Opera doesn't come much grander that Verdi's Don Carlo, arguably his greatest work, in the Royal Opera's highly acclaimed 2008 production by Nicholas Hytner.
An all star cast is led by Rolando Villazón in the title role, Marina Poplavskaya as his stepmother Elizabeth of Valois, with whom he has fallen in love, and Ferruccio Furlanetto as his father, Philip II of Spain (who was nominated for an Olivier award for this performance). Around this tragic central triangle, complicated by the intervention of Princess Eboli, is the conflict between authoritarian religion, represented by the Grand Inquisitor, and Simon Keenlyside's liberal Marquis of Posa. Spectacle and intimacy combine in an in-depth exploration of the powerful impact on the fate of the nations.