Lise Davidsen triumphs in first major Verdi role

Lise Davidsen (Elisabetta)

John Relyea (Filippo) and Luca Micheletti (Posa)

Brian Jagde (Carlo) and John Relyea (Filippo) in the auto-da-fé scene

Yulia Matochkina (Eboli) and Lise Davidsen (Elisabetta)

By Mark Pullinger, 01 July 2023

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“a luxury voice in this most luxurious of Verdi operas”

Reviewed at Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, London on 30 June 2023

Verdi, Don Carlo(s) (5 acts in Italian)

The Royal Opera

Bertrand de Billy, Conductor

Nicholas Hytner, Director

Bob Crowley, Set Designer, Costume Designer

Mark Henderson, Lighting Designer

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House Covent Garden

Royal Opera Chorus

John Relyea, Filippo II

Brian Jagde, Don Carlo

Luca Micheletti, Rodrigo, Marchese di Posa

Taras Shtonda, Il Grande Inquisitore

Lise Davidsen, Elisabetta di Valois

Yulia Matochkina, La Principessa Eboli

Alexander Köpeczi, Un frate

Ella Taylor, Tebaldo

Michael Gibson, Il Conte di Lerma

Sarah Dufresne, Una voce dal cielo

Josef Jeongmeen Ahn, Deputati fiamminghi

Matthew Durkan, Deputati fiamminghi

Felix Kemp, Deputati fiamminghi

Dan D'Souza, Deputati fiamminghi

Jihoon Kim, Deputati fiamminghi

Simon Lasker Wallfisch, Deputati fiamminghi

Scarlett Mackmin, Choreography

Terry King, Fight Director

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Mark Pullinger

Mark has been a Bachtrack editor since 2014. He is also an experienced critic, writing hundreds of reviews for the site, as well as a freelancer writing for other magazines and newspapers. He also writes programme notes and blogs on Substack. Mark has a particular passion for the operas of Verdi as well as Russian and French repertoire. Outside the concert hall and opera house, Mark enjoys cooking and travel and is probably at his happiest let loose in a French patisserie or a Viennese coffee house.