Giuseppe Verdi’s opera “Don Carlos” was based on Schiller’s drama and exists in several versions. Commissioned by the Paris Opéra, it was given its world premiere there in 1867. The work comprised five acts and a large ballet – in conformity with the conventions of the French grand opera at that time. Five years later, Verdi created a heavily cut Italian version which is still the version generally performed today, as in this recording from Milan’s La Scala. For many years, “Don Carlos” was generally given in four acts; the first act was often completely cut and other scenes were left out. A return to the complete, five-act French-language version was ushered in during the second half of the 20th century. The aristocrat of conductors, the autocrat of the baton, Riccardo Muti cuts a noble figure at the head of any orchestra, and ennobles every ensemble through his charismatic personality and red-blooded musicality. In many respects, including his unwillingness to compromise over artistic matters, he is reminiscent of Arturo Toscanini, who was also a demanding ruler at the podium. His rise to international fame set in with his guest conductorships at the Salzburg Festival in 1971 and at the head of the Berlin Philharmonic and the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1972. Muti became principal guest conductor of the Philadelphia Orchestra a few years later, and was named its music director in 1980. Always a conductor of both the symphonic and operatic repertoire, Muti advanced to the post of music director of La Scala in Milan in 1986. The 1990s saw Muti consolidating his reputation at the head of this venerable institution, as well as in countless other high-caliber venues around the world. Today he is one of the undisputed giants among the leading conductors of the world.