Verdi - Don Carlo / Pavarotti, Dessi, Ramey, d'Intino, Coni, Muti, La Scala Opera

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This is a highly professional, sometimes outstanding production of one of Verdi's greatest operas. With lavish staging by Franco Zeffirelli and distinguished performances by Luciano Pavarotti (Don Carlo) and Samuel Ramey (King Philip), as well as the La Scala Orchestra and Chorus, under Riccardo Muti, it can be recommended as the best available DVD edition of the four-act version that Verdi prepared in response to complaints about the production expense and the length (nearly four hours) of his five-act original.

The hard choice for a prospective owner is between the four-act and the five-act versions. Riccardo Muti, like most conductors today, omits the first act, set in the forest of Fontainebleau, in which Don Carlo meets and falls in love with the French Princess Elisabeth, who was his fiancée but instead, tragically, becomes his stepmother. This is a serious omission of thematically powerful material, and James Levine and the Metropolitan Opera include it, beautifully produced, in their all-star video with Placido Domingo in the title role. --Joe McLellan

Customer Reviews:

Read 'em all before you buy.......2006-01-15

If you are looking for just one all-around great dvd of Don Carlo, this may not be the exact thing for you, from a dramatic or visual standpoint. It's a very good recording as to the singing aspects. Pavarotti sings very nicely. He has a nice Corelli-ish edge to the voice which gives the impression of drama, but at the same time he has a lyric feel - I really enjoy listening to him here. Dessi is a great Italian soprano. This is a good role for her. People are often looking for a rich voice and sometimes count out a singer like Dessi for dramatic roles but hers is a timeless Italian sound - the voice has a bit of a hard edge to it but it is still pretty; it is not a fat voice but neither is it thin; her technique is excellent. She sounds a bit similar to the great German soprano Gundula Janowitz in the famous live recording with Corelli. Her acting is nice and she looks good. Only a couple times I wished for a little more freedom from her on the high notes. Dessi's middle and lower registers are great. Ramey is no less than great and the baritone and the mezzo do their jobs nicely both delivering some lovely moments.

I am editing this review here and Amazon does not allow you to change how many stars you give it, but I think now I would go down to 2 stars and recommend you pass this one up, simply because all three of the men, Pavarotti, Croft, and Ramey sing lovely but with hardly a hint of emotion, so I am not really playing this one very much anymore.

One more note on Pavarotti: I enjoy his singing very much, but even in phrasing he is more lacking in passion in this recording than he usually is, (which is a shame since Don Carlo is such a passionate character). This is a recording made from the infamous run at La Scala where during one of the performances he cracked and was booed. Pavarotti says he basically was unprepared and allowed the voice to drop in uncertainty. You can sense his lack of confidance in this whole recording. He still comes off as the consummate professional he is, but the confidance you generally hear from him is lacking here.

Just to make a small correction from another review: When Pavarotti calls 'Elisabetta'(Italian) 'Isabella'(both Italian and Spanish), he is perfectly following the libretto. The story is Spanish but the libretto is Italian translated from French. The names 'Isabel' and 'Elizabeth' have branched off from early versions of the name and they both mean 'consecrated one'. The names are used interchangeably in the libretto. All Don Carlo-es (pural) sing it the same way, interchanging the names as the libretto dictates.

Lots of gorgeous Zeffirelli bling-bling.......2005-05-08

I imagined Franco Zeffirelli must have jumped for joy when he learned he was going to stage his very own auto-da-fé. Lots of jeweled crosses, gold reliquaries, and other religious bling-bling. His lavish, gargantuan sets tend to shift the atmosphere of the opera to its religious-political meaning, somewhat muting the romantic tragedies that take place between four of the five principals (I'm not counting the relationship between Rodrigo and Don Carlo as romantic). Another thing that weakens the romance angle is the exclusion of the Fontainebleu scene. This "Don Carlo" is performed in its 1884 Italian four-act version.

Well, there's a third reason why the romance doesn't really come through. Luciano Pavarotti's Don Carlo seems grumpy rather than lovelorn. He absentmindedly calls Elisabetta (the passion of his life), 'Isabella' at least twice. However, he is vocally in top form. The opening-night cracked note, which made international headlines in 1992 is not in this recording. As always, the other principals rotate around a stationary Pavarotti like lesser moons around a greater moon.

As Elisabetta, Daniela Dessi makes a decent impression, although she is not as regal a queen as was Mirella Freni in the 1982 Metropolitan Opera recording. Someone must have told her that they were looking for a drama queen rather than a Spanish queen. Actually that worked out quite well in the Act IV study scene when Elisabetta confronts her monstrously paranoid husband. Dessi's voice was pleasant, although a bit threadbare at its top.

Luciana d'Intino began very tentatively with the 'Veil Song.' Princess Eboli's guaranteed show-stopper garnered only a bit of polite applause from the La Scala audience. She did begin to warm to her job later in the midnight garden, although her confession to the queen in Act IV fell dramatically flat. Once she was alone in Phillip's study and well-launched into "O don fatale," her voice opened up quite beautifully.

Paolo Conti as Rodrigo acted his critical duets with Don Carlo and the King very well, but his voice weakened and sharped as the evening drew on. His vibrato seemed very open and unsteady for such a young singer.

Of course, the real reason I bought this La Scala recording was for Samuel Ramey's King Phillip. He is in magnificent voice, almost too virile for an ageing king. The Act IV study scene with Ramey's grieving "Ella giammai m'amo" has few equals. His confrontation with the Grand Inquisitor is Verdi at his finest--two iron men in velvet voices clashing on the fate of the Empire, with the orchestra growling and moaning in the pit.

And speaking of the orchestra, Riccardo Muti's conducted some breathtaking allegros, especially at the beginning of the first and second scenes of the second act (the Queen's garden scene and the auto-da-fé scene). Otherwise it was a very balanced, sonorous evening in the pit.

Grand night at the Opera.......2004-08-22

A magnificant production of Don Carlo. Muti uses the 4 Act Italian version. The principals perform well, and the staging is outstanding. I have enjoyed the performance as a whole and recommend it highly.

Gorgeous production with some weak singing.......2004-08-10

This is a grand, gorgeous, sweeping Franco Zeffirelli production from LaScala. Unfortunately, only one or two of the singers live up to it. Luciano Pavarotti (Don Carlo) doesn't let us down vocally, but he
doesn'tconnect with the role or with the other singers. He is a throwback to the"stand and sing" singers of the past, and barely makes an impression. He lacks the passion that should be the cornerstone of this role. As Elisabetta, Daniela Dessi's voice is not in good shape. It sounds hollowand dry, and she is unable to comfortably sustain some of the long phrases. She lacks the majesty and grandeur this role needs. She acts very well for the camera and looks beautiful, if occasionally sour. Luciana d'Intino is an Eboli-lite, though the voice is a beautiful
instrument. She is good dramatically, as is almost everyone, save Pavarotti. Vocally, the Rodrigo (Paolo Coni) falls a few notches below the other voices in quality, which spoils the duet with Carlo, with the King, and his own death scene. For a young man, he sounds unsteady: listen to the "Dio che dell'alma infondere,"duet, where, against Pavarotti's rock-steady voice, his seems to lap in waves against it, or the last note of the "Per me giunto," where it wavers out of control. As Filippo, Samuel Ramey sings magnificently and phrases royally. His
scene with the Grand Inquisitor is splendid, because it is acted and sung
with total conviction by both singers. The Grand Inquisitor is Alexander Anisimov, has the requisite high notes for this scene, but his low note in "Sire" is not cavernous enough for my taste. Nevertheless, he is thrilling. Nuccia Focile makes a good impression as the "Heavenly Voice."
Riccardo Muti's conducting is better in the big concertati, where his
strict beat keeps the chorus and orchestra together as one, than in the
individual scenes, where he is likely to go either too slow, or too fast for the comfort of the singers. But nothing he does seems really wrong, and the sounds he gets in the grand scenes are exhilarating. The production is grand, rich, and detailed as are most of Zeffirelli's productions. The picture is good, the lighting is atmospheric, and
sufficiently bright, so one doesn't lose any details, and can revel in
the beauty of the mise-en-scene. If you care about the edition, this seems to be the standard Italian 4-act version.

Good Don Carlo........2001-08-14

I still prefer The Met production with Domingo, however, I bought this for Sam Ramey's performance as King and certainly wasn't disappointed! He was great! Dessi was a pleasant surprise as Elizabetta! Enjoyed her performance very much! Pav is much better than usual, thinner and more animated. It was well known that his voice cracked on a high note during one of the performances of this run without anyone mentioning the thousands he has hit and, of course, the audience booed. If it was during this one, they fixed with dubbing. Why any major stars put up with the audience behavior at La Scala and Muti's tantrums is still a mystery. The only weak voice was Cano's as Rodrigo - too much vibrato for my taste but his acting was acceptable. Sets were grand if somewhat lifeless. The costumes were beautiful but somewhat colorless which gave the whole effect a dark and somber look. The minor characters were well sung and the orchestra sometimes too loud but colored nicely and chorus sounded just fine. Enjoyed it as a different version when I'm tire of watching The Met and the French verson from the Chatelet in Paris. Both of which I rank above this one. A definite good buy if Pav and Dessi fan and a "must have" if you love Ramey! I look forward to sharing it with friends who haven't seen it and consider it a worth addition to the collection.

Average customer rating:

A very good, complete production of Don Carlos
The Perfect Don Carlos Of The Stage
Verdi's opera of love and politics
Very good Don Carlo, but not the best
Staged and sung to perfection

Verdi - Don Carlo (remastered)
Starring: Plácido Domingo , Mirella Freni , Grace Bumbry , Nicolai Ghiaurov , and Louis Quilico
Director: John Dexter
Manufacturer: Deutsche Grammophon
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B000A0XS0Y
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Customer Reviews:

A very good, complete production of Don Carlos.......2006-06-15

This is an outstanding performance on DVD of one of the grandest of Operas ever composed by Verdi. I would rate it 5 stars but with some strong reservations.
This is the most complete performance of the opera available and that in a way must be a tribute to the conductor James Levine.
Placido Domingo as Don Carlos gives one of his best performances ever, recorded on any medium. He sings beautifully, with great passion and fulfils the vocal demands of the role with great ease and authority. His acting and visual impression of the role are excellent. He plays the part of the unfortunate rebel-prince very convincingly. I can hardly think of anyone who could have been better as Don Carlos in any production ever.
Mirella Freni provides us with an excellent vocal and visual interpretation of the young Queen of Spain. She is alas, a touch past her prime, at least visually (unfortunately none of us remains young for ever) but none the less, she provides us with a very moving performance, beautifully sung. If one listens to her outstanding performance of the same role on CD under Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra recorded in 1978, five years earlier, then my point will become clearer.
Grace Bumbry is a veteran in the role of Eboli. Vocally she is very good. Visually, she portrays the princes with great conviction, but especially in her case she is someone far too old for the role she is portraying. I feel that Baltsa on the Sony DVD with Karajan s better.
Louis Quilico makes a good realisation of the role of Rodrigo. He is visually and vocally adequate, without being in any sense outstanding. Cappuccilli on Sony is far better and Gobbi's performance for E.M.I. on the 1954 CD is at a totally different level.
Ghiaurov is also a veteran at the role of the King of Spain. He provides us with an strong portrayal of the King, but not really exceptional. He is vocally ample for the role and plays the part convincingly. One has only to listen to Christoff on the 1954 CD from E.M.I. to realise what an ideal exponent of the role can be. Visually, Christoff at Covent Garden in the late fifties and early sixties, under the direction of Visconti also provided us with a visual interpretation of the part, unlikely to be equalled in the near future. Ramey in the E.M.I. DVD from La Scala provides us with a much better performance, both vocally and visually.
Furlanetto is simply bad and inadequate for the role of the Inquisitor, both vocally and visually. He is even worse as Phillip on the Sony DVD under Karajan.
James Levine in my opinion is a mediocre conductor for Verdi. He cannot make the music flow or portray the passion that either Karajan for Sony or Muti for E.M.I. are far more capable of. A pity because, as I said to begin with, it is to his great credit that he provides us with such a complete performance of this important work.
The production by John Dexter is good, with nice sets and costumes but rather dark lighting, especially in the first act. The Metropolitan combines acts 1 & 2 and acts 4 & 5 and names it a 3 act opera, which is not. This is only a minor point. If you really want to see a lavish Don Carlo on DVD go to the E.M.I. from La Scala staged by Zeffirelli. Not as good as either of the Visconti productions for London or Rome, but none the less spectacular.
The image and the sound on this Deutsche Grammophon two DVD edition are good for 1983, although I have seen better from the same period. It is preferable to the the One-disc version of the same performance on Pioneer Classics.
It is definitely worth buying.

The Perfect Don Carlos Of The Stage.......2006-01-01

Verdi's Don Carlos was a big spectacle in its time and the Metropolitan Opera pulled out all the stops during this production in March of 83-84. It starred Placido Domingo in what was one of his signature roles (he had virtually owned the role after the success of the EMI recording with Montserrat Caballe and Sherill Milnes). Domingo was a dramatically gifted tenor who specialized in princely roles (if one can look at it this way). His handsome looks, beautiful and radiant voice, and charisma served him well. As Don Carlos, he never sung with more romantic phrasing. His beloved Elisabeth Di Valois is sung by Mirella Freni, a purely lyric soprano with a big following and many recordings to boot. Freni is a fabulous Queen, but I would prefer for the soprano to be a lyrico-spinto like Leontyne Price, who never sang the role on stage. Mezzos like Grace Bumbry who also sing soprano make fine Elisabeths. But Freni is graceful, elegant and her voice is faultlessly beautiful. The rest of the cast- bass Nicolai Ghiurov and Paul Plishka are doing a terrific job. Ghiurov gets a lot of the more beautiful moments and his voice is gorgeous and majestic. PLishka is a fine actor and singer. The production was modeled after the 19th century stage design, and is old fashioned, except for maybe the extreme grim outlook of it- everyone is wearing black and the Inquisition is a heavy shadow over the set. A great opera. Five stars.

Verdi's opera of love and politics.......2005-04-27

Under the sensitive direction of James Levine, Placido Domingo plays Don Carlo, heir to the Spanish throne, as close to the edge of madness. I think this interpretation works much better than playing him as Schiller's romantic hero--plus it's more accurate, since the historical Don Carlo was reputedly insane.

Levine's production is a majestic, somber interpretation of Verdi at his most Spanish, and is visually gorgeous.

This 1983 Metropolitan Opera "Don Carlo" is also one of the best cast (except for Louis Quilico as Rodrigo), and most haunting of all my Met Verdi DVDs. Mirella Freni has been criticized as not having a 'big enough' voice for the role of Elisabeth de Valois, but I think she is perfect: regal, beautiful, sweetly sorrowful. Her duet with Domingo in the oft-omitted Fountainbleu scene has a tremulous delicacy, made all the more poignant because we know her page is about to show up and tell her that she must marry Phillip II, not Don Carlo with whom she has just fallen in love.

Even though Sam Ramey is my favorite Phillip II, voice-wise (in Ricardo Muti's 1992 La Scala production), Nicolai Ghiaurov is perfect as the ruthless, morbidly Catholic tyrant. When he first appears on camera, I thought, "My god, that man IS Phillip II." What an eerie resemblance. He even sings with a Castillan lisp. Ghiaurov commands the stage, whether he is bullying his somewhat wimpy son, tormenting his sorrowful queen, or bargaining with the evil Grand Inquisitor (Ferruccio Furlanetto). When he sings his Act IV aria, "Ella giamma m'amo," his introspective interpretation rounds out his character, not as a haughty king, but as a suffering older husband who knows his beautiful young Queen will never love him.

Grace Bumbry is a haughty, calculating, technically gorgeous Princess Eboli, right down to her historically correct eye-patch. I didn't find her seductive--becoming King Phillip's mistress seemed to be a business transaction for her. She was a little too cold to really convince me that she had a change of heart about the Queen in the Act IV study scene, but Bumbry absolutely rips the 'Veil Song' in the garden. I've never heard it sung better. Her aria of repentance, "O don fatale," was the perfect cap to her character, and deserved its long ovation.

What a performance! Ghiaurov IS the King. Freni IS the Queen. Domingo IS Don Carlo. The only casting mistake was Quilico's blustering, smirking Rodrigo. I could not understand what Don Carlo or the King ever saw in his character. Plus he sounded strained and tinny, especially in the duets with Domingo. I understand this was one of Quilico's break-through roles back in the 1960's, but he does not adorn this otherwise marvelous performance.

Very good Don Carlo, but not the best.......2005-02-04

This is a very good version of Verdi's Don Carlo. Its quite good to see the orignal 1st act that usually is taken (in a live performance meybe is better skip to act 2). All the singers make a real good job, from Quilico, who is pretty old in the reconrding, but still has the heart (but the voice sound a little tired on the high notes) to Furlanetto (who looks very funny with all the makeup, in that recording he must be about 30 i think). The comparison between this version and the Karajan one (with doenst have the first act) is inevitable. I preffer the Don Carlo of Domingo over the Carreras (Carreras is very good in the karajan version, dont get me wrong, but when you have two good voices, the one that can act wins), the Rodrigo is better sung by Capuccilli, but Quilico has something special abut him... Both Elizabetha are impresive, and also the Eboli's. Ghiaurov is amazing, but Furlanetto has a deeper voice (i mean Furlanetto as Phillip). The Inquisitors are very good in both versions, but Salminem is my favourite over Furlanetto (also because haring the duo between Phillip and the Inquisitor of the Karajan version in high volumen can really sacre you).
I slightly preffer the Karajan version (because of karajan too) but this is also worth the buck.

Staged and sung to perfection.......2005-01-23

First, by including the prologue, Levine gives us a Don Carlo than makes sense. Freni and Domingo are vocally beautiful and dramatically heartbreaking in the prologue's love duet. Robbins' brief turn as Charles V is worth playing over by itself. Although Troyanos was my favorite Eboli, Bumbry more impulsive and less sinister Eboli is very,very good. Hines was my first and favorite Philip II, but Ghiaurov is really just as good. In Levine's hands, the long introduction to "Dormiro sol" is a real gem. Quilico's Rodrigo is more than adequate. Furlanetto's Grand Inquisitor is vocally and dramatically first rate horror. The costumes and sets are gorgeous and seem to be copied from Velasquez's paintings of the real things.

Verdi - Don Carlo / von Karajan, Carreras, Baltsa, Furlanetto, d'Amico, Cappuccilli, Salminen, Salzburg

Average customer rating:

I am a Don Carlos specialist!
Grand opera with a stellar cast
The great age of Karajan-Carreras-Baltsa-Cappucilli
Wonderful
Solid All Around

Verdi - Don Carlo / von Karajan, Carreras, Baltsa, Furlanetto, d'Amico, Cappuccilli, Salminen, Salzburg
Starring: Herbert von Karajan
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00007CVRJ
Release Date: 2002-11-26

Customer Reviews:

I am a Don Carlos specialist!.......2007-06-19

Ok my research was on this opera so don't you dare mark this review as not helpful (just kidding). First of all, Don Carlos is one of the most coherent operas in the Wagnerian sense where a motif underlies an event and tells the story as opposed to insipid Italian text. In the case of Don Carlos the friendship motif becomes the very core of the opera making four appearances each with its own meaning. This opera is the most meaningful of all Verdi operas. In philosophy, very close to Beethoven's ode to joy or Fidelio, but in music half way italian and half way Wagnerian. Bizet, if you respect his opinion, hated this opera. But I love it. I have played it all the way through. Ok but as for this production. The real Don Carlos is long, very long. Karajan boldy cut the entire first act. So go figure. But the production is lavish and Carreras is magnificant and Elizabeth is very beautiful.

Grand opera with a stellar cast.......2007-04-22

I thoroughly enjoyed this performance. I think this is a mixture of French "Grand" and Italian opera, and the performance does it justice. The characters are a great mix of sympathetic and unsympathetic, but they are deep and complex and you can understand why they are the way they are. There are few caricatures.

Vocally, this is in general a large-voiced cast, and everyone is in good form. Carreras is a sympathetic and convincing Carlo -- not too strong, not too weak, but ambivalent as he should be. Furlanetto's brooding and conflicted Philip has a huge voice and his character is suitably complex. Izzo D'Amico's pure and dutiful Elisabetta (whom I had never heard of before) has an excellent voice, and I don't mind the fact that she's not very dramatic: hers is the character who manages to restrain her emotions until the very end, and she lets her voice do the expression. Cappuccilli's loyal Rodrigo is vocally expressive and moving, such a wonderful example of sacrificial love and friendship. Baltsa's Eboli is a bit too melodramatic for my taste, but what passion and fire in her voice!

The different characters' attitudes towards God is also very interesting. Religion is abused by the church and the state, but faith also provides great personal hope and motivation for characters like Elisabetta and Rodrigo.

Karajan's Berlin Philharmonic creates a rich luxurious sound. There are times when it overpowers the voices, but not too often.

Visually, it is good, though a bit drab (OK, considering the dark nature of the plot and the many sad situations), and there were too many "sideways" shots of the singers, but the clarity and general quality is very good for a live performance. The auto-da-fe scene, while big grand and aurally impressive, was the only disappointment for me, as I thought more could have been done to make it more interesting visually.

The price is an amazing bargain too. Recommended for anyone who loves Verdi and grand opera. I wouldn't make this your first opera if you're a novice to opera, because other works (by Mozart, Rossini, Bizet, earlier Verdi or Aida) might have more "upbeat" numbers that have more immediately accessibility for a newcomer.

The great age of Karajan-Carreras-Baltsa-Cappucilli.......2007-04-17

The great age - and almost at its sunset!
1986 Salzburg - the great karajan vocal triangle Jose Carreras, Piero Cappucilli, Agnes Baltsa, all on their peak, and as the Chinese Iching saying goes - ready for decline.
The star of the show is undisputedly Ferruccio Furlanetto, the best Philip II since Cesare Siepi. And Elizabeth de Valois, sung by 22 year old Fammia Izzo D'amico, is fresh of voice and lovely to behold. Her vocal fireworks did not take place until the very last Act, and she rose to the occasion fully. Where is she now?
Yes, the big names, Carreras, Cappucilli and Baltsa to varying degrees sounded tired. There was a gap in Baltsa's upper and middle registers not noticed in her earlier years. Cappucilli sounds tired as Posa, and Carreras had slight difficulties with the top B flat.
Furlanetto, not old at all in 1986, portrayed a suspicious and conservative king, outwardly powerful but inwardly insecure. His vocal eloquence increased even more with his big aria, sung to great height and deeply moving as well as abounding in beautiful tone.
Salminen is as imposing as ever as a basso serioso.
The directing and the costumes are really wonderful. Even if Karajan looked physically feeble in this DVD, fortunately his conducting was not so.

Wonderful.......2006-07-11

Jose Carreras and Agnes Baltsa are in excellent voice for this performance, Piero Cappucilli is fairly good but i'm biased because i don't like him very much. The biggest suprise comes from the King (i can't remember his name but his face is right infront of me) I saw him as leporello in Don Giovanni with Bryn Tefrel and Renee Flemming in the title roles and he is much younger in this and in much better voice as well. WELL WORTH THE BUY!!!

Solid All Around.......2006-04-20

I've always found Verdi's brilliant "Don Carlo" (here presented in the 4 Act Italian version) something of a curiosity in that the title character has so little to do. Everyone else gets moment after shining moment, yet Carlo, after a busy Act 1, is pretty much window dressing. Too bad when you have such a charismatic tenor as Jose Carreras in the role. Watching him in this live performance from Salzburg makes you long to see what he could have done with the original, Fontainbleu Act 1. Maybe it's just as well, however, considering Carreras's Elisabetta, Fiamma Izzo D'Amico. There's a reason you've probably never heard of her; her voice isn't bad, but she has absolutely no stage presence whatsoever. D'Amico pretty much wears the same sour, "what's that smell?" look on her face from beginning to end. I understand that Elisabetta's having a rough time of things, but a better actress could have found some variation in her portrayal. Thank God for Ferruccio Furlanetto and Agnes Baltsa, the two best reasons to get this DVD. (And at this price, why not?) Each gives a fierce, stunning, definitive performance; I cannot imagine anyone live or on tape who could possibly interpret these roles better. Cappucilli is terrific, a real throwback to the golden days, when opera singers stood on stage and SANG. He doesn't quite bring down the house as he does on other DVDs, but at least he's not mugging to the audience, as was his habit. The production director and designers make good use of Salzburg's cavernous stage, and von Karajan does very well by the score. All in all, this is a solid, no frills production -- except when Furlanetto and Baltsa are on stage, when they set off real fireworks.

Verdi - Don Carlos (Original French Version) / Pappano, Alagna, Hampson, Theatre du Chatelet

Average customer rating:

Bravo for including Act I of Don Carlos!
yeachhh
Problems with the concept
Excellent modern video of Verdi's grandest opera
One of the Best Opera DVDs Period

Verdi - Don Carlos (Original French Version) / Pappano, Alagna, Hampson, Theatre du Chatelet
Starring: José van Dam , Roberto Alagna , Thomas Hampson , Karita Mattila , and Waltraud Meier
Director: Yves-André Hubert
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B00008DDRK
Release Date: 2003-09-16

Amazon.com

This is a 1996 all-star production from Paris of the original French version of Verdi's epic five-act opera, Don Carlos. First produced in 1867, only Wagner would write musical drama on a grander scale, and because of the three-and-a-half-hour running time, most subsequent productions have made substantial cuts. This is therefore a rare opportunity to witness Verdi's tragedy in its entirety.

In the 16th century in the aftermath of war between Spain and France, Don Carlo (Roberto Alagna), the heir to the Spanish throne, comes to France to meet with his beloved Elizabeth de Valois (Karita Mattila). Inevitably politics divide the lovers, and while Rodrigue (Thomas Hampson) falls in with Flemish rebels, the Inquisition is determined to be the power behind the peace. This is certainly not Verdi's greatest work, but it contains great music and the stars are allowed to shine with strong characterizations in an elegantly designed production. There are no gimmicks or attempts at spurious contemporary relevance here, simply singers of the caliber of Alagna, Mattila, and Hampson, plus the outstanding Eric Halfvarson as the Grand Inquisitor. This is a production that continues in the 19th-century tradition, and in the process delivers the frisson of world-class opera. --Gary S. Dalkin

Description

The original French version in five acts by Ursula Günther, revised after the original version by Ursula Günther and Luciano Petazzoni. Published by Ricordi Milan.

Customer Reviews:

Bravo for including Act I of Don Carlos!.......2006-05-26

This is a great production of Don Carlos, partly because it includes Act I which is so often omitted. Here we have Verdi's original French version of the opera. Without Act I, the opera doesn't come alive for me until the final two acts because it's not until then that all the characters feel like flesh and blood people. In Act I, we get Don Carlos and Elisabeth's touching love duet, followed by the heartbreaking choice on her part to marry Carlos' father. These scenes make the subsequent motivations and sufferings of the characters clear, starting in Act II with Don Carlos' and Rodrigue's Oath Duet (which had never fully made sense to me) and ending with Elisabeth's Act V aria in which she recalls the joyous moment she shared with Don Carlos at Fontainebleau (the setting of Act I).

Karita Mattila, as Elisabeth, is the star of this production. Her voice is rich, strong, and expressive; and, as icing on the cake, it's mysteriously sweet. Her high pianissimo is breathtaking. She's perfection as Elisabeth, a tragic figure trying to do the right thing politically, but in secret mourning for her lost love and her lost country. Her final aria, "Toi qui sus le neant," is stunning.

Roberto Alagna is unpredictable on DVD. His voice is not always beautiful to listen to. It can grate (one reviewer called it "leathery" and another "thin and tinny") and he has a tendency to turn sharp. But, on key or not, his voice is always expressive and he's totally committed to his characters onstage. I think he's terrific here, using both voice and acting ability to portray Don Carlos' weaknesses and tormented soul. As a bonus, he and Mattila have great onstage chemistry.

The rest of the cast is strong too. There's not a weak link. As a result, we're treated to sterling displays of the major voice types: soprano and tenor (already discussed); mezzo-soprano (Waltraud Meier as Eboli); baritone (Thomas Hampson as Rodrigue); and bass (Jose van Dam as Phillip). This is a great production, one of the best operas I've seen on DVD.

yeachhh.......2006-04-22

This is the production that unleashed "The Beast"...singing in the tiny intimate jewl box Theatre du Chatelet, Thomas Hampson began to believe that he could sing Verdi...this production proves again that he CANNOT...after these performances, Hampson began to sing, Macbeth, Ford, Germont and a host of others...all badly and all forgetable...i suppose we will get Hampson as Renato, Amonasro, Miller and Iago before too long...my ears are bleeding already....please stop, Thomas...we can't take it any more

Problems with the concept.......2005-05-09

First let me say that there is much in the way of incredible singing in this production, and I will cover that thouroughly, but, first I must adress the concept of Carlos in french.
I thought that Verdis dramatic opera, with many Wagnerian aspects, its intense outbursts of visceral emotion and extreme melodrama, calls for italianate spinto voices, and not those of the Lyric french nature. First Roberto Alagna has an INCREDIBLE voice and I am a fan of his artistry. But I get very little inspiration out of his Carlos. His voice lacks ping and spinto to carry moments of extreme desperation over the orchestra to the audience. his voice is elegant and matches from top to bottom, with liquid beauty in all registers. So when he sings his top notes they have beauty, yes, but not the desperation of a spinto voice, (of say Domingo, Corelli or Richard tucker or even Carreras who pushed his voice to sound as a spintos.) Now the voices I just mentioned all lack the beauty of Alagnas french Lyric instrument, but they are ideally suited for the dramatic intensity of the Chapel scene, Sire Egli tempo chio vivo... ect. In the love sections, Alagna sounds like Werther or Des Greiux (Massanet) rather than the more desperate ardor of Don Carlos. This is not to say that Alagna cant sing Carlos, but Verdis magic (unlike Massanet) was his dramatic flare, rather than stylistic touch, and the music is missing that, but to his credit, he never forces and leets his voice shape his concept of the charachter (he is a fabulous actor)
Hampson (looking awesome with that flowing hair) is also underweight and lyric in a role created of the talents of screaming intense Baritones like Milnes, Cappucilli, and yellers like Nucci and MacNeil. I am not condeming Hampsons voice, but its sounds Motzartean, and again misses the sort of climaxes Verdi writes.
As if a broken record I have the same complaint of Jose Van Dam. He hasnt got the low notes or volume on the bottom. Listen to the famous phrase, after the Grand Inquisitors scene, he does not even phonate on the low G, he makes no sound at all, merely opening his mouth. This takes away all of King Phillips power. His concept of the charachter, however, is very good.
Interestingly Mattila is ideally cast as Elisibetta, and is great! Fabulous! Her voice is large and her interpretation is solid. She and Alagna are very much in love, and I really appreciate the concept and the voice.
Overall this Don Carlos is slowly paced and underweight. This takes away the punch that the work has when it has Italian dramatic voices.

Excellent modern video of Verdi's grandest opera.......2005-03-30

Verdi's Don Carlos was originally meant to be a French grand opera, replete with a ballet. He revised the opera several times. One version eliminates the first act altogether. The version performed at the Met is the "1886" version, which restores the original first act, but also uses the Italian translation. There is a video of that Don Carlo available. It has an excellent cast and is a rather stiff, old-fashioned production.
This 1996 video from the Paris Chatelet restores the original French language, and is probably closer to the very first Don Carlos performance, although the ballet is cut. The production is also non-traditional, although it's not regie either. It follows the libretto very closely in concept and action, but the sets and costumes are a mix of Renaissance and modern. For instance, in the garden scene, Carlos and Elisabeth sit on bright blue benches but are wearing period clothing. Eboli does not have an eyepatch.

Vocally, the performance is excellent, if smaller-scaled than many audiences are accustomed in Verdi. Roberto Alagna is the infante Don Carlos, and he succeeds in making this role the center of the drama. Many Carlos are upstaged by Philips and Ebolis and Posas. Not here. Alagna's vocalism is occasionally ragged (he hits a particularly shaky period during the auto-de-fe scene), and he has a tendency to sing sharp. But he's an excellent actor -- always impassioned. He is pint-sized (the rest of the cast fairly towers over him), and this is put to good use in the production. Alagna's Carlos seems weak, overwhelmed and dominated.
This production makes the Posa/Carlos relationship more overtly "gay" than the Met production. Thomas Hampson as Posa is saddled with an unattractive shaggy wig and a five-o-clock shadow that seems like drawn-on charcoal. But his vocalizing is smooth and beautiful, and what a joy it is to hear a Posa that actually sings the trills in the score. His duets with Carlos are my favorite moments of the opera.
Karita Mattila is Elisabeth, Carlos's unhappy stepmother. Her voice is not as warm as Mirella Freni (Met prod), but as always with this soprano Mattila convinces through sheer will, it seems. The same can be said of Waltraud Meier's Eboli. She is visually beautiful to look at. Her voice is on the small and lean side for Eboli. The role probably also lies too high for her -- her O don fatale doesnt have the thrust and power that high mezzos and sopranos (thinking Dolora Zajick, Grace Bumbry, and Frida Leider) can bring to the aria. But again, Meier seems so immersed in her character that we the audience also believe. The only disappointment was Jose van Dam's Philip. He seems to be having a bad day. His long aria is strangely choppy and bumpy, and he has issues traversing the role's long, unbroken vocal lines. Nor is his acting compelling. His Philip does not seem particularly anguished or angry. Despite Philip's cold underhanded ways I think if the bass does his job the role should be extremely touching. I wasnt touched by van Dam, although I've enjoyed this great bass in many other roles. So as I said, I assume he's just having a bad day.

One of the Best Opera DVDs Period.......2005-02-05

Pappano led an achingly beautiful performance with excellent work from the
orchestra and chorus. I find this to be one of Verdi's most unusual
scores - at times the music is so far different than nearly anything else he
wrote; simultaneously sounding traditional yet remarkably modern. Pappano
brought out all of these elements and his pacing was beautiful, never once
feeling either dragged out or rushed.

I've had ups and downs in my listening experiences with Roberto Alagna, but
here, vocally and dramatically he perfectly captured every nuance, every
strength and every heartbreaking weakness of this character reminding me
throughout of Hamlet. He was in astonishingly beautiful voice, his tone
ringing and with a remarkable sheen. His ability to shade the voice in a
variety colors and dynamics made this an uniquely individual portrayal.

The production is quite simple and effective, placing the emphasis on the
story telling and the music (in my opinion, that's as it should be).

I'm not certain how much rehearsal went into this production by Luc Bondy,
but there was not a false moment throughout this opera's considerable
length. Every detail, every movement flows with a rare and natural ease.
In Gilles Aillaud's sets, Moidele Bickel's costumes and Vincio Cheli's
beautiful lighting, every frame looks like a Murillo or El Greco masterpiece
come to life. Two particularly arresting images stand out in the St. Just
scene; the first, just before the the entrance of Philip and Elisabeth -
Carlos accepts Posa's request to return with him to Flanders, as Carlos
kneels, Posa rests his head Carlos's shoulder. The second such moment
follows the King and Queen's procession; Carlos extends his right arm out
towards the now offstage couple as Posa grabs his other arm preventing his
friend from following; creating a canvas of tortured angles: all arms,
necks, heads, legs, backs, walls and shadows - all transformed into a tragic
study of pain and rejected comfort.

The Fontainebleau scene is remarkable. In this barren forest of white trees
Carlos and Elisabeth in their deep crimson costumes become as a single heart
beating in a forest of death. Karita Mattila brings a certain dramatic
quality that I've not encountered before in this role - at first coltish,
almost tom-boyish, when Carlos lights the fire in the woods. Then, as he
mentions that she will marry the son of Philip, she becomes girlish,
nervous. In just these few moments she's already established a bewitching
character. In the manner of a true princess, this Elisabeth appears to be
slightly vague about herself, but it is clear she is smitten and flirts with
Carlos. Her outward strength, however, is just that - a facade - for too
soon it becomes obvious that this is a girl raised at court who knows full
well that she is but a pawn and will play the part she's given. At the
horrible news that she is to marry Philip instead of Carlos , they are both
crushed as the chorus, in ghostly white, enters singing her praises. As
they lift her into the air and place her on a white horse to be led away,
she knows she is not only leaving behind home but any dream of happiness.
All turn their backs to Carlos who alone falls onto a rock, destroyed
"Destiny has shattered my dreams." Having seen this scene so beautifully
staged, I simply can't imagine its being left out of any production again.

Throughout this production the electricity between all of the characters is
stunning, and the physicality of the scene between Carlos and Elisabeth
outside of the convent takes on a desperate violent quality that is, to say
the least, startling.

As Rodrigue, Thomas Hampson gives what has to be one of his best
performances. Combining humility, loyalty, compassion, pride and a sense of
justice, his Posa is remarkably complex, and by far one of the most
interesting good guys in all of Verdi. The voice is never big, but rich,
well controlled and his sense of phrasing and attention to detail nothing
short of remarkable. He also has a wicked good trill. At times, especially
in his big scene with Philip, Hampson's voice seems to take on a tenorial
quality - a remarkably lyrical Rodrigue, but with a sure sense of strength
of purpose.

And, ah that Philip. Mr. Van Dam is a marvel; firm of tone, every word
distinct and filled with meaning. The role, while at times a little low
lying for him, fits like a glove. I have always want to hate Philip, but in
this production he seems more pathetic, more a pawn of the Inquisitor, than
I've experienced before. Van Dam pulls off this vulnerability without once
sacrificing the strength of his character. Very interesting
characterization.

Waltraut Meier couldn't have been anybody's idea of an ideal Eboli, yet, she
inhabits the character so fully turns in a magnificent performance, and
looks damned stunning in doing so. Her vocalism in the Veil Song was kind
of bizarre - it had a "warble" like quality that made it difficult to tell
just what pitch she was actually on, yet she was beguiling and pulled it
off. Once that was out of the way, everything else came from strength. I
do wish that this mezzo would cultivate some chest voice. Her low notes
seem to be her weakest and they sound exactly (except nearly inaudible) as
her middle voice.

Mattila is just a wonder. The voice is capable of so many colors while
retaining a unifying, very individual sound. It is a tough voice to place
into any specific category: it's capable of riding the orchestra and cutting
through it with laser like clarity, yet it retains a sweetness most unusual
to the typically "steely" type of voice that I often associate with
accomplishing that type of singing. Her sustained high piano singing is
nothing short of miraculous, she takes a thin thread of sound that is
perfectly placed and as clean as I could ever imagine (e.g., her farewell to
her exiled lady in waiting), other times she produces an effect that sounds
just as silk gauze feels (reminding Carlos she is now his mother) - it's all
piano, but she sings these moments entirely different from each other.
Remarkable. Every movement, every gesture came directly from her Elisabeth
and went straight into my heart.

With the least amount of stage time, Eric Halfvarson's twisted, crippled
Grand Inquisitor truly becomes a dominant central figure and the very
physical embodiment of evil as he sets a tale of corruption, politics and
religion already near chaos and spins it completely out of control.

I have so much positive to say about this production that I feel I could
write a book on it (don't worry). Nearly every moment in this long work is
filled with heartbreaking magic and beauty, Posa's death scene perhaps
taking place of honour. The Chatelet audience responded with a thunderous
and extended ovation. I wish I'd been there.

Verdi - Don Carlo / Villazon, Roocroft, Urmana, Croft, Lloyd, Ryhanen, Giuseppini, Chailly, Amsterdam Opera

Average customer rating:

Surprisingly moving
Uneven performances; disappointing ending; still worth seeing
WONDERFUL PRODUCTION
Stunning and passional production
a powerfull don carlo

Verdi - Don Carlo / Villazon, Roocroft, Urmana, Croft, Lloyd, Ryhanen, Giuseppini, Chailly, Amsterdam Opera
Starring: Rolando Villazon , Amanda Roocroft , Violetta Urmana , Dwayne Croft , and Robert Lloyd
Manufacturer: BBC / Opus Arte
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000AOGMHG
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Customer Reviews:

Surprisingly moving.......2007-01-25

I delayed watching this DVD because of the mixed reviews it has received. I should not have. This DVD has quite a bit going for it. Firstly Chailly's conducting is superb and the very sound of his orchestra is outstanding. Secondly the production in effect translates the opera into a two act affair with disk one playing nonstop through Act 2, scene 2 and disk two doing the same for the rest of the opera. This works quite well for home viewing. Thirdly the acting, singing, and movement all highlight the drama and tensions of this opera and keep one involved with what is going on with the characters. I was particularly impressed with Villazon, Croft, and Lloyd in this regard. Needless to say I am quite happy to see Carlo played as an anguished adolescent. And the sets and costumes? Well they don't get in the way of the drama. Is this THE Don Carlo? I will not say. Is it an exciting night at the opera? Definitely.

Uneven performances; disappointing ending; still worth seeing.......2006-09-27

This production is the four-act version of "Don Carlo" revised by Verdi in 1884. I must first admit that I prefer Verdi's original five-act version. When the original Act I is omitted, as it is here, we miss the one moment of happiness for Don Carlo and Elisabetta. In addition, too much background regarding the subsequent action is omitted - references are lost (e.g. Elisabetta's reference to Fontainebleau during her great last act aria) and the characters' motivations aren't always clear. But it is common to use Verdi's revised four-act version, so we must look at it on its own terms.

I was looking forward to seeing Rolando Villazon as Don Carlo. As expected, his singing is superb. His voice is crisp and expressive, and he pays such careful attention to phrasing that every piece sounds fresh and new. But I was disappointed in Villazon's interpretation of the title character. I thought he took the same approach to Don Carlo that he did to Alfredo in the 2005 Salzburg production of "La Traviata" (hard to believe, the two characters being so utterly different in temperament and circumstance). But in both operas, Villazon's onstage demeanor is that of an immature and crazed adolescent, flailing around too much. I was hoping for a more nuanced performance from him as the troubled but complex Don Carlo. That said, the DVD is worth seeing just to hear Villazon sing.

Amanda Roocroft, who was so sparkling as Fiordiligi in the Theatre du Chatalet's 1992 DVD of Mozart's "Cosi Fan Tutte," struggles hard to meet the demands of Elisabetta. This role doesn't require the performer to be a "dramatic soprano" as is the case with many Verdi roles (Aida, for example); but the voice required for Elisabetta is heavier than that of a strictly "lyric soprano." The word "spinto" is often used for this "in between" quality of voice ("spinto" meaning "pushed" in Italian), but of course, the skill is to "push" without sounding pushed. The voice must naturally sound lyrical but with considerable heft to it. Roocroft's attempts to meet the vocal requirements of the role sound harsh and strained throughout, especially when in the upper register. Perhaps she was having an off night (I don't know if the production was filmed over several nights or not).

Violetta Urmana as Eboli was a disappointment. Not only does she not act the part of a femme fatale, she and the chorus are downright clunky in the Veil Song. With its flowing Castilian sound, this melodic piece should come as a breath of fresh air after the doom and gloom of the previous scenes (and of most of the subsequent ones!). Urmana fares better in O Don Fatale, as if she finally just lets her deep chest voice relax and show its stuff.

The person who appears most at ease in his role is Dwayne Croft as Rodrigo. He has a beautiful lyrical baritone voice. His duets with Villazon are the highlight of the production. Robert Lloyd does a fine job as Philip II, even though, as others have noted, his voice has lost some of its power.

Lastly, I was disappointed by the directorial choice to make Don Carlo's fate clear at the end. Irresolution is one of the themes of this opera from beginning to end. It's what Verdi and his librettist intended and I prefer that it be left that way.

WONDERFUL PRODUCTION.......2006-03-26

If you are an Opera lover you must have this DVD!!!

I just can say: you need to see it, to believe it!!! Robert Lloyd is always good, not like when he was young, but he is Robert Lloyd, any comments??
The Dwayne Croft has a beautiful voice!!!!
Urmana was good as Eboli and Amanda Roocroft are ok!! (for me the worst cast of the principles)

And Rolando Villazón, what can i say? I'm mexican!! I know him!!! for sure now he is one of the best tenors in the world (i don't want to forget Alagna, Alvarez, of course Vargas, J.D. Florez) excellent technique, great actor, beautiful voice and color, i can spend hours typing about Rolando, but if you don't believe me............ watch this perfomance!!!!

The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra sounds pretty good, with the maestro Riccardo Chailly.
The scenography are really good.

Stunning and passional production.......2006-03-17

These is one of the most powerfull production, probably the best in the market, the concept is the idea of space and light, brillant Urmana as Eboli, delightfull duettos in between Croft and Villazon, LLoyd with presence , correct Roocroft, excelent chorus, precise orchestra and incredible conductor Maestro Chailly, costumes and sets are in conjuction with the regie. Dont miss the oportunity to be inside of this outstanding experience, really enjoyable.

a powerfull don carlo.......2006-03-12

this is one of the best performances of don carlo available. I was impressed by all. The conducting by chailly excellent, as always. The only handicap was the scenography, that was somewhat dull, but that considering the necessity to cut costs I understand the tendency, started with the japanese, to simplify scenography. Considering this the scenographer did an intelligent job.

Verdi - Don Carlo / Levine, Domingo, Freni, Metropolitan Opera

Average customer rating:

A very good, complete production of Don Carlos
The Perfect Don Carlos Of The Stage
Verdi's opera of love and politics
Very good Don Carlo, but not the best
Staged and sung to perfection

Verdi - Don Carlo / Levine, Domingo, Freni, Metropolitan Opera
Starring: Plácido Domingo , Mirella Freni , Grace Bumbry , Nicolai Ghiaurov , and Louis Quilico
Director: Brian Large
Manufacturer: Geneon [Pioneer]
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005LDCG
Release Date: 2001-08-21

Description

Don Carlo is one of the grandest of all grand operas, a tour-de-force that challenges the resources of even the greatest theaters. The Met has accepted and responded to these challenges in magnificent fashion. Don Carlo is a complex, multi-layered work. Private passions are played out against a backdrop of intense political strivings. Placido Domingo leads the extraordinary cast gathered for this performance.

The Metropolitan Opera: Composer: Guiseppe Verdi Conductor: James Levine Tenor: Placido Domingo

"...an opera of devastating effectiveness." - The New York Times

Customer Reviews:

A very good, complete production of Don Carlos.......2006-06-15

The Perfect Don Carlos Of The Stage.......2006-01-01

Verdi's opera of love and politics.......2005-04-27

Very good Don Carlo, but not the best.......2005-02-04

Staged and sung to perfection.......2005-01-23

Verdi - Don Carlo / Lima, Cotrubas, Zancanaro, Baglioni, Lloyd, Haitink, Covent Garden Opera

Average customer rating:

Maybe It's Me
Luis Lima is Don Carlo
Very good but less than perfect
Operatic acting of the highest standard.
The Only Version Truly, Truly Worthy of Master Verdi!!!!!!!!!!

Verdi - Don Carlo / Lima, Cotrubas, Zancanaro, Baglioni, Lloyd, Haitink, Covent Garden Opera
Starring: Luis Lima , and Robert Lloyd
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B000ARXFUU
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Description

Opera is arguably the best medium for dramatising the workings of history and this is particularly true of Verdi's Don Carlo in Luchino Visconti's magnificent and definitive production. Set in France and Spain in the late 16th century, the opera tells of the political and amorous rivalry between Philip II of Spain and his son, Don Carlo. Performed in Italian, this live recording was described by The Times as ".an exhilarating experience". The superb cast is led by Ileana Cotrubas as a tender and touching Elisabetta and the fine lyric tenor Luis Lima in the title role.".one of The Royal Opera's finest achievements" FINANCIAL TIMES

Customer Reviews:

Maybe It's Me.......2006-12-12

...but I didn't care for this "Don Carlo," certainly not in comparison to other versions out there. For me Lima is a huge drawback. The voice is fine, but he overacts wildly (almost as much as Villazon in the recent Amsterdam opera version; not an easy accomplishment). It's extremely childish, distracting and unnecessary behavior. One can't imagine this little boy liberating a sandbox, let alone Flanders. If only he'd let Verdi do a little of the work. Cotrubas, too old for the role of Carlo's young love who unwillingly becomes his mother, sings beautifully, but frets and fusses so much she ends up looking like...well, like his mother. It's a major drawback, particularly for a piece in which the leads' forbidden love for one another drives ALL the storylines. Without any kind of chemistry between Carlo and Elisabetta, the opera simply doesn't make sense. 2 stars for the two real stars here, Zancanaro and Lloyd, who are wonderful, as always. And the production is perfectly serviceable. If you have to own every "Don Carlo" out there, why not? If not, invest in the Domingo/Freni Met version or the Carreras Salzburg DVD instead. Even Zeffirelli's LaScala production with Pavarotti is preferable.

Luis Lima is Don Carlo.......2006-10-30

This 'review' is really a tribute to Mr. Lima. His performance alone makes the recording a treasure. He once said in an interview that he did not really like the role. For not liking it, he certainly is persuasive in performing it. Throughout the range of emotions: vulnerability, near madness, sorrow and renunciation, he remains believable. Unfortunately, not so his partner, Mr. Zancanaro, who sings Posa beautifully. But he has the annoying habit of using hand gestures to underline every musical phrase thus reminding the audience that he is 'performing'. In Posa's death scene he places his hands on Carlo's shoulders and I was hoping he would keep them there. But no such luck. The other roles, especially Mr. LLoyd as Philippo, are all vocally and dramatically convincing. It's futile to lament the fact that not all looked like the 'ideal' we might wish for.

Very good but less than perfect.......2006-05-27

Don Carlo is my favorite Verdi opera and I had great expectations for this version after reading all the fantastic reviews here. I was hoping for a definitive Don Carlo. Unfortunately, this just isn't it. It is a fine performance but flawed. Cotrubas is simply too old for the part. She looks old enough to actually be Carlo's mother. Her voice seems small and not really up to the demands of this role. Because of this miscasting. Lima's over-the-top style of acting seems a bit far-fetched and takes some getting to use to. The Eboli has been described as matronly and this is a polite way of saying that she, too, seems too old for the part. All this strains the credibility of the dramatic action. As a result, it is difficult to get fully involved in this production since the production does not mesh. This is a good production and well worth watching but it is not the best. Meanwhile, the search for the perfect Don Carlo goes on.

Operatic acting of the highest standard. .......2005-12-07

There is something about Don Carlo that makes me continually buy new versions (I'm up to seven now)looking for new ways of enjoying this profound nd beautiful work. I was rather suspicious of Mark the Music lovers gushy review, but so delighted to find how right he was. I have never been so moved and excited by filmed opera.

Luis Lima's performance is extraordinary. His voice does not have the beauty of Carreras on the Karajan DVD and the tone can spread at times, but you are too busy being thrilled by his performance to notice. The acting is full of subtleties (his eye work is incredible)and passion, his singing musical and sensitive and his diction extraordinarily clear. He chooses to bring out the (historical) mental instability of the character which adds a whole new dimention to the drama. His reactions to other characters' singing are so convicing that they seem to be acting better than they are.

Giorgio Zancanro is not the world's best actor but he was one the best singers. This is an example of perfect singing. He weilds his hefty, granite like voice with security, a thorough understanding of Verian style and grace. Lima encourages him to produce the best acting I have seen from him on video. Posa's death scene, which is really not Verdi's greatest moment is sensational dramatically and musically.

Cotrubas' voice had such a limpid beauty, so appropriate for this role and she too acts superbly, showing a woman crushed by her hideous circumstances. The duets with Lima are
intensely beautiful and emotinally charged and make gripping viewing. I'm afraid it will make you reassess many of the other operatic performances you own on DVD.

Lloyd's voice, presence and acting are very strong. The duet between Posa and Philip is exciting both for the convincing dralatic presentation and for the combination of two such superb voices.

Are there negatives? Well a few. The greatest music of the opera
(the entire Act iv) is the video's least convincing section. Lloyd is a bit too musically wilful with the great aria and the duet with the inquisitor ( who doesn't quite cope with the upper register and tries to overcompensate) is not as thrilling as it should be. There are slight ensemble problems in the quartet and "O Don Fatale" is ordinary. Baglione's voice is beautiful in the upper register but her presence is matronly and the acting histrionic(Unfortunatley Karajan's Baltsa sets a very high standard). But these are small niggles when there is so much perfection to enjoy (much of it from the pit).

If you are a Verdian you must purchase this DVD.

The Only Version Truly, Truly Worthy of Master Verdi!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-10-06

I cannot put into words how marvelous it is to have what is in my opinion the supreme version of Verdi's masterpiece Don Carlo. Not even the word supreme does justice to this DVD. But before I go into the glorious details about this version, let me first address the problems with the existing ones. We have The Met's Don Carlo, Zeffirelli's at La Scala, Karajan's, and finally Pappano's at the Chatelet in Paris. The Met's version does have many merits, but Domingo's voice is unsuitably strained, Freni is not the best actress, they are just too old to convince me that they are young lovers. Louis Quilico looks as though he's about to pop out of his costume, and the sets and costumes have a certain low budget look. Grace Bumbry is really the only saving grace for this performance, and even at that, she could have been much more committed dramatically. Franco Zeffirelli's version for La Scala boasts sumptuous costumes and sets that unfortunately dwarf the principle singers who fail miserably in the drama department, especially Pavarotti who just looks ridiculous. Karajan's performance is sonically resplendent, but once again the sets and costumes look cheap (except for Eboli's) and the performance omits the essential Fontainbleau scene as did the Zeffirelli version. Once again the only real star of this show is Baltsa's fire breathing Eboli, now that's what I call a visceral singing actress. Lastly, the Chatelet version is very skimpy on the necessary visual aspects of the piece, and Alagna as Carlo is a terribly one-dimensional actor. Fortunately the rest of the cast is first rate in the highest sense of the word. How happy I was when this DVD version by Italian cinematic master Luchino Visconti (who mentored Zeffirelli) was released. First of all the costuming and sets are sumptuous without swallowing up the singers. Visconti was a notorious perfectionist in the recreation of historical periods of high culture right down to the manner in which a lady wore her hat and carried her fan. As far as I am concerned Luis Lima ought to be giving Master Classes to Domingo on how this role should be sung and interpreted. I have never seen a Don Carlo that brought me to tears and allowed me to experience the same whirlwind of emotions in a 3 1/2 hour time span. Cotrubas sings beatifully with aching limpid tone. Although her voice does not possess the heft normally associated with the role of Elisabetta, her voice convinces you that you are not listening to an older woman, but an innocent teenage bride about to marry a man old enough to be her grandfather. Baglioni's Eboli is a revelation, bitchy, aristocratic, and vindictive. Her voice is that of a very high mezzo in fact. Lloyd as Philip II is earth shatteringly potent as are the remainder of the cast. My final praise must go to the absolutely gorgeous stentorian singing of Zancanaro as Roderigo. He will remain my benchmark for all other interpreters of this role. Bernard Haitink conducts brilliantly taking his time to revel in the luscious melodies of the score. When you have exceptionally gifted singing actors who are opulently costumed and look every bit the part that they are portraying so much so that you begin to see them as the literal figures from the history pages, there simply is no other that can compare. Make this THE Don Carlo to own. It ranks with Caballe's Norma, Norman's Oedipus Rex, Mitterand's Butterfly, Ewing's Salome, Pendatchanska's Roberto Devereaux, Zeffirelli's Tosca and Gardiner's Les Troyens as opera desert island DVD must haves!!!!!!!!!!!BUY IT! END OF STORY!!!!!!

Kultur Verdi Collection II / Ernani, Falstaff, I Lombardi, Simon Boccanegra, Nabucco, Don Carlos

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Kultur Verdi Collection II / Ernani, Falstaff, I Lombardi, Simon Boccanegra, Nabucco, Don Carlos
Starring: Various Artists
Manufacturer: Kultur Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD