GIUSEPPE VERDI Don Carlo(s) on DVD (1) - Jonas Kaufmann, Ramon Vargas & Roberto Alagna

DON CARLO
Salzburger Festspiele 2013

Opera in 5 acts, sung in Italian.

Don Carlo, Infante of Spain = Jonas Kaufmann
Philip II, King of Spain = Matti Salminen
Elisabeth de Valois, Princess of France, later Queen of Spain = Anja Harteros
Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa = Thomas Hampson
Princess of Eboli = Ekaterina Semenchuk
Grande Inquisitor = Eric Halfvarson
A friar (Emperor Charles V) = Robert Lloyd
Tebaldo = Maria Celeng
A heavenly voice = Kiandra Howarth
The Count of Lerma / Royal Herald = Benjamin Bernheim

Conductor = Antonio Pappano
Wiener Philharmoniker
Konzertvereiningun Wiener Staatsopernchor
Chorus Master = Jörn Hinnerk Andresen

Stage Director = Peter Stein
Set Designer = Ferdinand Wügerbauer
Costume Designer = Joachim Barth
Choreographer = Lia Tsolaki
Video Director = Agnes Meth

2 DVDs = 3h55m

Great singers: Jonas Kaufmann, Anja Harteros, Thomas Hampson, Ekatarina Semenchuk.
It starts with L'hiver est long in Italian, naturally. And the opera lasts almost 4 hrs because the rejected extra music is put back in, not all of it. So the action gets delayed and one get a watered down Don Carlo.

For the most complete Don Carlos in French:

DON CARLOS
Wiener Staatsoper
2004

Opera in 5 acts, sung in French.
Unabridged original version of 1867)

Don Carlos = Ramon Vargas
Philip II of Spain = Alastair Miles
Elisabeth de Valois = Iano Tamar
Rodrigue = Bo Skovhus
The Princess of Eboli = Nadja Michael
Thibault = Cornelia Salje
A friar (Charles V) = Dan Paul Dumitresco
The Count of Lerma = Benedikt Kobel

Conductor = Bertrand De Billy
Wiener Staatsoper Orchester and Chorus
Chorus Master = Ernst Dunsheim

Stage Director = Peter Konwitschny
Sets and Costume Design = Johannes Leiacker
Lighting = Hans Toelstede
Dramaturgy = Werner Hintze
Auto-da-fé Assistand and Video Director = Vera Nemirova
Directed for Television and Video bt Anton Reitzenstein

2 DVDs = 4h 07

Ramon Vargas is a great Don Carlos. Love also Iano Tamar as Elisabeth de Valois. Does not love at all this production. Great singing but the director is destroying the opera.


A better French 5 act version  but not so complete.

DON CARLOS
Theatre de Chatelet, Paris
1996

Opera in 5 acts, sung in French.
(Original French version in 5 acts - DVD booklet)

Don Carlos = Roberto Alagna
Philip II of Spain = José van Dam
Elisabeth de Valois = Karita Mattila
Rodrigue = Thomas Hampson
Princess of Eboli = Waltraud Meier
Grand Inquisiteur = Eric Halfvarson
Friar - Charles V = Csaba Airizer
Thibault = Anat Efraty
Voice from Heaven = Donna Brown
The Count of Lerma = Scot Weir

Conductor = Antonio Pappano
Orchestre de Paris
Chæur de Theatre de Chatelet
Chorus Master = Andrea Giorgi

Director = Luc Bondy

1 DVD = 3h 31m

The long hair version I call it. Thomas Hampson and Roberto Alagna are great but 3 day bearded and hairy. Love also Karita Mattila and Waltraud Meier in their roles. Better than Wiener Staatsoper version or as bad?

Today: Birthday of Ramon Vargas etc.

Ramón Vargas (born 11 September 1960) is an award-winning Mexican operatic tenor. Since his debut in the early '90s, he has developed to become one of the most acclaimed tenors of the 21st century. Known for his most expressive and agile lyric tenor voice, he is especially successful in the bel canto repertoire. (Wikipedia)

My photo of Ramon Vargas in Vienna 2009-02-09

I saw him as

Gustav III (UN BALLO IN MASCHERA) 2009-02-09

Nemorino (L'ELISIR D'AMORE) 1999-05-15

ROBERTO DEVEREUX 2001-05-12

Births

• 1711 – William Boyce, English composer (d. 1779)
• 1825 – Eduard Hanslick, German music critic (d. 1904)
• 1836 – Fitz Hugh Ludlow, American author (d. 1870)
• 1885 – D. H. Lawrence, English novelist (d. 1930)
• 1885 – Herbert Stothart, American song writer, composer (d. 1949)
• 1891 – William Thomas Walsh, American author (d. 1949)
• 1895 – Vinoba Bhave, Indian human rights advocate (d. 1982)
• 1925 – Alan Bergman, American lyricist, song writer
• 1925 – Harry Somers, Canadian composer (d. 1999)
• 1933 – William Luther Pierce, American author and activist (d. 2002)
• 1934 – Oliver Jones, Canadian jazz pianist
• 1937 – Queen Paola of Belgium
• 1938 – David Higgins, British composer and conductor
• 1940 – Brian De Palma, American film director
• 1945 – Gianluigi Gelmetti, Italian conductor and composer
• 1945 – Leo Kottke, American guitarist
• 1946 – Dennis Tufano, American singer
• 1948 – John Martyn, English musician (d. 2009)
• 1953 – Renée Geyer, Australian jazz, soul and R&B singer
• 1953 – Tommy Shaw, American musician and singer
• 1956 – Tony Gilroy, American screenwriter and director
• 1957 – Brad Bird, American director and animator
• 1961 – Virginia Madsen, American actress
• 1962 – Kristy McNichol, American actress
• 1967 – Harry Connick, Jr., American singer
• 1978 – Ben Lee, Australian musician and singer
• 1982 – Shriya Saran, Indian actress

For reviews from my travels, see www.operaduetstravel.com