Search - Bergonzi, Tebaldi, Bumbry :: Don Carlo

Which five-star "Don Carlo" to choose?

Santa Fe Listener | Santa Fe, NM USA | 06/18/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I'm among those who rank "Don Carlo" (known in its French version as "Don Carlos" -- Amazon has labeled this one wrong) as Vrdi's grandest grand opera and a masterpiece in that genre. It wasn't easy for Verdi to set out a final version, and when he did, arriving at a relatively compressed, tense four acts, he surgically removed some inspired music, particularly the opening scene in the Fontainbleau forest where Don Carlo declares his doomed love for his step-mother, Queen Elisabetta. Collectors can hear almost every note that Verdi discarded on two pirate recordings under Abbado from the 1970's -- the best one is from La Scala, 1977, with Jose Carreras and Freni in fine form). Otherwise, each conductor in the various studio recordings has made his own selection from the four-act and five-act versions.



A true lover of this opera will want five acts, so for me it comes down to three excellent stereo versions, each of which has its strengths and weaknesses. As every reviewer is fond of repeating, there has never been a perfect "Don Carlo," or for that matter, one that casts two ideal lead singers for Don Carlo and Elisabetta.



Solti (Decca) -- This set from Covent Garden has been esteemed since the day it appeared. We get five acts, but the first, the Fontainbleau scene, has been shorn of the opening woodcutters' chorus. Solti's conducting is strong and idiomatic; he doesn't drive the music at all. His tow leads, Carlo Bergonzi and Renata Tebaldi, are well matched. Bergonzi has a smallish voice but impeccable style. Since Tebaldi was in her late phase, she is rather cautious at times, and matching her with a less than powerful tenor was a discreet choice. both are on the same page in traditional Verdi style. they are the most natural pairing I've heard. The two great bas roles, King Philip and the blind Grand Inquisitor, are superbly done by Nicolai Ghiaurov and Martti Talvela in their prime. Theirs is the most frightening confrontation since Gobbi and Christoff on the old mono set from 1954 (EMI).



As Evoli, Grace Bumbry is well cast. Her naturally feminine delivery is touching, and although she's not as sharp in the demanding coloratura, the lack of hardness in her voice comes as a relief. The Royal Opera orchestra and chorus play beautifully -- as their chief conductor, Solti had them whipped into shape -- although sheer numbers are lacking in the great choral auto da fe scene. Decca's sound is as vivid and clear as anyone would wish. The usual complaint about Solti's set is that Fischer-Dieskau is miscast as Rodgrigo and vocally out of is depth. I am no fan of F-D in Verdi, and there's nothing Italianate about his delivery, but I'd count this his best outing in such roles. He's not right in his death scene, but elsewhere his undoubted artistry counts for a lot.



In all, this remains a strong set, very much worth hearing. The real question here is whether Tebaldi sounds a bit too worn and Bergonzi too cool for the desperate, ardent Carlo.



Giulini (EMI) -- In 1970 Covent Garden produced another outstanding Don Carlo under Giulini. We get five acts but once again with the opening woodcutters' chorus cut out. When you consider how good the Solti was, it's surprising that the Giulini swept the field, but it did, and the initial acclaim has barely subsided. For once EMI's sonics are better than Decca's, being very natural and spacious, especially in the latest remastering for Great Recordings of the Century. Domingo and Caballe are in best youthful voice for the two leads. Sherrill Milnes is vocally an outstanding Rodrigo; better still he reins in his bad habit of oversinging and histrionics. The orchestra and chorus are as good as they were under Solti, and Giulini is even more stylish.



but dare I say it, this is a gloomy production. Domingo needs to be more ardent, and Caballe is droopy and detached. Added to this is Giulini's gravity, which allows for almost no unbridled passion and joy. Don Carlo is a tragic opera, and most of the characters are sad most of the time. Still, I've never grown excited over this famous set. Verrett was an accomplished Eboli, but she verges on the leather-lunged and aggressive. Giulini's slow tempo in the Veil Song rob it of charm. Neither Raimondi's Philip nor Giovanni Foiani's Grand Inquisitor sound old enough or sufficiently menacing.



Overall, one cannot deny the quality of Giulini's recording, which has stood the test of time a shade better than the Solti because of its young voices. but I can't say I've ever been enthusiastic about it.



Levine (Sony) -- At the Met nowadays one gets to hear Andrew Porter's expanded five-act edition that includes as much of Verdi's music as possible. Here Levine restores the woodcutter's chorus, so instead of beginning with hunting horns, the Fontainbleau scene begins with somber peasants foraging for kindling. Yet as gloomy as that sounds, Levine's account is the most exciting and varied of the three versions. He conducts the huge choral scenes with tremendous force and virtuosity -- there's not the slightest doubt that the Met orchestra is miles ahead of the royal Opera. By relieving the tragedy, Levine gives us the most theatrical and least exhausting performance.



His problem in the early Nineties was casting. Aprile Millo was the Met's stand-in for a great Verdi soprano, and here she does some of her best work. As long as she can sing softly and tenderly, Millo holds her own against true divas on the scale of Tebaldi, but she tends to be cautious in the big numbers. 'Tu che le vanita' is a major letdown. But her Carlo, Michael Sylvester, does quite well. His smooth, smallish voice is close to Bergonzi's, and although Sylvester falls down on style, he never embarrasses himself. All of his singing is enjoyable. As Eboli, Dolora Zajick turns in the best performance I've ever heard, sharply defined and tremendously virtuosic throughout.



The rest of the cast is filled out with Met stars of the period. Vladimir Chernov was an acclaimed Verdi baritone for a shockingly brief while, but his Rodrigo stands up with the best. As Philip, Furlanetto has a gorgeous lower register and exudes regal authority. Ramey is an impressive rival to the king as the Grand Inquisitor, and Kathleen Battle is nothing less than divine when her voice floats from on high as the angel at the climax of the auto da fe scene. It's a small moment but quite thrilling.



The Met's production of Don Carlo is so stunning visually that reviewers usually steer buyers to a DVD of it, which boasts Domingo as Carlo. I find the audio set just as thrilling theatrically. Levine goes a long way to making up the deficits of his singing cast.



In the end, there's no clear winner. The strong aspects of one set compensate for weaknesses in the other two. But a word must be put in for Pavarotti, who undertook Carlo as almost his last new role in 1992 for the opening of La Scala. He cracked a high note, and the boos were heard around the world. What was missed is that after his publicized disgrace, which was hardly deserved, the great tenor went on to sing the role magnificently. You can hear him on EMI in that very production, recorded live, under the vigorous Muti. Pavarotti is in miraculously good voice for this late in his career, almost rejuvenated, in fact. His passion and perfect Verdi style outstrip all the tenors on the rival sets, including Domingo. sadly, nothing else about the production comes anywhere near his standard -- the other leads vary between good enough and sorry. But if you want to hear what can be done with a role that is notoriously difficult, Pavarotti is very much worth seeking out."

An excellent Don Carlo

Hugo Marcos Rodriguez | Miami, FL USA | 09/11/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Don Carlo (or Don Carlos,the original French 5-act version) has been very fortunate with the record industry. I already have seven and still looking for more. This one is among my favorites, together with the Karajan/Carreras/Ghiaurov; Siepi/Bjoerling/Merrill/Stiedry and Christoff/Gobbi.

I've heard for decades people declaring this a failed Don Carlo because of Fischer Dieskau's Rodrigo. As a Verdi baritone he has not the voice of a Bastianini, a Merrill, a Milnes or a Cappuccilli, but his voice is not worse than Gobbi's, reputed as the best Posa on records,because of his interpretive skills. In this field Fi Di is also extraordinary, and I personally find his Posa at the same level of Gobbi's.

Verdi specialist Bergonzi is marvelous as the Prince, one of his best achievements.

Tebaldi should have recorded this ten years before, but you still hear the golden voice.

Bumbry to my ears sounds like another soprano, very good indeed, but still a soprano. Lacks the mezzo color of a Zajick or a Nicolai.

I have three Philips in my heart,Ghiaurov, Christoff and Siepi, and I just can't decide. That's why I have all of their recordings. Three different approaches to the same character by three geniuses. I love them all. Martti Talvela is overwhelming as the Grand Inquisitor, and his scene with Ghiaurov is one of the greatest moments in operatic history.

Solti is one of my lifetime favorite conductors, the other being Karajan. This is an almost complete original version including Act I in Fontainebleau, but translated to Italian. Very peculiar indeed. Col mio maggior rispetto, but I've never heard recordings of Tebaldi and Bergonzi singing in French...

This second remastering sounds even better than the previous one. You can't afford not having this Don Carlo, and at this new price it's a total bargain! Buy it quickly, before it's deleted again.



"

A Verdi masterpiece resurrected

N. Freidin | Huntington, WV | 03/01/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Here is a second issue on CD of Solti's pioneering recording of Verdi's Don Carlo, the Italian five-act version, and this time with the original LP cover of the Royal Opera House (Covent Garden) interior, in a photo bubble. I remember the LPs with much nostalgia since it was the first complete operatic recording I bought with my allowance, saved over many months, when a teenager in England back in the 1960s. I treasure the boxed set to this day despite the fact that I still have to set up my old record-player !



When it came out on CD in Europe, about six or so years ago, I asked my brother on the Continent to purchase a copy for me. And the price then was exorbitant. Now this first CD version is readily available in the U.S., with the set design of the King's study (Act IV, Scene 1) for a 1912 La Scala production on the slip-case cover. The price is much reduced. However, this latest release, part of Decca's 'The Originals', is even cheaper, at least $11.00 less. I cannot comment on its packaging, what is or is not included (e.g., synopsis, libretto, etc.). But, even 'naked', it is a bargain, the same recording, cast and all.



This recording was seminal in reviving interest in Verdi's Don Carlo, one of his few forays into 'grand opera' in the French manner, most fashionable back in the middle to late 19th Century. In fact, today, there are two excellent recordings of the original French version, Don Carlo with an 's' - (Abbado from 1985 on DG and Pappano from 1996 on EMI). Verdi, in my opinion, perfected the form in Don Carlo, combining scenes of intimacy (his native instinct) with pageantry (the French public's insistence at the time). Thank heavens Verdi omitted the obligatory ballet music, a requirement in his first French grand opera attempt in Les Vepres siciliennes. You have a skilful combination of scenes, private and public, beautifully crafted, and moving. His Aida would be the culmination of this effort.



Too long neglected, Solti in this recording, with a cast of stars, did us a huge favour in bringing back Don Carlo to our attention, and he is largely responsible for its revival. And it is a first-class performance, with Bergonzi, Tebaldi, Bumbry and Ghiaurov, in superb form in roles for which they were famous both on stage and in the recording studio. In addition, Martti Talvela is a dark and menacing inquisitor, and Fischer-Dieskau, a sensitive and sympathetic Rodrigo. For these two great actor-singers, this is a worthy tribute to their art. Some, including Tebaldi at the time, were surprised at the casting of Fischer-Diskau. Not to worry. Few have sung Rodrigo's part so convincingly, and so musically. And Solti's conducting, high voltage as always, works admirably to keep our attention during this sprawling epic. (The story is mostly fictitious but this is, after all, the world of opera !)



This recording, despite its age, and the many interpretations which have followed, using various editions of the score, and there are many, remains a classic. Nice to see it back in circulation, and affordable."