Don Carlos is a grand work, with opera’s eternal themes of love, betrayal and faith.

These days, it's beloved by fans of Verdi, but that hasn’t always been the case. The opera has appeared in many forms over the years, with some acts edited out and even the language changed.

The latest production by the Metropolitan Opera is performed for the first time by the company in the original French.

The production's star, Matthew Polenzani, takes listeners back to the origins: the character's and his own.