Verdi: Don Carlos (Paris, 1996)

Cast: Roberto Alagna (Carlos), Karita Mattila (Elisabeth), José van Dam (Philippe), Thomas Hampson (Rodrigue), Waltraud Meier (Eboli); Orchestre de Paris, Antonio Pappano (conductor), Luc Bondy (director), Gilles Aillaud (sets), Moidele Bickel (costumes), Yves André Hubert (video director)

Recorded at Théâtre du Châtelet, Paris, March 1996

Issued on DVD by NVC Arts in ? (0630-16318-2, PAL/2, 3, 4, 5, 6, menus in English, subtitles in English, French, Spanish, German, Italian)

Technical Details:
Aspect ratio 4:3
Sound: Dolby Digital - stereo and surround

Running time: 211 minutes

Sung in French
At last we have a Don Carlos that is capable, complete, and French. It is well sung, well staged and well produced; only if one seeks excellence is one likely to be disappointed. Perhaps the lack of cohesion in the performance can be traced to the international cast; only van Dam and Alagna are truly at home in the French style. Perhaps in part it's due to the staging - not its sparseness, which is easy to accept, but its cartoonish qualities. Is it useful to see Elisabeth sleeping alone as Philippe sings about the same thing? Need Carlos and Rodrigue be quite so exaggerated? Is there an advantage to such a nasty Inquisitor?

There is no fault to find in Alagna's or Hampson's singing. Van Dam's voice is now too dry to make the character as rich and sympathetic as one would wish. Mattila produces lovely tones in a language almost entirely devoid of consonants. Meier is, quite simply, miscast: shrill and shrewish at best and the Veil Song is not among her best. Pappano's direction is short on spirit, but it is effective in presenting the music and in managing the forces on stage and in the pit. Picture and sound are exemplary.

This is a thoroughly sound performance marred by plastic passions. It is French in language, but only occasionally so in spirit. Perhaps we should ask for no more.
 
Related website:
NVC Arts - Warner Music Vision http://www.warnerclassics.com/nvcarts/dvd/
 
Michael Richter, 17 July 2003
mrichter@cpl.net
 
See also Michael Richter's Introduction to the DVD, for a list of other reviews see the DVD Project page.