"Dieu Est Au-Dessus De Nous": A Study of the Worldview of Verdi's Marquis De Posa from the Opera Don Carlos through Music, Text and Historical Context

Abstract

Thought of as the hero of the opera at the premiere but described later as being somewhat monochromatic and uninteresting, the role of Posa in Verdi's Don Carlos has recently attracted more attention. On the one hand he is portrayed as a naive ideologue, on the other a ruthless manipulator of persons. It is my intent to show that in crafting the character of Posa, Verdi shaped the music to portray him as a righteous diplomat: diplomatic in that he speaks the musical language of the person to whom he is making his political entreaties, and righteous in that his music stands in stark contrast to that of Le Grand Inquisiteur and is more aligned with that of Une Voix d'en Haut. I put forth and defend the personal interpretation that Posa could, in fact, be a Calvinist. How this theory affects the performance of this role is demonstrated through an investigation of the dramatic impulses of the Trio of Acte III, 3me Tableau.