VERDI

Don Carlo

 

Don Carlo                     Jon Vickers

Elizabeth de Valois      Gré Brouwenstijn

Princess of Eboli         Fedora Barbieri

Philip II                       Boris Christoff

Rodrigo                       Tito Gobbi

The Grand Inquisitor   Michael Langdon

A Monk                         Joseph Rouleau

Tebaldo                        Jeanette Sinclair

Count of Lerma            Edgar Evans

The Royal Herald         Robert Allman

A Voice from Heaven   Ava June

 

The Covent Garden Opera Chorus, The Covent Garden Orchestra / Carlo Maria Giulini

 

Recorded on 12th May 1958 (mono)

 

Verdi (1813-1901) composed Don Carlos (as it was called then) from 1866 to 1867 and it was premiered using the French version in Paris on 11 March 1867 and at Covent Garden in 4 June 1867. The 4 Act Italian version “Don Carlo” was premiered on 10 January 1884 at La Scala and the hybrid 5 Act version used here by Giulini was first heard on 29 December 1886 in Modena.

 

This celebrated performance of Verdi's Don Carlo from 12 May 1958 changed critical and public perceptions of this opera which had previously been considered uneven and unsuccessful.  Wonderfully cast and conducted with enormous conviction by Carlo Maria Giulini in collaboration with Luchino Visconti whose lavish production set new standards, it was hailed as a success by Harold Rosenthal in Opera Magazine when he wrote “not only is it one of the finest operatic productions ever seen or heard at Covent Garden, but serves to vindicate completely the art of Grand Opera.”

 

The wonderful cast includes the great Canadian tenor Jon Vickers in the title role, Gré Browenstijn as Elisabeth de Valois (whose Desdemona had already been acclaimed in 1955 - ROHS001), Boris Christoff as an imposing Philip and Tito Gobbi as Rodrigo. The Princess of  Eboli, Fedora Barbieri represented the best of La Scala tradition and was supported with distinction by the resident company which included Michael Langdon, Ava June, Jeanette Sinclair, Margaret Lensky, Edgar Evans and Joseph Rouleau.

 

Giulini commercially recorded Don Carlo for EMI using ROH forces in 1970, some twelve years after the famous live performance presented here which collectors have been demanding to have released ever since the ROH Heritage series was first announced.

 

Andrew Porter in his notes accompanying this recording wrote “When this 1958 Covent Garden Don Carlos burst upon us, it changed opinion about the opera.”

 

Royal Opera House 3cds ROHS003