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Verdi: Don Carlos [DVD] [1996]

DVD ~ Jos� van Dam

4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

RRP:	�29.99
Price:	�29.39 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Product details

Actors: Jos� van Dam, Roberto Alagna, Thomas Hampson, Karita Mattila, Waltraud Meier
Directors: Yves-Andr� Hubert
Writers: Camille du Locle, Fran�ois Joseph M�ry, Friedrich Schiller
Producers: Beatrice Dupont
Format: Classical, Full Screen, PAL, Widescreen
Language English, French
Subtitles: English, Spanish, German, French, Italian
Region: Region 2 (This DVD may not be viewable outside Europe. Read more about DVD formats.)
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Number of discs: 1
Classification: Exempt
Studio: Warner Music Vision
DVD Release Date: 20 Nov 2000
Run Time: 211 minutes

Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

ASIN: B0000505FT
Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 38,782 in DVD (See Bestsellers in DVD)
Popular in this category:
#32 in DVD > Musicals & Classical > Opera > Composers > Verdi

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Reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review

This is a 1996 all-star-cast version from Paris of the original French version of Verdi's epic five-act opera, Don Carlos. First produced in 1867, only Wagner would write musical drama on a grander scale, and due to the three-and-a-half-hour running time most subsequent productions have made substantial cuts. This is therefore a rare opportunity to witness Verdi's tragedy in its entirety.

Set in the 16th century in the aftermath of war between Spain and France, Don Carlo (Roberto Alagna), the heir to the Spanish throne comes to France to meet with his beloved Elizabeth de Valois (Karita Mattila). Inevitably politics divide the lovers, and while Rodrigue (Thomas Hampson) falls in with Flemish rebels, the Inquisition is determined to be the power behind the peace. This is certainly not Verdi's greatest work, but it contains great music and the stars are allowed to shine with strong characterisations in an elegantly designed production. There are no gimmicks or attempts at spurious contemporary relevance here, simply singers of the calibre of Alagna, Mattila, Hampson, plus the outstanding Eric Halfvarson as the Grand Inquisitor. This is a production that continues in the 19th-century tradition, and in the process delivers the frisson of world-class opera. --Gary S. Dalkin

On the DVD: While the running time precludes much in the way of special features, via DVD-ROM the libretto can be printed in French, together with an article and biographies. The picture is presented at approximately 1.7:1 and while far superior to video could still benefit from anamorphic enhancement. The sound is stereo or excellent Dolby Digital 5.0. The booklet offers a detailed synopsis in English, French, German, Italian and Spanish and there are subtitles in the same languages. The disc is encoded for regions two to six. --Gary S. Dalkin

Special Features

4:3 Full Frame
16:9 Wide Screen
DVD 9
French
Region 2
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo French\Dolby Digital 5.0 Surround French
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo
Dolby Digital 5.0 Surround
Detailed Chapter Screens\Synopsis In English\French\German\Spanish\Italian
English\French\German\Italian\Spanish

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Customer Reviews

5 Reviews

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
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Average Customer Review

4.2 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The ultimate performance of Don Carlos - in original French, 17 Dec 2000

By A Customer

This, by now, justly famous stage production of Verdi's Don Carlos, uses the original French text of the opera, written for the Paris Opera. The cast, all chosen as much for their looks as their voices (and well-fitting both), act with conviction against simple but effective stage settings. Karita Mattila, the first winner of the Cardiff Singer of the World Competition, is radiant as Elisabeth de Valois and Roberto Alagna proves a romantic anti-hero. Jose van Dam, by now a veteran bass sings Philip II with deep conviction even if his voice is now rather drier than some other famous basses who have recorded the part. Thoroughly recommended.

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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great work brought to life, 20 Mar 2009

By	captain cuttle (Vancouver, Canada) - See all my reviews

Getting to know opera on cd long before you see it live or on dvd often results in disappointment. The pictures you've formed in your head may be far more dramatic, realistic or just plain believable than what's presented to your eyes. After getting to know Don Carlo through the Karajan EMI recording it was a huge letdown for me to turn to the Salzburg DVD with some of the same principles - Karajan himself, Carreras, Cappuccilli, Baltsa. The eight years between the two recordings had taken their toll on the first three and the only positive addition was the Filippo of Ferruccio Furlanetto. Production was murky and confused, acting (apart from Furlanetto) of the old stand-and-shout school, the whole affair somewhat ramshackle. I decided I'd overestimated the work itself and left it at that before reading reviews of this Theatre du Chatelet Don Carlos. Being in the original French and in a whole different version of this many-versioned opera, it gave me an excuse to spend my hard-earned cash on yet another Don Carlo(s) recording. Wise decision.

This Don Carlos has not only restores my faith in the work itself, I also count it as one of the best all-round operas I have on dvd. Everything that is wrong in the Salzburg production is right here. Sets are simple and serve the story well. Acting, all round, is superb. Pappano's conducting is precise, sensitive, thoroughly Verdian, and totally in synch with the singers. All principles are in top voice. I'm no great fan of Alagna but here he gives the performance of a lifetime in the title role, reminding us of why he was originally touted as Pavarotti's successor. Mattila, as Elisabeth, is excellent and, of course, great to look at. Playing Princess Eboli, Meier starts a little shakily but goes from strength to strength as the opera progresses. Hampson, as Rodrigue, silences those who claim he cannot sing Verdi and his interaction with Alagna is completely convincing . Van Dam gives us a Philip far more three-dimensional than usual and his Act 4 scene with the Inquisitor is perhaps the climax of this reading. Most of all, the story makes sense, flows, holds together, far better than in any other performance I've seen or heard. Whether this should be credited to this particular version, the director, conductor or whoever makes no difference, it's a triumphant success. Only the very last lines, where the friar/Carlo V reappears to drag Don Carlos offstage, fail to convince. But unlike the Salzburg production, at least here you can make out what happened and have an inkling of what Verdi might have had in his mind's eye. It just doesn't quite work.

Director Bondy gives us a different slant on the relationship between some of the principles, chiefly between Rodrigue, Philip and Don Carlos. Viewers will make up their own minds as to what's happening and whether it makes sense. For me, it certainly does. In his book on Verdi's operas Charles Osborne dismisses the original French Don Carlos out of hand. I wonder if he ever saw it. There is absolutely nothing here to suggest that Verdi was unsympathetic towards the French language or struggled to mesh it with his music. On the contrary, this production underlines what a brilliant man he was, how he was able to adapt his technique to a language other than his native one as if to the manor born. I'd encourage anybody who loves this work and has an open mind to try this Chatelet production.

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent performance with some production shortcomings., 5 April 2006

By	pointone (Bournemouth UK) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This three and a half hour production of Don Carlos is based on the original Paris production, and is the fullest version of Verdi's frequently revised score.

The stage sets are definitely economy class, but with singing like this they made no impact on my enjoyment. However the costumes are a different matter, King Philip's costume bears reasonable resemblance to the many Velasquez portraits, but did the ladies dress like this in the late sixteenth century? Whatever the answer Elisabeth (Mattila) and Don Carlos (Alagna) seem to be from different centuries, and whenever they sing together the effect is incongruous making their love for each other difficult to believe, Alagna's dark, unkempt hair and designer stubble, Mattila beautiful with immaculate blond coiffeur and looking like a 1930s film star, this is particularly disturbing in the opening Forest of Fontainebleau scene.

However the singing is simply excellent. The cast seem to work best when there is aggression, tension and intrigue in the air, fortunately that is for nearly the entire opera. The catalyst for the internal conflicts is the excellent Philip II of Jose van Dam, who also looks and acts the part. Thomas Hampson is an excellent Rodrique, and Waltraud Meier is fine as the vengeful Eboli. Finally the menacing and bent figure of the Grand Inquisitor (Halvarson) steals all his scenes.

This is far too fine a performance to be penalised for shortcomings in the staging and costumes, so a definite five stars.

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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautifully sung
This is a lovely production - Alagna and Mattila are really on top form. The staging and lighting is very attractive. Read more

Published 20 months ago by Aquinas

1.0 out of 5 stars A terrible production of a masterpiece
This is by far the worse production of Verdi's masterpiece that exists on DVD. The producer Luc Bondi makes a travesti of the entire work. Read more

Published on 4 Dec 2005 by George Thanos Assimakis

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