as a very traditional opera compared to “Don Carlos”, in the line
with comparison between Rigoletto and Il Trovatore. The melodies and tunes can be labeled as conservative and the overall structure is very traditional. “Don Carlos”, on the other hand, is composed with greater variety and innovation than “Aida”. Verdi seems to take more liberties with the composition of Arias and develops characters and vocal capabilities to greater extents.
The characters in “Aida” conform to clichés of opera standards. Aida is a typical heroine: a seductress and an unconditional lover with a conflict of interest; Radames, an archetypal hero, obligated to both his love and his homeland; Amneris, the most intriguing character in the opera, is a love-torn third party in the lovers’ conflict. The supporting characters are also one-dimensional and undeveloped. Even though Verdi conforms to the traditional treatment of characters, he is still able to write music that surpasses the quality of the literary aspects of the piece. During the creative process, Verdi had a strong hand in the writing of the libretto. In his numerous letters to librettist Antonio Ghislanzoni, Verdi explains the importance of properly nuanced phrases. “These verses must be solemn and sententious; they’re sung by the priests” (Werfel & Stefan, 278). “Let me say this once and for all: I’m never criticizing your verses, which are always good. I’m only expressing my opinion about the stage effect” . . . “You may say, ‘But those are trifles, my verses say the same thing.’ Very true: trifles, if you like. But phrases like, ‘would smite me, would smite my father, and fall upon us all . . . . in vain . . . you could not . . .’ and such, if they are only well delivered always hold the attention of the audience and sometimes produce a great effect” (Werfel & Stefan, 280).
In comparison, the characters of “Don Carlos” seem to go through changes and personal developments. This is most obvious in the character of King Philip whose dilemma with the fate of his son, Don Carlos, marvelously plays out in the duet between him and Grand Inquisitor. In the dramatically charged monologue scene, King Philip visualizes his own death and burial in the Escurial, and exposes his mortality to us and himself. This treatment of a character is rather unusual for the standards of Italian opera and provides one with a welcome escape from normalcy. Don Carlos cannot be labeled as a typical hero since he has a complicated relationship with his homeland and loved ones. Elisabeth is much more generic a character than King Philip and even Don Carlos, although she does develop in the course of the opera. Even though she is forced to marry King Philip instead of Don Carlos as originally intended for the sake of peace between France and Spain, she remains faithful to her husband with the exception of a small picture in her jewel box.
In the treatment of voices in the operas, one can find many similarities and differences. The mezzo soprano roles of Amneris and Eboli are much more present and highlight a much bigger range than was normally accepted in Italian opera. Verdi was the first to really develop and use the deep and sonorous and sometimes even harsh sounds to enhance the expressive qualities of the music. These two characters sometimes even surpass the leading prima donna soprano roles, and are at times equal in their importance to the drama and the music. The bass roles in both operas outline the relationship between royalty and the head religious figures. Both religious figures have an unwavering quality that is also expressed through the music. It is especially noticeable in the duet between the Grand Inquisitor and King Philip in which the Grand Inquisitor represents the authoritarian quality that is often present in religion. Only King Philip strays from the solidity that characterizes bass roles. His dynamic character adds excitement to the music and presents a real breakthrough in the treatment of the bass role.
The greatest similarity between the two operas can be found in the biggest scenes: the auto-da-fe scene in “Don Carlos” and the triumphal scene in “Aida”. Both scenes present a multi-layered texture of all characters and choruses available. All social classes including the priesthood, the people, and the oppressed are represented in this culmination point. We see a real conflict between the struggling who cry out for mercy and the priests who denounce them as well as the people who ask for mercy, “Pieta!”, for the oppressed. “Pieta!” is used in the peoples’ chorus in both “Don Carlos” and “Aida”. Meanwhile, the main characters also sing, but mainly about their own personal issues and struggles. In addition to having all the characters onstage, these two scenes show the orchestra score at its mightiest. These two scenes are often the most remembered because of their sheer size.


In the duet between Carlos and Elisabeth in Act 1, ‘Io vengo a domandar’, Verdi matches the accelerating dialogue with equally rapid musical movement. Although we see a cabaletta-like ending, there is no sense of a conventional four-movement form. In the opening, Carlos asks Elisabeth to ask King Philip on to allow him to leave for Flanders. She agrees, and Carlos pronounces his love for her. Elisabeth at first denies any feelings for him, but eventually admits her feelings; Carlos faints, and Elisabeth fears he is dying. When he comes to his senses, he sings a passionate song to his beloved, ‘Sotto al mio pie’. When he tries to embrace her, she rejects him telling him that if he wants her he should first kill his father. This scene can be contrasted to a duet between Aida and Radames ‘Pur ti riveggo’ in Act 3, which is like most of the duets of its time and follows the classical four part structure, unlike the duet from “Don Carlos”. Radames meets Aida in order to win her over once and for all. However, she tries to persuade him to flee to Ethiopia with her and with extreme cunning, she extracts from him the secret location of the Egyptian army on the pretense that she is looking for a safe path on which they can flee. This information is for her father who is hiding in the bushes, so that he can attack the Egyptian army.
In “Don Carlos”, Elisabeth has an aria reminiscing about her home in France and all of its beauties which directly correlates to the aria in which Aida sings longingly of her home in Ethiopia. Although one is a slave and one is a queen, they both suffer through feelings of imprisonment and unfulfilled love. They both sing to their god/gods asking for mercy and guidance upon their suffering. Once again, there is a striking difference in the tempo treatment of the two arias. While Aida’s aria remains very steady throughout, Elisabeth’s aria seems to be more temperamental. The treatment of accompanimental figures is quite similar in both arias although Elisabeth’s aria is considerably more chromatic than Aida’s.
The greater popularity of “Aida” over “Don Carlos” can be attributed to several key factors. First and foremost is the length of “Don Carlos” compared to “Aida”. Also the public in Verdi’s time was more accustomed to simpler treatment of characters which “Don Carlos” certainly lacks. The religious sub-plot of “Don Carlos” has offended many people including the influential Empress Eugenia in France who turned her back at the stage during the scene between King Philip and the Grand Inquisitor. The exotic location of “Aida” also contributed to its popularity as well as the local color in the music which Verdi pulled off so fantastically. The grand entrance of the Egyptian Army became one of the centerpieces of all opera house productions. These productions became almost like contests of who could put it on the most lavishly. The trumpet call opening the scene remains to be one of the most well known tunes in the history of classical music.
In conclusion, in recent times, “Don Carlos” has risen in the esteem of the general public. Perhaps the public has become tired of the spectacle and maybe there is more to discover with “Don Carlos” with every ensuing hearing of the work than there is with the easily devoured “Aida”. One cannot deny the
greatness of a work like “Aida”, however the substance of “Don Carlos” is more satisfactory and fulfilling.

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