They make Elisabetta's every look, gesture, and attitude seem integral and supported by text and music, whether the choice is traditional or not (e.g. Hytner and soprano Marina Poplavskaya have brought much care and imagination to the heroine's gradual progression from coltish, mischievous young girl to fatalistic, disillusioned monarch, and their work is persuasive.
On this occasion, however, we might feel it should have been called ELISABETH DE VALOIS, for the Queen is the most interesting and fully realized figure in stage director Nicholas Hytner's production (shared by the Met, Norwegian National Opera, and Royal Opera House Covent Garden EMI's DVD is a composite of three summer 2008 ROH performances). Sometimes we leave wondering why Verdi's opera was not titled PHILIPPE II, ROI D'ESPAGNE.
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