From the moment she arrived, King Philip II of Spain could see that his new bride Elisabetta was disappointed in the man she saw before her: a graying old monarch at the end of his life. She never loved him. Of that, Philip is sure.

In his aria "Ella giammai m'amò," Philip bemoans the fact that he will be sleeping alone as he reaches old age — just as he will sleep alone in his tomb. He wishes he knew who he could trust, who he could love. After all, it's lonely being the king.

"If only the royal crown could but give me the power to read human hearts — something God alone can see," Philip sighs.

Bass René Pape stars as King Philip II in our latest #OperaIsON streaming special "Don Carlo," streaming for free the weekend of April 17, 2021, starting Saturday at 10 a.m. Pacific: [ Ссылка ]

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