Search - Carlo Meletti, Piero Cappuccilli, Giuseppe Verdi :: Verdi: Don Carlo

Imperfect probably, brilliant undoubtedly

montecastello | Dardanelle, Arkansas United States | 04/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'll keep it short--there is at least a grain of truth in even the most hostile reviews below, but having listened to virtually every major recording of this majestic opera again and again, this is the one that I hear in my memory most often. There are moments of power, delicacy, and elegance here equal to just about any Verdi on record. Karajan was too eccentric to turn out anything like definitive recordings, but no conductor has taught me more about Verdi's genius. Take Act III for instance: this is a model of how great opera conducting simultaneously shows us dramatic and musical coherence. As ensemble succeeds ensemble, we become aware of a sense of architecture at work here almost equal to Nozze di Figaro or Giovanni (though oddly K's Mozart leaves me cold). As for the size of the voices, it is in keeping with the overall conception. The overwhelming presence of the orchestra in the balance repeats Karajan's use of the massive stage at Salzburg to give us a vision of human sized protagonists overwhelmed by the twin tyrranies of church and state. Conventional productions are more true to the C19 Grand Opera formula of hugely heroic individuals resisting historical forces (and giving a sense of victory in spite of tragic ends) but Karajan's vision is clearly one born in the shadow of the Berlin Wall (it was still standing when this recording was made)--he finds a sort of contemporary dramatic truth in it, and all through subtle shifts of emphasis and casting. No, it is not the definitive Don Carlos (or even of the 4 act italian version), but it is to my ears just about indispensable."

Don Carlo - my first love

PhantomOfTheOpera | Norway | 09/20/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Don Carlo was actually my first encounter with opera ever. I heard José Carreras in "West Side Story" and was mesmerized by his voice. At that point I wasn't into opera, but I was so taken by his voice that as long as I could hear him sing it wouldn't matter what he was singing. So I went to the public library and asked for "anything that features José Carreras" and they came up with this Don Carlo recording.



I've heard people saying that they would not use Don Carlo as an introduction into opera - probably because it's a fairly long opera. To me that didn't matter the least. The longer the opera, the more I would hear of this fantastic voice. In the beginning I was stupid enough to think that I would just skip the arias not sung by Carreras.....!!?! But what happened was that I was so intrigued by the story and the voices that I listened straight through the entire opera several times. And at the same time I was also introduced to some of the finest opera singers in the world.



I just love Agnes Baltsa in the role as princess Eboli. The scene with Don Carlo in the queen's garden is wonderful. Her fury when she discovers that Don Carlo is in love with the queen instead of her (as she herself believed) is priceless. She's also giving us a fiery rendition of "O Don fatale".



The now late Piero Cappuccilli is a fantastic Rodrigo and one of my favourite opera singers. He possessed a very beautiful baritone and the scene where he visits Don Carlo in prison and also his death scene are very moving. His aria "Per me giunto e il di supreme" is beautiful beyond words. I'm almost expecting to hearing shouts of "bravo" and a round of applause after his rendition of this aria.



The wonderful basso Nicolai Ghaurov is really in command here. He's a king I personally wouldn't mess with.



Ruggero Raimondi is another favourite opera singer and he doesn't disappoint me here either. Always capable of spreading fear with his beautiful voice he is just perfect as the inquisitor.



Mirella Freni is a singer that I've come to like more and more. I prefer singers that are capable of involvement and emotion instead of just having a big voice. Freni gives a solid and moving performance throughout the entire opera. And her voice blends very well with Carreras's.



Carreras is perfect as Don Carlo if you ask me. He must be the sweetest sounding Don Carlo ever. In my opinion it's not enough singing the arias in this particular opera on full blast. The most important thing isn't how loud they can sing, but what they're doing with their voices; how capable they are of communicating with the listener, evoking emotions. In that respect José Carreras is unsurpassed. He's the "king of emotions" and he's pouring all his passion into this performance. The final aria "Ma lassu ci vedremo" with Carreras and Freni is a show-stopper; it's divine and almost sensual sounding. Just listen to Carreras' soft notes in this aria; out of this world and not to mention heart wrenching. It's those kind of notes (which he masters to the degree of perfection) that's destined to sending shivers down your spine and/or bring you to tears.



I love the conducting of Karajan. He creates great drama when needed, but when it comes to the scenes between the lovers no one can create such sweet and intimate moments in the music as he did.



Don Carlo was my first love in opera and so he holds a special place in my heart. In my opinion he is most definitely worth 5 stars."

An unbeatable cast

Carsten Stampe Jorgensen | Copenhagen, Denmark | 06/07/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"With great interest I have been reading the reviews on this recording. They tend to disagree a lot so I thought I might as well join the discussion. Reading CDSullivans review I was wondering whether or not we actually had listened to the same recording. I am a great admirer of José Carreras' singing, and his Carlo is indeed a marvellous achievement. Carreras is often accused of being too small for his parts, but I think it's rarely the case, especially not here. His Carlo is ardent, involved and sung with unrivalled beauty of tone. Corelli may have a vast voice, but his constistently loud singing, lack of subtlety and shaping makes him an unattractive Carlo. Domingo is far better but not quite achieving Carreras' melting tenderness. CDSullivan suggests "Get a tenor". Well, this set already has one. To hear that, one has only to listen...Freni's Elisabetta is a perfect match for Jose Carreras. Their voices suit each other and blends perfectly. As much as I admire Montserrat Caballé in the Giulini recording, she is not as involved and vulnerable as Freni's Elisabetta. Ghiaurov is once again Filippo, as he was in the Solti recording (Not hard to find in Denmark). At first he seems to have greater authority and strenght in the Solti recording, but listening closely I found that his portrait had deepened and he had become even more expressive than he was 13 years earlier. He might have lost a bit in his upper register over the years, but in return his low register has won in sonority. His low notes are certainly far more impressive than the ones produced by Ruggero Raimondi as the Grand Inquisitor. Raimondi seems to force his way down with loss of vibrato as a result. Ghiaurov also sung the role of the inquisitor in the French DG/Abbado recording. I'm not to fond of this recording, but I found Ghiaurov's Grand Inquisitor very impressive (yes I admit it - I am a Ghiaurov-nut).Baltsa as Eboli is far better than any other I have heard in this part. Her coloratura in "Tra questa mura..." is stunningly controlled. In comparison Shirley Verret sounds a bit stiff. Baltsa's "O don fatale" is also in a league of it's own. She literally throws it at the listener, and the power and expression of it is incomparable. CDSullivan wonders what Cossotto might have done with this part. Well, hesitate no longer and buy the DG/Santini with Christoff, Bastianini, Stella and Cossotto! I agree with CDSullivan that Cappuccilli is an astonishing Posa, perhaps even surpassing the great Tito Gobbi. They are both magnificient, and it is a question of which you prefer. Gobbi's portrait is highly expressive, but so is Cappuccilli's, and what an excellent breath-control.Karajan has been critizised a great deal for his conducting of Don Carlo. Firstly for choosing the 4. act version, omitting the first act of the 5. act version and. Well, personally I prefer the 4. act version (my loss I guess), and obviously, so did Verdi. Otherwise he wouldn't have cut it, would he? Secondly Karajan has been accused of being to bold, loud and unverdian, and to conduct it as though it were Wagner. Well, his dynamics is at times very extreme and obtrusive, but I don't think it can be denied that he achieved something special with this music. Take for instance the prelude of act four, leading up to Elisabetta's great aria "Tu che le vanitá". The playing and tone of the Berlin Philharmonic, playing as though they were one, is simply breathtaking. The glow and atmosphere of the music is astonishing.This recording is as close to perfect as it gets. The cast certainly is. Highly recommended"