Don Carlo

On CD:

Carlo Bergonzi, Renata Tebaldi, Grace Bumbry, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Nicolai Ghiaurov, Martti Talvela; cond. Sir Georg Solti (Decca label)

The first commercial recording to include all five acts of the opera. Decca cast it sumptuously, with the principals headed by Bergonzi and Tebaldi, two artists who enjoyed a very special artistic partnership. With the elegance of Fischer-Dieskau, the fire of Bumbry, and the grandeur of both Ghiaurov and Talvela, this is Verdi singing of a very high order indeed, with the passionate Solti providing high drama in the pit.

Michael Sylvester, Aprile Millo, Dolora Zajick, Vladimir Chernov, Ferruccio Furlanetto, Samuel Ramey; cond. James Levine (Sony label) 

Here is a typical example of the outstanding level of Verdi performance one would have encountered at the Metropolitan Opera in the mid-1990s.  The house’s chorus and orchestra are in splendid form under Levine’s authoritative leadership, and major stars take all the key roles. Particularly notable are the two ladies and also Chernov, who were all at their vocal peak at the  time. It’s also thrilling to hear Philip/Inquisitor confrontation performed by artists with the grand-scale vocal presence of Furlanetto and Ramey. 

Eugenio Fernandi, Sena Jurinac, Giulietta Simionato, Ettore Bastianini, Cesare Siepi, Marco Stefanoni; cond. Herbert von Karajan (Deutsche Grammophon label)

A legendary Salzburg Festival performance, graced by several of the most celebrated native-Italian Verdi interpreters of the ‘50s and ‘60s. The non-Italian presence here is Jurinac, the Croatian soprano whose exquisitely womanly sound and profound expressiveness are unforgettable. Add to that portrayal the elegant Siepi, electrifying Simionato, deeply soulful Bastianini, and passionate Fernandi (an underrated singer, here giving the performance of his life), all under the magisterial baton of Karajan. If you know this opera, you’ll be bothered by the numerous substantial cuts in the score, but if you can accept that, you’ll want to immerse yourself totally in a very special experience.

 

On DVD:

Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros, Ekaterina Semenchuk, Thomas Hampson, Matti Salminen, Eric Halfvarson; cond. Antonio Pappano, dir. Peter Stein (Sony label)

There’s strength throughout this starry cast, recorded at the 2013 Salzburg Festival. All the artists are exceptional musicians and skilled actors, responding in depth to Peter Stein’s thoughtful staging. Leading the way is Kaufmann in the title role, which he projects with the utmost sensitivity while singing sensationally.  Everyone else is working on that same exalted level – including the incomparable Vienna Philharmonic under Pappano, one of today’s most impressive Verdians. The sets are comparatively austere by comparison to other productions on DVD, but the handsome period costumes compensate. 

Roberto Alagna, Karita Mattila, Waltraud Meier, Thomas Hampson, José van Dam, Eric Halfvarson; cond. Antonio Pappano, dir. Luc Bondy. SUNG IN FRENCH (Kultur label) 

A historic performance, presenting this opera in the original French on video for the first time. It’s helpful to have on hand two native French speakers (Alagna’s Carlos and van Dam’s Philip II), and each gives a thoroughly committed, utterly believable performance. The glory of the performance is Hampson’s Posa, a portrayal that exudes nobility, courage, and passion, with impeccable singing in all his scenes. The production is quite stark, giving no distracting stage trappings to draw one’s attention away from the principals, all of whom are real actors who give 300 percent to these characters. Pappano is impeccably stylish.

James King, Pilar Lorengar, Patricia Johnson, Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, Josef Greindl, Martti Talvela; cond. Wolfgang Sawallisch, dir. Gustav Rudolf Sellner. SUNG IN GERMAN (Arthaus Musik label)

If you don’t mind hearing Don Carlo in German translation, then this is a must, even if all the singing from the principal artists isn’t consistently effortless. The performance from Berlin’s Deutsche Oper, recorded in 1967, brings to the screen portrayals of shattering intensity—especially from Fischer-Dieskau (Posa), who is really on fire in his role, boasting a musical intelligence and a charisma given to few artists in any era. The confrontation between Greindl (Philip II) and Talvela (Grand Inquisitor) is stupendously powerful, both vocally and dramatically. King is a handsome Carlo, and the two ladies amply justify their reputations as longtime favorites of Deutsche Oper audiences. Visually it’s a comparatively spare production, but Sellner, a highly distinguished director, gets the maximum theatrical flair out of each of his remarkable principals.

 

Listen to TDO’s Don Carlo brilliant principal cast members on YouTube:

GWYN HUGHES JONES, tenor
Macbeth, “Ah, la paterna mano” (sung in English)

LEAH CROCETTO, soprano
Don Carlo, “Tu che le vanità” (excerpt)
Il trovatore, “Tacea la notte placida” (excerpt)

JAMIE BARTON, mezzo-soprano
Don Carlo, “O don fatale”

LUCAS MEACHEM, baritone
TDO livestream recital (begins with “Per me giunto…O Carlo, ascolta” from Don Carlo)

DAVID LEIGH, bass
Don Giovanni (sings role of the Commendatore)
(Fast-forward to 2:34:30)

 

At Your Bookshop or Library

Don Carlos and Mary Stuart by Friedrich Schiller (publ. Oxford World’s Classics)

If you want to prepare in a significant way before attending an opera performance, it’s always a great idea to track down the dramatic source for the libretto. In this case you have Schiller, one of the greatest of all German playwrights, whose riveting play will hugely broaden your own frame of reference for Verdi’s opera, in terms of the characters and the historical context. And as a special bonus, you also get Schiller’s Mary Stuart, the basis of the libretto of Donizetti’s Maria Stuarda.

Don Carlos/Don Carlo: English National Opera Guide 46 (publ. OneWorld Classics) 

The English National Opera Guides are in a class by themselves as the absolute best English-language source to get all the background you need for specific works. The writing is invariably stellar, covering all the bases musically and dramatically, and there’s the huge value of having the libretto not only in its original language but side-by-side with an absolutely first-rate translation.

Master Musicians Series: Verdi by Julian Budden (Oxford University Press)

Julian Budden was the author of arguably the most distinguished study of the Verdi operas ever written, a three-volume masterpiece that stands as one of the enduring monuments of musical scholarship. Fortunately, for those who haven’t the time it takes to dig so thoroughly into Verdi, there’s a single volume by Budden that will fill the bill. For decades, the Master Musicians Series has provided invaluable introductions to the great composers, written concisely and with great brilliance by some of today’s leading musical authorities. Budden’s book is, not unexpectedly one of the great highlights of the series and will prepare you ideally to experience the glories of Don Carlo. 

The Complete Operas of Verdi by Charles Osborne (publ. Da Capo Press)

Charles Osborne had illuminating details regarding Verdi’s life and works at his fingertips. In this book, covering the composer’s entire operatic output, Osborne is able to bring together vital information regarding the background of each work (including dramatic sources, whether plays or novels), the music itself, and the performance history. For someone who wants to absorb quickly the absolute essentials of Don Carlo and all the other great Verdi operas, the Osborne book is a real gift.

Verdi With a Vengeance: An Energetic Guide to the Life and Complete Works of the King of Opera by William Berger (publ. Vintage)

William Berger is full of invaluable information about Verdi. He also is able to bring it to the page in a wonderfully breezy style and with a truly fabulous sense of humor. You can learn a very great deal about Verdi’s life and, through Berger’s extensive commentary on the operas, what makes his works so crucial in the history of opera. Berger also gives recommendations regarding particular recordings. Learn about Verdi and have a wonderfully enjoyable time doing so!