Customer Reviews

Verdi: Don Carlo / Santini, Christoff, Gobbi, Stella, et al

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This performance features nearly unbeatable performances by the mutlidimensional Christoff--easily the best Philip on records, the by turns powerful and lyric Gobbi, and especially Giulio Neri, whose black and almost dead tones for the Grand Inquisitor personify Verdi's distrust for the church. Stella portrays the royal aspects of her part well, but the voice sounds a little stiff in the passionate moments. The real concerns for this recording are the unacceptable wobbly Nicolai as Eboli (I've never heard a peformance which convinced me that she deserved an international career), and the stentorian but rather ugly Filippeschi, whose poor legato and clumsy phrasing are a detriment...too bad Di Stefano and Barbieri weren't the Carlos and Eboli, that would have improved this performance considerably.

Really enjoyed this performance of Don Carlo. I have many recordings of the work and I prefer the 5 act version in either Italian or French, but this performance with the usual presentation of that period is a great one for the voices represented. Christoff and Gobbi give outstanding performances and Stella give a very committed performance and she is in excellent voice. The orchestral sound is not what we are used to today, but the digital mastering does bring everything clearly into focus. The voices are never overwhelmed by the orchestra as is the tendency of many current recordings. My favorites are the Bergonzi, Tebaldi, Bumbry, with Solti at the helm and the French version under Abbado a close second. The Alagna in French under Pappano is also very interesting too.

I was disappointed that this version was an abbreviated version of Verdi's Don Carlo. However, the parts that were dropped in this performance did not affect the parts sung by Titto Gobbi and Boris Christoff, both of whom were truly magnificent in this recording. The rest of the cast was an operatic misfortune, so in the long run, the abbreviated version is prefferable. If you buy this recording, buy it for Titto Gobbi and Boris Christoff. They are worth listening to.

I purchased this studio recording of Don Carlo,when it was first issued on RCA Victor LM-6124 in1955.It was reissued four more times ,and remained the most popular recording ever since.Yes, it is badly abbreviated,because it was the custom at that time to record operas ,as they were performed in the opera houses.Despite the great cuts the most important musIc is included and it is a very exciting performance.Originally,Jussi bjorling ,the greatest Don Carlo to my knowledge of the twentheed century was invited by EMI and for unknown reasons declined to participated in the recording.Mario Filippeschi had to replace Bjorling and did a very
Good job.His singing is little strain at the top ,but the timber of his voice is beautiful and steady.He is apparently at his best in the
Recording,because in the live performances his singing was crude at occasions.
Antonietta Stella a great favorite in Naples Italy as Elisabetta is in excellent voice,secure at the top and beautiful in the duets with.
Filippeschi and in her great solo aria " Tu Che le vanita".
Elena Nicolai as princes Eboli ,sings well ,and while her voice is somewhat harsh at the top ,is really involved in her role and creates a convincing portrayal.
The role of King Philip,was Boris Christoff's one of the greatest creations.He sang it more then four hundreadt times in the opera
Houses all over the world.Here his voice in the great aria "Ella giammai m,amo"is expressing sorrow loneliness and resignation.His
Distinctive voice once heard will never be forgotten.Tito Gobbi as Rodrigo has many of the same qualities.His voice is steady and
Beautiful is a port rail of an ,lmartyr,who sacrifices his live for a good cause .Giulio Neri is an excellent inquisitor displaying his authority.
Cunductor Gabrielle Santini is leading chorus and orchestra of the R ome Opera in an exciting performance with a firm hand.
There is no definitive recording of Don Carlo,despite many studio recordings and live performances.The live performance of Don
Carlo with Boris Christoff and Tito Gobbi conducted by Carlo Maria Giulini from Covent Garden in 1958 could be recommended
For every experienced music lover.For the beginner with little experience I recommend the present recording despite it 's cuts because the great artistry of Boris Christoff and Tito Gobbi should be heard and enjoyed by every music lover.

Previous reviewers have already said much about the only two positive elements on this recording: Gobbi and Christoff. If you're a fan of either of these and want to hear their assumptions of Posa and Philip, then buy this. Otherwise, don't bother: as a representation of one of Verdi's greatest operas it is outdone by pretty much every other recording available.

I have to disagree strongly with the reviewer who heaps praise on Elena Nicolai. To my ears her Eboli is neither particularly well sung nor well characterised. Her voice just about encompasses the range without really exciting high notes or great beauty of tone: she hasn't the force of character for 'O don fatale' and she most certainly hasn't the technique for the veil song (though admittedly few Ebolis have). Listen to her cadenzas in the veil song: she actually achieves the diminuendos by moving away from the microphone as she sings. Eboli is a character who can and should encompass a number of facets: seductiveness, vanity, penitence, compassion, anger, jealousy. Nicolai conveys none of these. Yes, she sings in an older tradition than more famous Ebolis such as Verrett and Bumbry, but you can hear much, much better representatives of that tradition in Simionato or Barbieri.

She is adequate, however, when compared to the Elisabetta and Carlo, both total write-offs. Stella's tone is mushy while she conveys nothing of the queen's nobility, fragility or strength of character. Fillipeschi phrases coarsely.

The performance is of the four-act version but with additional cuts (e.g. there is a snip during Carlo's swoon in his first duet with Elisabetta, and during the Eboli-Carlo-Posa trio. These seem unnecessary (though were probably standard at the time of recording) and now that the work is standard repertory they are jarring. The recorded sound is hissy, cramped and unatmospheric - disastrous for a work of such grandeur and scope. Listen to the opening with the under-miked, under-sung monk: this may be a small role, but ideally it requires a great singer recorded with atmosphere. In a studio recording this shouldn't be so difficult to achieve.

Esta grabacion de Don Carlo de Verdi es todo un clásico de la discografia. Grabado en 1954 tiene entre sus protagonistas lo mejor de la lirica de la decada del 50'.
Comenzando con el Felipe II de Boris Christoff que es practicamente el protagonista de la ópera. El bajo bulgaro hace un impresionanate retrato vocal y psicologico del personaje del rey español. Tremendo en su extensa aria del acto III y en su enfrentamiento con el Gran Inquisidor. Superior a todos los Felipe II de la discografia moderna, incluyendo a Ghaiurov. Tito Gobbi lega a la discografia el mejor Rodrigo de todos. Fascinante, conmovedor. Si bien de voz dura y algo monocorde la ultiliza para alcanzar cumbres interpretativas nunca antes alcanzadas. En una version posterior Fischer-Dieskau lo supera en el aspecto vocal, musical y estilistico. El bajo italiano Giulio Neri hace otra magistral entrega en el Gran Inquisidor, de sonidos oscuros y seguridad y autoridad aplastante, brillante en los graves mas extremos y el mejor Inquisidor de la discografia muy por encima de Talvela con Solti o con el mediocreo Raimondi. El equipo femenino esta formado por dos brillantes cantantes de su tiempo. Antonieta Stella en Elisabetta logra momentos de gran belleza vocal, agudos suaves en piano y sonidos amplios en forte. Su juventud le juega malas pasadas en la afinacion y en la composicion de un personaje demasiado estereotipado y quiza poco sincero. La mezzosoprano Elena Nicolai es otra gloria del pasado, competencia directa en aquellos años de Giulietta Simionato. Su potente, timbrada y oscura voz dan cuenta de un talento oculto a las grabaciones y que solo se puede constatar por las cronicas y un par de discos.
El punto negro y mas flojo de la grabacion es el Don Carlo de Fillipeschi. De voz segura, agudos brillantes y sonidos grandes pena en la faceta interpretativa casi nula y el interes musical inexistente. Fraseo flojo y monocorde.
La direccion de Santini es excelente en esta version italiana de 4 actos donde se suprime el primer acto de los 5 originales escritos para la version francesa.
Una grabacion memorable, con pultos altisimos en Christoff, Gobbi, Neri y Nicolai.
Saludos.

One of the worst «Don Carlo» ever! Very abridged. Only three good singers: Christoff (Philip), Neri (Inquisitor) and Loretta di Lelio aka Mrs Franco Corelli (Tebaldo).
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Cet enregistrement de «Don Carlo» réalisé en 1954 est sûrement un des plus mauvais. La version choisie est celle en quatre actes mais avec de nombreuses coupures : les airs sont souvent tronqués et de nombreux seconds couplets ont ainsi disparu ! Le chef est sans intérêt, les chanteurs aussi. Tout le monde, ou presque, s'ennuie. Les rescapés de ce massacre général sont Philippe II (Christoff qui n'a pas encore les tics insupportables et clownesques que nous lui connaîtrons) et un excellent Inquisiteur (Giulio Neri). Une curiosité : Tebaldo est chanté par Loretta di Lelio, l'implacable épouse du grand Franco, et elle chante fort bien ! Mais écouter Mme Corelli est-elle une raison suffisante pour se procurer ce lamentable «Don Carlos» ?