Customer Reviews

Verdi: Don Carlo

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This benchmark recording has already earned all the accolades extolled by critics and laymen alike possible, and this one more wouldn't hurt and wouldn't tip the balance.

Giulini is undoubtedly the driving force behind this fantastic recreation and realisation of one of Verdi's greatest operas. The cast of characters are no less worthy of acclaim. No expense was spared in organsing and arranging for this magnificent heaven-sent cast to come together in this union.

Don Carlo was originally written in French and was in five acts. Several other versions appeared, including translations into Italian and what is presented here is the original five act opera, in Italian translation. Some may gripe that the original flow of Verdi's intentions were lost in the translation, but being as idiomatic as it is, Italian doesn't jar on the ear and makes an acceptable alternative, and is in fact, the more popular version of the opera.

Domingo's Carlos, as compared to his later recording in French for DG, is young-sounding. His darker tone in the later recording may bring forth the character's passion and intensity, but it is this recording in which Domingo made his mark. He sings well, his voice capable of encompassing the tumultous emotions running amok with his character.

Shirley Verrett as Eboli is truly stunning. She charms and seduces with the Veil Song, her voice taking on a languid and sanguine tone. She however, strings it along well, her husky voice purring away like an engine. It is the test-aria, O don fatale, in which she pulls out the stops. She invests totally into the character, physically and mentally. The perilous stretches and reaches of the role's tessitura are no hurdle for her. Her voice takes on a harsh and relentless quality as she pleads for forgiveness. Her chest notes are remarkable for their depth and intensity. No less respectable are the high notes which she hits effortlessly and spot-on.

Raimondi as Filippo is a tortured soul in torment. His gravelly voice may not be as dark as preferable, but it is convincing. His anguish and pain is clearly felt. Milnes' Rodrigo is executed without any major hitch as well. His duets with Domingo are well-sung, with the voices blending. The supporting cast is also deserving of their bouquets.

The star of the show must be Montserrat Caballe. As Elisabetta, she may be less than involved and immersed, but her singing is top-notch and of the highest standard. Her voice is perfectly suited for this regal role. Lush, plush and rich, her singing more than makes up for her character development. As demanding as the test-aria in the final act is, Caballe aces it by her reading. Her tone, full and concentrated, she builds up the aria from scratch and imbues in the role an intensity unmatched and a delicacy unheard of. She ends the aria by stringing the last phrase together in a long-held pianissimi straight from the heavens.

A pity is that she did not "misbehave" in this recording. She has been known on two other occasions, to end the opera with a literal bang. She emits a blood curdling scream to bring out the opera and where most other sopranos would let the orchestral chords do their part, she has sucessfully held on to her scream, closing the scene, the act and the opera in tandem with the ochrestra. This would have meant at least a 20 second hold of a top note at maximum volume!

Giulini leads the Royal Opera House Orchestra in a taut and incisive performance. The lower strings are notably poignant.

This is the benchmark and reference recording and it is justly so. Get it or regret it!

Opera in sound alone can never be the full monty, just as Shakespeare on the radio can't be. The grander the Grand Opera the more true this is, and Don Carlo is bigger in scope even than Aida. It is about a lot more than the story of a love-triangle set against a background of armies, slaves, pyramids and elephants: there are four parties to the love-interest alone, the role of Posa is nearly as important as any of them, and the action takes in the fate of the royal house of Spain, the imperial dominion in Flanders and the overweening power of the Spanish Inquisition. It cries out for staging. However in sound alone the Grand Inquisitor without his garb will have difficulty in being more than a disembodied bass voice given that his is a rather small part, and however dramatically kings, princes, princesses and nobles sing and act with their voices I can't help finding myself more concerned with them as sopranos, tenors, baritones and basses than as the dramatis personae they would be for me in the opera house.

When recommending a Don Carlo on disc I therefore focus mainly on the musical side. In any case there is no possible risk that if this music is sung properly it will come across as a concert - Verdi sees to that. He was a dramatist to the marrow of his bones, and the listener at home has only to follow the words in order to be caught up in the grand sombre tragedy that Verdi has burned into music. The best performance on disc, for me, will be the performance that most consistently conveys both power and beauty, because this opera is about tormented human emotions at the mercy of ruthless political power in addition to their own tragic fallibility. None of that needs any staging when conveyed in music like this. It would be a tall order to expect any performance of this outsize opera to be perfect. It is not a perfect work itself, on any showing. Even by Verdi's standards it went through an enormous amount of rethinking and revision, and it has surely the most peculiar and unconvincing conclusion there can ever have been in a work of its stature. A worthy performance has to convey total and absolute belief and commitment, but the focus has to be on beauty as well, more than would be so in the opera house, because sound is all we have.

One doesn't have to get far into the first act to realise that this Don Carlo is going to score quite exceptionally highly in point of beauty. Domingo is in superb voice, and Caballe surpasses herself. As the work goes on I suppose it might be fair to say that her lower register is not the equal of her higher, but this is Verdi and not Wagner. Wagner pitches his solo parts reasonably so as not to put strain on the voices, Verdi exploits the upper range of every voice except the bass with remorseless partiality, and Caballe rises to his monstrous demands magnificently. Eboli is a mezzo role, but the challenge Verrett has to overcome is hardly less in that respect, and her confession of the theft of the jewel-box is perhaps the final solo gem in a performance that is a jewel-box itself. Not everyone is absolutely right - the Grand Inquisitor's voice is too youthful, but I have very little criticism indeed to make of any of the major roles. Raimondi as the king seems perfectly good to me, and Milnes delivers a fine rendering of the part of Posa, combining power and inwardness, sometimes at one and the same time. If there is a high spot to the entire performance it is surely the quartet in act IV, a sublime outpouring of beautiful sound from all the principals together.

In the last analysis this Don Carlo surpasses any other I have ever heard for its combination of sheer beauty with wholehearted power. Giulini was born to conduct it, and I doubt I have a single criticism of anything he does from start to finish. The recording is now 35 years old, but you might not be able to tell. Now only weeks from Giulini's passing I am especially glad to be able to give such an unqualified endorsement to what I believe to be one of his finest achievements, indeed one of the finest opera recordings I know. It's only to be expected that there are details that one prefers in other accounts, but for sheer consistent quality at the highest level I would say your search can safely end here.

This is Giulini's recording from beginning to end. Few have been able to handle this sprawling masterful scoring with such finesse and ensemble. Coming in at over three hours, this score is awesomely demanding but at the same time contains some of Verdi's most glorious music. Its arias are well known from concerts. It is the ensembles and choruses that are so amazing particularly the auto-da-fe scene. For me there is no wasted music or fill-ins which I cannot say for all of verdi's operas. I think this is one of his most masterful works. However, it is not Giuini's show alone. Caballe, Domingo and Milnes are exemplary and Caballe does some of the most beautiful singing to be heard in all of Verdi's recorded operas. Only does Milanov in the RCA Aida equal this beauty but that is personal taste. This said Caballe is a vocal miracle. Her aria and the duet in Act V are sung with ravishing beauty. Domingo is in ringing tone and MIlnes more suave than usually and both rich of timber as usual. All true Verdi voices. Raimondi and Foiani fall a little short. Ramondi because his voce does not have the power of a Christoff or Ghiaurov who owned these roles in their prime. Raimondo does have beauty of tone. Foiani was having a bad "hair" Day. Phoning in would have been no worse. Enough said. Talvela has had no equal in this short but pivotal role. He is absolutely frightening in the London set. Speaking of that London set Ghiaurov is beyond praise, Bergonzi beautiful of tone and Tebaldi right after Caballe a great Elisabetta. For is its overall superb quality, Giulini's "Don Carlo" a "must have" and for me not all verdi is a must have. The sound is also quite spectacular.

This recording of "Don Carlo," arguably Verdi's greatest opera, uses the 1886, five-act version, which is the correct one to use. If the four-act version (which omits the Fontainebleau scene) is used, then we lose half an hour of great music as well as a musical theme ("Di quali amor") that is used as a leitmotif later on in the opera. In addition to using the correct edition of the score, this 1971 recording has a cast unmatched on disc in terms of both voice and characterization, and has a truly great conductor, Carlo Maria Giulini, presiding over all. Giulini turns in a sensitive, finely detailed reading of this richly rewarding score. Unlike Karajan, he conducts everything as written and lets the music speak for itself. He allows the music time to unfold (I especially like his relatively slow tempo for "Tu che le vanità"), and has a masterly overview of the score. This is one of his finest recordings. His cast is especially notable for the two Spaniards, Plácido Domingo and Montserrat Caballé. Domingo, then just thirty, turns in a glorious performance of one of Verdi's most demanding tenor roles, with a warm, velvety voice perfectly comfortable even in the high reaches of the part. He has an excellent interpretation of this role and (gasp!) he also sings softly. Caballé, the greatest modern Verdi soprano, is in her absolute prime here, with her pure, silvery, gorgeous instrument, climaxing in a gloriously lyrical account of her big Act Five aria, alone worth both the five star rating and the price of the set. Ruggero Raimondi's voice is too baritonal for Philip, but he sings beautifully and intelligently and with absolute purity and security in the middle and bottom of his range, if not much volume. Shirley Verrett turns in an excellent, beautifully sung Eboli, even if she doesn't possess the full fiery temperament Cossotto, for instance, brought to the role, and Sherrill Milnes is at the very peak of his form as a magnificently sung Rodrigo. The Grand Inquisitor, Giovanni Foiani, is not dark and steady enough for this role, but he still sings memorably and resonantly. Thanks to him, Raimondi and most of all to Giulini, the crucial confrontation with the king is rivetingly intense and memorable. Simon Estes is ideal as the monk. Excellent work from the orchestra and chorus.

This recording's main rival is the 1965 Solti/Decca performance, out of print in the United States but available basically everywhere else. That recording's strengths are the two basses, Nicolai Ghiaurov as a glorious Philip and Martti Talvela as a completely intimidating but gorgeously sung Inquisitor, and it also has a radiant Renata Tebaldi as Elisabetta. Bergonzi and Bumbry as Carlo and Eboli are good, though definitely not on the level of their colleagues on that recording or their correspondents on this, but Fischer-Dieskau is hopelessly miscast as Rodrigo, and Solti's direction is not perfect. If a highlights CD of the Solti comes out which includes the Ghiaurov/Talvela scene, grab it. But the EMI recording, newly reissued as a "Great Recording of the Century," is definitely my first recommendation, thanks essentially to Domingo, Caballé and Giulini.

For me Don Carlo is Verdi's masterpiece. You find here a very good libretto which makes a lot of sense (compared to Il Trovatore for example) that has a very natural balance of human drama, powerful characters with veridic evolutions and above all some of the best music Verdi composed. It is flawless, and supports with depth and detail the characters and the conflicts without weak moments or loss of "concentration".

The vocal parts aren't as demanding as others in any register. Yet, the length and the profound impact that the orchestra has in this opera and the complex turns and situations the opera encompasses make me believe that a succesful Don Carlo is first of all a problem of conducting. And I think that this is why everybody turns to this recordnig when they have to name the best recording of Don Carlo.

For any of the vocals here you can find someone better. I personally prefer Corelli over all the others, including Domingo which here is in a very good shape and delivers a very involved and careful rendition of Don Carlo. Martti Talvela is indeed unsurpassed in the role of Grande Inquisitor, but Estes here does a very fine job. Ghiaurov's Filip is indeed overwhelming and I love him as much as the others do. But I have to say that I found Raimondi to be a revelation. Maybe his voice is a little lighter but the sensibility and expresivity Raimondi is capable of, deliver a very refreshing and rewarding contribution to this key role. Milnes is also very good. The first Don Carlo I heard had Bastianini singing Posa. Both him and Gobbi are more rewarding in terms of tone and interpretation. But Milnes comes really close and he makes a very convincing case especially in the duos with Domingo or King Filip (a real miscast was Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau, in Solti's recording). The ladies are as god as those on other recordings if not better. I really enjoy what Caballe does in the role of Elisabeta and Verrett is a very capable pair.
In conclusion the roles in this recording are handled extremely well and I can't help thinking that the star singers of some of these roles (mentioned above) were sacrificed for the unity of the cast, a good performing team.

So, in the end, everything comes to conducting. And here I think this recording is unsurpassed. The extraordinary sense of tempo that works wonders elsewhere is displayed here by Giulini in full power. And such, the opera unwraps in front of you with a "life-like" quality. Nothing is exagerated for the sake of a particular temporary effect. But when the development of the drama asks for it power and intensity are there to deliver the goods. As usual with Giulini the orchestra is so dedicated to its conductor and you can hear inner voices inside the orchestra that you won't hear anywhere else. The characters, entirely supported by the orchestra, evolve naturally in the same right atmosphere with flawless inner logic. It is the only recording of Don Carlo which has a sense of unity and of a "single piece".

To wrap up things imagine this: you listen to a performance wich always tells you where you are and how did you get there, you follow the evolution of both characters and intrigue without any bumpss or missed points, you hear very beautiful voices in distinguished performances supported by a very beautifully sounding and highly expressive orchestra. There is no wonder that you come back to this recording when somebody asks you which one is the best recording of Verdi's Don Carlo.

This is one of Guilini's most famous Verdi recordings. His starry cast demonstrates no serious flaws and all its members were at the peak of their powers in the early 70s.

The two Spaniards, Domingo and Caballe stand out. He gives one of his best performances on disc in a role that suits him well. Domingo phrases wonderfully while the firmness and power of his voice make a most convincing regal Don Carlo. The characterization regal also perfectly describes Caballe's Elisabetta. Her big and gorgeous voice fills the recording with grandness. There have been other more involved Elisabettas but none as sumptuous as Montserrat. As one critic put it "her Elisabetta is a creature taken from stained-glass windows (vitro)". Verrett's Eboli is perhaps her greatest Verdi achievement. Her voice never really appealed to me but I recognize her talent and stunning performance. Simionato and Baltsa are the ones I prefer.

The lower male voices are fine but never exceptional as on other sets. I have similar feelings for Milnes as I do for Verrett; He usually does a good job both vocally and dramatically but the voice itself is rather unpleasant, bland. Compare him to Cappuccilli or Bastiannini and you will know what I mean. Raimondi has one of the most handsome bass-baritone voices but this role was a bit too low for him; his great phrasing is a plus though. Foiani is an adequate Inquisitor but again not an unforgettable one.

My only real complaint about this Don Carlos is that it is not as exciting as other recordings of this opera. Solti for example, created a more interesting Don Carlo despite his uneven cast. Karajan suffocated his singers with his orchestra but again the result is brisk.

Overall however Guilini's Don Carlo remains a superb achievement!

For the Italian version of Verdi's Don Carlo on record, which far surpasses the original French version in popularity and commercial appeal, this is the studio recording to own. The people at EMI would not dare let this classic, legendary recording go out of print. Listed among opera's top recordings, this 1970 studio recording represents the highlight of many of these singer's respective careers up to that point and attests to the prowess of conductor Carlo Maria Giulini. It's ironic that for a highly Italian opera, replete with Verdi's Italian phrasing and music, the singers are not even Italian, except for baritone Ruggero Raimondi. Placido Domingo and Montserrat Caballe, the tenor and soprano romantic duo on this set, are both proud of their Spanish heritage. Domingo's parents sang in Zarzuela in Madrid. Domingo's roots are in Spain but he first received operatic notoriety in Mexico City. The Latin gloss he suffuses his voice with is extremely sexy and seductive, and he has enough darkness and heft (coming from the fact he first sang the roles of baritones) to make Don Carlos a man not to be toyed with. Don Carlos is Domingo's most vocally gratifying role. Every thing he sings here, from love arias to pensive ones, is clearly his best work. He can relax his voice in some portions as well as exude dramatic virile power in other more thrilling parts. He was born to sing Don Carlo, for it is even a tribute to his possibly Castillian roots. And just from his voice and mannerism alone one would actually mistake Domingo for a Spanish prince.

Likewise, Montserrat Caballe has what it takes to essay the role of Queen Elisabeth Di Valois. Not only does she color her voice so that she is both singing with melancholy sweetness (with those ravishing pianissimi she is so famous for) but she is able to make the Queen sound tormented behind a mask of pride and aristocratic bearing. With Verdi, Caballe did not have to tra-la-la her way through phrases as she did with Puccini. She knew Verdi very well and excelled in Verdi opera perhaps because Verdi's operas are influenced in part by bel canto, which Caballe was the reigning interpretor of in the 60's. This is Caballe's best work on recording, and that's considering she sang superbly as Donizetti's Lucrezia Borgia and Bellini's Norma. Her "rival" the seductive and scheming Princess Eboli is sung by the well-endowed mezzo soprano Shirley Verrett, an African-American. Born in America to a Seventh-Day Adventist, Shirley Verrett's rich, dark voice is thrilling and elegant. She makes the character of Eboli appear majestic in her own terms, though perhaps not as sympathetic in portrayal as Grace Bumbry's interpretation. Still Verrett has the right stuff to pull ito ff. Eboli is among her greatest mezzo roles and already hinted at here is her high soprano voice which she would use later in the 70's to essay the roles of Bellini's Norma, Aida and Puccini's Tosca. Another American in the cast is baritone Sherill Milnes, who is also involved in baseball. Milnes makes the role of the Inquisitornearly as charismatic as Domingo's Carlo. Their duets and scenes alone are worth the price of this recording. Milnes worked well with Domingo and it shows, especially here. This is his best work for I find that his Count Di Luna and Scarpia are static. Here, though, he delivers!! The only Italian in the bunch is Ruggero Raimondi singing one devilishly, and cool-sounding King Phillip. He makes the King sound like Don Giovanni! And that's actually good in this case because the King has some big flaws. Giulini is doing a fine job with the score, treating it with a kind of epic grandeur worthy of Wagner. This is still the best Don Carlo out there. The only other I recommend is the original French version starring Domingo, Ricciarelli, Valentini Terrani and Nicolai Ghiurov who sing in the most glorious French voices for this opera fit for the Paris Opera that adored historical spectacles.

A great lp set that was poorly remastered for its initial CD release -- somewhere the low end got lost, leaving the cello solo to sound like a viola solo, and the bass soloists to sound somewhat baritone-ish. EMI has fixed that problem for sure. (This recording is now very subwoofer-friendly, though I'll leave others to decide if that's too much of a good thing.) They've also re-tracked the discs, so disc 1 no longer ends in the middle of the scene -- also a major plus. Though true fans of analog needn't discard their lps yet, even for those who already own the old CD version it's worth considering picking up the new one.

Don Carlo is probably Verdi's most musical and dramatically tense work.
The opera demands a high-calibre cast that few houses nowadays can afford.
In this recording headed by the legendary Giulini, Domingo and (again legendary) Caballe, listeners are treated with a well-nigh unsurpassable overall performance. The conducting of Giulini is nothing but sheer perfection.
With the Fontainebleau Act uncut, we have a very fine scene and duet between Carlos and Elisabetta in their Fontainebleau meeting. I hate other versions (the Milan) with this crucial Act being cut out. The first duet between Carlos and Elisabetta is undisputably one of the most beautiful duets in Verdi's works for tenor and soprano, and Caballe and Domingo brought the piece off in flying colours.
Not all the roles are 'perfectly' done, admittedly. Milnes is in his better form in this recording, but his voice is nonethelss drier than other more suitable portrayals, Cappucilli being brought to mind. Posa is a very important figure with lots of drama and pathos in the later Acts of the Opera, even more so than Carlos himself, and much more so than Elisabetta, Filippo or any other character. Milnes's portrayal tends a bit towards monochronism.
Raimondi's Filippo of course not to be compared with Cesare Siepi, but he's nonetheless adequate for the role. The duet with Faioni's Grand Inquisitor is a bit whitish, but otherwise, the two did not fare badly in this performance.
The difficult role of Eboli is tackled by Verret with aplomb in the big aria 'Don Fatale', but her Veil Song is not on par with Olga Borodina's under Haitinck, or Baltsa under Karajan. The voice is big, but not as beautiful as Borodina or Baltsa, a trait so vital for the role of Eboli the vain seduttress.
The best part of this wonderful recording rightfully goes to the supreme coupling of two Spaniards - Caballe and Domingo in the major roles. This is more enhanced by the retaining of the beautiful first Act, to which every opera lover would but agree that it is a more than fabulous 'bonus'.

I'm among those who rank "Don Carlo" (known in its French version as "Don Carlos") 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 Mirella 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.