Don Carlos

In his production, director Peter Konwitschny spun a web of relationships of breathtaking density between the characters. Initially rejected by parts of the audience, the production soon achieved cult status and is now greeted with great euphoria every time it is revived. He also created a humorous pantomime interlude to Verdi's great ballet music in the third act, which heightens the tragedy's impact. For Konwitschny, there is a particular focus on the utopian moment that Verdi shows with the salvation of Carlos and Elisabeth at the end of the opera. For the director, the ending is therefore not a realistic retelling, but a kind of veto by the composer against the victory of the authorities who are hostile to love and life.