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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Perfect Performance of Don Carlo, December 19, 2006
This review is from: Verdi: Don Carlo (Audio CD)
When Solti finished recording Wagner's Ring on stereo for the first time in the 60's, it marked the beginning of a career that would lead to the Hungarian maestro's release of some of the greatest recordings of the post-war era. His Ring, of course, is definitive, as are his Aida, his Meistersinger, his Parsifal, his Tannhauser, Elektra, Rosenkavalier, Frau Ohne Schatten, and even his Traviata have all become legendary recordings in their own right. Although Solti had recorded some Verdi like Falstaff and Otello, he was less known for these than his work with the German repertoire, but this Don Carlo is perhaps one of his greatest committments to disc. He has often been accused of lacking in poetry and imagination in areas where Karajan was abundant in this, but Solti provides the necessary drive and Italianate spirit and a perfect Verdian pacing and phrasing that eludes Karajan in his Don Carlo and even Giulini in some moments of his recording of the work.
The bonus of Solti's recording is that it boasts the five-act Italian version with an excellent cast. Renata Tebaldi is the Elisabeth in this recording, and while some say that it was recorded too late in her career, I think Tebaldi had the necessary spinto voice and temperament to make her Elisabeth a regal creation that Montserrat Caballe somewhat lacked in her interpretation of the role. It is a beautiful interpretation with some very exposed moments of pathos and grandeur, and Tebaldi delivers all of these emotions with the perfect voice to match. The other leading lady, Eboli, is taken by the great soprano Grace Bumbry. In many ways, because of the special sensuousness that Bumbry brings to her roles, I find her Eboli much more successful than Shirley Verrett's or Fiorenza Cossotto's. The color of her voice, plus the sexiness and drama she brings to her interpretation of the wronged princess, make her Eboli a very exciting performance from the Veil song to her signature O Don Fatale, perhaps the most gripping account of the aria I've heard.
The men in this recording are the factors that make this recording stand out from most recordings of the work. While Carlo Bergonzi is not the voice immediately associated with Don Carlo (that would be more in the lines of a Corelli), his excellent musicianship and mastery of Verdian phrasing and style make his performance of Carlo a definitive one. It is sensitive and passionate, and I find that he surpasses Corelli due to his stylistic abilities. His voice isn't too bad either. One would just hope that it had that Corelli ring, but what other tenor had it anyways? Nicolai Ghiaurov takes the role of Filippo in what is the definitive performance of the King. I think no other bass brings out the sadness and tragedy of this role so effectively. This should be a reference performance to the lesser performance of Raimondi in the Giulini recording. The Inquisitor in this performance is taken by Martti Talvela, perhaps the greatest bass of all time. His voice has more than the size needed for the role, and his mastery of Verdian declamation make his reading of the role all the more terrifying and magnificent. The scene between Phillip and the Grand Inquisitor simply has to be heard for the chills and thrills between Ghiaurov and Talvela's exchanges!
My only qualm about this recording is Posa. Even if Dietrich Fishcer-Dieskau is a very good baritone, I would have liked someone such as MacNeil or Bastianini better in the role. He sounds somewhat strange, although his intelligence gives Posa a more prominent role in the opera than the usual Rigoletto who takes this role. A minor quibble for his non-Italian timbre.
All in all, the definitive Don Carlo for any collection!
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17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Uneven cast but a momentous and energetic Don Carlo, May 15, 2004
This review is from: Verdi: Don Carlo (Audio CD)
Somewhat overshadowed by the more famous and balanced Guilini recording, this earlier performance has some greater strengths but also a few noticeable weaknesses. The greatest strength is the vitality of its cast's performance in cooperation with Solti's powerful conducting. Regarding the cast, Bergonzi makes a stylish, yet always attentive to the drama Don Carlo. I used to believe this role needed a larger voice but now I find Bergonzi ideal, in fact peerless! He has both thrust and warmth to make Don Carlo a multidimensional character. What never ceases to amaze me is how idiomatically he approaches the recitatives and dialogues, perfectly describing the emotional situation of his hero. Considering that this was made during the second period of her career, Tebaldi is vocally not as glorious as she was in the 50s. She would have made the ideal Elisabetta back then! Her powerful chest register and steely upper notes during the mid- and late 60s were great for Gioconda and Adriana Lecouvreur (both roles receiving huge acclaim all around the world) but not equally enjoyable for Verdi. In any case however, I prefer her to the lighter sopranos who have tackled this role. Tebaldi moreover phrases exquisitely and is a vibrant Elisabetta. I never understood why Fischer-Diskau recorded so many Verdi roles in a time when genuine Verdian baritones were in abundance. Bastiannini, Cappuccilli, Merrill, MacNeil, Taddei, Colzani, Paskalis even the aged Gobbi sound all much more suitable than Dietrich. He nevertheless sings with his usual warmth. Bumbry performs with the same flare as Verrett does for Guilini although their smoky voices never appealed to me but that is a matter of personal taste. Eveyone agrees that Ghiaurov and Talvela rank among the best Filippo - Inquisitor duos ever! If you're a fan of low voices, this recording is a big treat. The gifted Solti conducts with much power. To sum up, this is a great recording that could have been the best; imagine a similar cast with Simionato and Bastiannini in the 50s!!!
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
A gem!, January 25, 2003
This review is from: Verdi: Don Carlo (Audio CD)
Here an almost perfect cast was chosen to record one of Verdi's greatest operas! The Voce Verdiana, Carlo Bergonzi, sings a most beautiful Don Carlo, the mature Renata Tebaldi sings a ravishing Elisabetta (except some tiny insecurities, how glorious she could have been 10 years earlier!), Grace Bumbry breathes fire as Eboli and Nicolai Ghiaurov offers his best Filippo ever. The low point is Fischer-Dieskau's Rodrigo, hardly idiomatic. Still, a must for Verdi-lovers!
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