About the work
Opera in three acts and nine scenes by Alberto Ginastera to a Spanish libretto by Alejandro Casona, first performed on 24 July 1964 at the Teatro Colón in Buenos Aires, conducted by Bruno Bartoletti and directed by Jorge Petraglia. It was Ginastera's first opera, commissioned by the city of Buenos Aires.
Plot
The plot follows the last Visigothic king, Rodrigo, in eighth-century Spain: after his coronation he seduces the noblewoman Florinda, driving her father, the governor of Ceuta, into an alliance with the invading Moors. Rodrigo's military defeat by the Moors and his death appear as atonement for his guilt.
Cultural significance
Singing the title role, Plácido Domingo launched his international career at the 1966 US premiere at New York City Opera; it was this success that carried Don Rodrigo's reputation beyond Argentina. Musically, the opera combines a freely atonal, symmetrically organised structure with grand, oratorio-like choral scenes.