Cheap Verdi - Don Carlo / Levine, Domingo, Freni, Metropolitan Opera (DVD) (Brian Large) Price

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Customer Reviews of Verdi - Don Carlo / Levine, Domingo, Freni, Metropolitan Opera

The good aspects:

1. This is an Italian, full five-act version that even includes the peasant chorus at the very beginning. The first act (Carlo and Elizabeth in Fontainebleau) is very essential to the opera; it is full of beautiful music, character development, and it provides the only remotely happy moment in the three and a half hours this opera lasts.

2. Placido Domingo as Carlo. Placido Domingo is THE Carlo.

3. Mirella Freni as Elizabetta. Her performance of Elizabetta is good, though not as good as Montserrat Caballe as Elizabetta.

4. Ferruccio Furlanetto as the Grand Inquisitor. His appearance and his voice are both chilling in this performance.

The bad aspects:

1. James Levine takes several parts of the opera way too fast. For example, he seems to rush through Rodrigo and Carlo's oath of friendship in Act II.

2. Louis Quilico as Rodrigo. Louis Quilico should be replaced by Sherrill Milnes. Quilico just seems to breeze through Rodrigo's lines, and his acting abilities leaves a lot to be desired. For example, Rodrigo's outburst act the end of Act II, "Orrenda, orrenda pace! La pace de sepolchri!" should sting. But Quilico manages to make it sound very bland.

3. Grace Bumbry as Eboli. Her singing is a bit sharp, and after hearing Shirley Verrett as Eboli, Bumbry seems rather inadequate as the vengeful, vicious princess.

4. Betsy Norden as Tebaldo. Delia Wallis makes such a better Tebaldo. This soprano's voice is much too small for an opera of this scope.

My recommendation? You might want to think about this performance, but definitely go for the Giulini version with Domingo, Caballe, Raimondi, Verrett, and Milnes.

I bow to the King!
Despite that this is an overall great Don Carlos performance, it is Nicolai Ghiaurov who really steals the show. The moment he appears on stage you realise this is no ordinary Filippo. From the grandest to the most moving scenes he was utterly convincing. Little can I say about his instrument. As a critic once put it, "when Ghiaurov raised his voice, the grass did not grow any more". But I would add that he could also scale it down and break your heart! Just listen to his big aria. Ghiaurov recently passed away and this DVD is a great tribute to this legend.

His Elisabetta is the radiant Mirella Freni. I too would have preferred a larger voice like Caballe's but Freni is nevertheless convincing as the sad Queen. She is particularly effective in the duets. The mature Domingo is seen and heard here in one of his greatest roles. The role of Don Carlos suits him like a glove. Expressiveness, vigour and commitment are only few of his virtues. Quilico's hollow and covered French baritone is unsuitable for Verdi. He also looks funny! However, I admit that he impressed me in Rodrigo's death scene.

Almost 20 years after her studio recording, Bumbry remains a fiery Eboli. Her singing gets better and better as the evening goes on. In O don fatale she is spine thrilling! Furlanetto makes a noble Inquisitor though his instrument pales in comparison to Ghiaurov's. Minor roles are well cast. Levine is here fortunately less grandiloquent than in his studio recording some years later.

Scenery and costumes are as grand as one could ask for and the entire performance wonderfully serves Verdi's most fascinating and imposing opera!

The greatest cast
This DVD of Don Carlo is not only one of the best Verdi telecasts from the Met, it is the best opera DVD available up to now (September, 2003). Placido Domingo is perfect in this heroic part and Mirella Freni will show you -- LIVE! -- what a great soprano at the age of 48 can do with an 11 minute aria at the finale, with perfect breathing, soft and clear pianisimos and sudden powerful high notes without the screeches heard from some myths of the past...
Baritone Louis Quilico is one of the greatest of the century with 25 straight seasons at the Met. Nicolai Ghuiarov is so at home as King Felipe that he should actually live at the Escorial Palace in Spain. And Bumbry, with her primeavel high Cs is very exciting. You can play this DVD over and over and learn something new about grand opera every single time.
Bravisimi!!!