Don Carlo; Don Carlo

Giuseppe Verdi's opera—a Reformation-era romantic triangle involving King Philip II of Spain, his wife Queen Elisabeth, and his son Don Carlos, set against the background of inquisitorial repression and the Protestant uprising in Flanders—premiered as a five-act French grand opera in Paris in 1867. An 1884 revision, set to an Italian text, shortened the piece substantially, eliminating the first act, and later performances have offered a bewildering array of permutations of these two basic versions. Kultur's Don Carlo, filmed at London's Royal Opera House Covent Garden in 1985, holds up remarkably well, and features a restored original first act, making for a three-and-a-half-hour-plus evening of Wagnerian proportions. But when the opera is performed well—as it is here—one's grateful that the lovely Fontainebleau music has not been lost. Bernard Haitink's reading of the score is urgent but sensitive, and Robert Lloyd, Ileana Cotrubas, and Luis Lima are splendid in the lead roles, while the secondary parts are exceptionally well sung too, with Giorgio Zancanaro's Rodrigo, Bruna Baglioni's Princess Eboli, and Joseph Rouleau's Grand Inquisitor all heard in top form. And Luchino Visconti's opulent sets, dating back to the famous Giulini-led performances of 1958, remain impressive, though the frequently close-in camerawork dilutes their effect a bit. The only truly serious drawback here is the 20-year-old recording (presented in Dolby Digital stereo), which captures the voices well enough but produces an orchestral sound somewhat thin on top and brass-heavy in the lower registers. The quality of the overall performance is so strong, however, that this extra-less DVD can still be highly recommended.Opus Arte's Don Carlo is a 2004 Netherlands Opera production that omits the opening Fontainebleau material entirely. The Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra, certainly one of the world's greatest ensembles, provides a rich and sumptuous yet precise cushion of sound under the sensitive baton of Riccardo Chailly, nicely captured here in the DTS surround and LCPM stereo sound options (though the voices are occasionally covered by the orchestra). The singing is mostly excellent, with tenor Rolando Villazón offering some ringing tones in the title role, but Robert Lloyd, as Philip, lacks the rock-hard steadiness he exhibited in the 1985 version, while Amanda Roocroft's Elisabeth seems a mite overdone in the final act. The huge gray set of the royal mausoleum is imposing but eventually grows tiresome, and the costumes provide only occasional splashes of color. Still, this is a generally strong and effective presentation, especially in the orchestral department, with DVD extras including an illustrated synopsis, behind-the-scenes documentary, and cast gallery. Recommended. Larger music collections will want to add both versions, but the Kultur is preferred, overall. Aud: C, P. (F. Swietek)