Verdi: Don Carlos

I would have loved to give this Five Stars rating if not for the awful set and the awful make-up of the male singers, particularly Mr. Hampson's wig and fake stubble. What is the purpose of this? In this production, we are very fortunate to have a group of singers who are wonderful to hear and also are very nice to look at. In the book "Opera for dummies", Angela Gheorghiu, Karita Mattila, Waltraud Meier, Roberto Alagna, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, Cecilia Bartoli are listed as examples of "great looking" opera singers. The three of the singers mentioned are in this production. Mr. Hampson can certainly take Mr. Hvorotovsky's place. (The Siberian himself a magnificent Rodrigo in the Italian version. Where is his DVD of "Don Carlo"?)This must be the best "Don Carlos" in term of the cast. Karita Mattila, the very first winner of Singer of the World, definitely lives up to her well-deserved title. Her singing and acting is just exemplary. Jose Van Dam's performance of Philip II is regal with authority, yet still maintains the sensitive side of the character. Merier's Eboli is charming. When she is scorned, she really is a lioness. Mr. Hampson probably has the best music to sing in the whole opera. "Don Carlos" could be subtitled as "Everybody loves Rodrigue". Who would not want a friend like Marquis de Posa? Mr. Hampson does not disappoint us. He sings and acts very well. The "male bounding" duet "Dieu, tu semas dans nos ames" with Alagna is just beautiful. The gently persuasive "L'Infant Carlos" can melt the coldest heart. The death scene may lack Mr.Hvorostovsky's impressive legato, it is very well sung, dramatic and moving. Mr. Hampson's Rodrigue seems more like a lover than a best friend. He thoroughly enjoys this and torments poor Bobby with every physical contact. It is almost comical to see Alagna's discomfort in such an interpretation. His interaction with Mr. Hampson is very awkward. He can hardly make eye contact with Mr. Hampson when they are alone. You can see the difference when he is with the ladies. Bobby Alagna strangely resembles Andrea Bocelli physically (Thank God Bobby does not sound like Bocelli). "Don Carols" is not a glorious role for tenor. The tenor works so hard for the whole time and the show stoppers are for the other singers. To his credit, Mr. Algana does a great job.Overall, this long performance (210 minutes) is very enjoyable. It makes a worthy addition to any opera dvd library. For the price of $30.00, you can hardly get a seat in any opera house. This is a bargain, so grab it.

got this because I wanted a video as well as a French version. For the price - $20 - I'm not complaining. Goodness, what we've come to expect - imagine if we could get this sound and video quality to watch whenever we wanted at home even up to the 1980s. I also don't know how many differences reflect the two versions. I've only ever heard the Italian before.But the complaints about the audio - on the blu-ray at least - are accurate. It's entirely listenable, but if you bought a CD or a vinyl record with this sound, you'd be unhappy. I, however, am happy to be able to watch it - it's not the unquestioned success in sets and acting that some have described, but it is pretty good and I find nothing in it that warrants harsh criticism.The singing is also entirely acceptable, even very good, but nothing accept for Mattila is really a consistently great performance. Some of this is that the voices are so far behind the music. But this is also not a big problem for me - it is a live opera performance, we have become accustomed to our stereo systems and the magic of studio recordings that artificially emphasize the voice. I love those recordings - Guilini especially, but that's not what you get with this.By the way, the countess d'Aremberg's face contorted in weeping reminds me of nothing so much as the party scene in Breakfast at Tiffany's.So, for the audio experience, I'll go to other performances both because of the regrettable disc production and the singing. But I do not regret this, either. Still, I'd think long and hard before I paid anything more than $20 for another disc by Kultur.

Luc Bondy's production of Don Carlos by Giuseppe Verdi (sung in the original French) has a superb cast who not only sing beautifully but act very convincingly as well. Roberto Alagna takes the title role and shows us an ardent lover, a thwarted, passionate man who has to deal with his fiancee marrying his father for reasons of state, his best friend being sacrificed to the Spanish Inquisition for his loyalty, finding his father distant and solitary yet vulnerable to his religious advisor and trying to fend off the unwelcome advances of his father's mistress. Verdi lavished some of his most poignant and lyrical music on the score which contains intimate scenes of arias and duets,but also public spectacle and huge choruses as in the "Auto-da-fe" scene. Thomas Hampson shines as Don Carlos' best friend, Rodrigo who is caught up in the fight for freedom for one of Spain's conquered countries, Flanders. His character represents the "enlightened" man of his age so Verdi gives him some of the most moving tunes but really all the characters are allowed to express themselves in such a way as to engage our sympathy at various times. The women are equally strong with Karita Mattila as Elisabeth de Valois, the noble, young princess who must leave her beloved France to marry the father while loving the son, and Waltraud Meier as Princess Eboli, the king's mistress who is also attracted to Don Carlos. Jose Van Dam distinguishes himself as King Philip 11 with his elegaic aria on unrequited love. This opera deserves to be as well known as Rigoletto, Traviata and Trovatore as it contains so many memorable tunes and ensembles. Hopefully with this production, which is more complete than most, we will be able to appreciate the large, magnificent canvas that Verdi has translated into a most human story of private love and public duty. Excellent singing, heart-rending acting, fraught situations and glorious tunes ... who could want more?

The sound on this Region 2 to 6 dvd is underwhelming. I do not like Alagna's voice, and he is not a very imposing Carlos. Posa (Thomas Hampson) more or less tucks him under his arm and exits with him in Act 2. Hampson, usually a striking figure, is for some unknown reason, made to resemble a werewolf! In some scenes with Alagna, he is placed on a lower step to even up the height difference. Elisabeth (Karita Mattila) comically flicks him off her like a fly in the same act, after they have been enjoying a little intimacy. He lands on his back on the floor. Jose van Dam is an underpowered though compelling Philip II. Waltraud Meier sings marvellously, as does Mattila. It is good to see Pappano conducting in his earlier days, less commanding, less perceptive, but with the same mannerisms as he has today...still, undeniably impressive even in 1996. Enjoyable, then, and in places unintentionally funny, but flawed and with unacceptable sound.

Given the quality of the cast, this effort is dire. Utterly let down by the minimalist staging and production. I guess the budget was tight, and the principal cast react as you may well understand. It is a wooden performance all around.Roberto Alagna looks embarrassed to be asked to play the title roll so meekly and ineffectually.It is not helped by the fact that the plot line of Don Carlos is not strong - and is one of those operas that in fact give opera an unfortunate reputation in certain quarters for reasons of fluidity and continuity.I rather think that the principals were simply singing the notes and words out of contractual obligations. And therin lies another issue - this being an attempt made at the original French language version - at the Châtelet in Paris. The libretto translation for English subtitles is questionable at best, hopelessly so at times.What capped off my sense of incredulity was just how ridiculous Eric Halfvarson was asked to portray the ‘Grand Inquisitor’ as a shuffling moribund geriatric caricature. As if anyone would be struck with panic and terror at the approach of this wizened old chap! Really - whose idea was that........No I don’t want to know!For me Waltraud Meier stole the honours with a good effort as Princess Eboli. Not in the Shirley Verrett class, but she showed sincerity, though I was disappointed by her rendering of the Act 4, Scene 2 closer ‘O don fatal, O don crudel’. Perhaps she is a little light for the role, as may be said for all the players to a degree, but perhaps all the better suited to a French text.‘O don fatal is I admit is one of my favourite mezzo scenes and arias - and nobody does it like Shirley for my money. Talking of which I would not have paid to see this travesty of a ‘production’ back in 1996, and. if I had, in the expectation of witnessing something more traditional, I would have demanded a refund!There are other versions, mainly sung in Italian. My preference still, perhaps Pavarotti/Muti (Zeffirelli).Just not my cup of tea at all I’m afraid.

With the exception of La Traviata Don Carlos (Don Carlo), in its various forms, remains by favourite Verdi opera and a telecast of this particular production was my first introduction to the work. Performed in the original five act French version the production was staged at Theatre du Chatelet in 1996, under the baton of Antonio Pappano. There are a number of productions of the opera available on DVD and most are examples of a traditional staging but such is not the case here. The production, which boasts some very superior singing, is justly famous and remains my favourite on DVD.Certain reviewers have disliked the staging which is certainly different. There is no particular style of set or costume design but what there is works very well and does complement the action. The staging is definitely not a Zurich style madhouse. Each scence does have an individual style of its own including the white costumes of the chorus in the forest of Fontainebleau, the black dresses of the queen and her attendants outside the gates of the monastry at Yuste, the colourful costumes of the crowds at the auto-da-fe and the stark design of Philippe's study with furnishing limited to a chair and a campbed.The production's great triumph is the very high standard of singing by the various solo artistes and the chorus. In recent years Roberto Alagna's career has encountered certain difficulties but at this time he was regarded as the young tenor of the moment destined for a glorious career. He gives an inspired performance both as singer and actor. He is well partnered in the famous duets by Thomas Hampson here establishing his credentials as a fine emotionally charged Verdi baritone. Jose Van Dam impresses as the autocratic and troubled king. In the role of the scheming, vengeful and finally penitent Princess Eboli Waltraud Meier is most impressive in her great acte IV aria "O don fatal et deteste"Among the singers there are two great stand-outs. Wearing a series of fabulous (but not traditional) dresses and with a hairstyle that manages to increase her already impressive height, the beautiful Karita Mattila dominates the stage everytime that she appears. Her singing and acting are always very good but she is at her best in her long aria in acte V "Toi qui sus le neant grandeurs de ce monde" The other incredible performance is given by Eric Halfvarson, who as the grand inquisitor (a hooded, crippled grotesque) is the perfect incarnation of evil masquerading as divine truth.The singing alone makes the production an essential purchase for the Verdi aficionado but for a viewer seeking a more traditional production a very good starting point is the Met's 1980s production under the baton of James Levine with Placido Domingo at his very best in the title role.Trottman

An excellent production of Verdi’s opera, with a wonderful cast. Beautiful music, exquisite singing, great acting, intensity and emotion – these are the main virtues I look for in an opera performance, and I have found them all here. In addition, the staging is not aimed at reinterpreting or modernizing the original opera – Verdi would definitely recognize it - and this is something I’m especially thankful for.Don Carlos is a young, incurably idealistic and very vulnerable crown prince, who sincerely wants to be a hero, but who has become deeply frustrated while struggling with the issues related to a cold and tyrannical father (who turns into a powerful and dangerous rival to his son just when Carlos needs to become an emotionally and physically autonomous adult). Roberto Alagna sings impeccably and as naturally as other people breathe. He expresses the various and often conflicting emotions of the young prince in a very convincing way, and he makes it easy to understand why the other good characters love Carlos so much. Karita Mattila plays an Elisabeth who is considerably more mature than Carlos, a young woman for whom duty is everything, even though remaining dutiful and true to her principles requires more and more sacrifice on her part. If she seems too cold as a lover, it is totally in character – this queen can never be truly herself except when she is alone, and that is when Mattila’s acting becomes heartbreakingly intimate and emotional. As for the singing, she sings like an angel. Thomas Hampson as Rodrigue is brilliant both vocally and as an actor. He is very believably the hero who leaves the mark of his personality on everything he touches.A few words about the plot: It certainly has parts that are unrealistic (and I don’t even mean the appearance of the dead king), but, frankly, I don’t expect the same level of subtlety in the case of an opera libretto as in the case of a drama. Here everything serves the music, and the music is the main means of conveying meaning. For example, it’s been said that the political aspect (freedom for Flanders) is secondary in the actual plot, which may well be true, but when Rodrigue recalls the horror of the oppression, the power of the music does full justice to the cause, in my opinion. I have no problem with the idea that Elisabeth and Carlos fall in love at first sight and that they are unable to get over this love later. It is psychologically believable that they fall in love so easily because they want to. They have both been anxious about their impending marriage (they both know that they don’t have a choice), so when they find out that the other one is, in fact, a likeable person, they feel such relief that they fall in love at once. After that, the sudden obstacle that they face serves only to make this relationship more valuable in their eyes, strengthening their love. Also, the fact that even the good characters just stand by and watch as the heretics are burnt is a realistic touch, which underlines the power of the Inquisition. Everyone who lives in this climate knows that they can’t be saved now. All in all, the plot of this opera is as good as most of the others.In short, I wholeheartedly recommend this DVD to everyone who enjoys Verdi’s music and who can appreciate a traditional opera production whose main value is in the performance of the singers and the musicians.

Brilliant performance with a cast almost impossible to equal today.However, the bluray is seriously let down by awful sound quality. It's in mono (yes, we're talking 1950s quality) until a few minutes in to Act 4 when it becomes stereo.How on earth can this happen? I've ordered a used DVD copy in the hope that at least I can listen to it in acceptable stereo all the way through...