Act III has the spectacular Auto-da-fé with opponents of the Spanish Inquisition being burned at the stake.

The theme from this aria recurs throughout the opera as a friendship leitmotif.

There is a thrilling moment in Act II when they pledge eternal friendship.

Simon Keenlyside is an added bonus as the idealistic Marquis of Posa, Don Carlo's friend who persuades Carlo that his future is in Flanders, fighting for the cause of the oppressed Flanders people. Roberto Alagna and Marina Poplavskaya make an effective pairing here although I have to admit that I missed Rolando Villazón's eye-rolling performance as the slightly deranged Don.The exciting young Russian Soprano, Poplavskaya is a revelation as Elisabetta with a purity of tone and complete control throughout her vocal range. Seeing the first act, set in the forest of Fontainebleau it is difficult to see how Verdi could countenance making cuts in it to make room for a ballet at the opera's Paris premiere. So Carlo has to get used to calling his beloved, Mum. The two meet and fall in love but their joy is brief as it is shortly announced that the peace negotiations have gone so well that Elisabetta is to marry, not Carlo, but his elderly father Philip II. This is an opera about the Spanish Infante, Carlo, who is betrothed to the French princess Elisabetta as part of a peace treaty between the two countries. The result is an effective and enjoyable production although it does not quite attain the heights of the original London version. The principals are the same as in London except that Roberto Alagna takes over from Rolando Villazón in the title role and Anna Smirnova replaces Sonia Ganassi as Princess Eboli. I found this Met production strangely familiar until I realised that it was a revival of Nicholas Hytner's 2008 production for Covent Garden.

Don carlos met opera review