The Original 1867 French Version

Verdi’s commission from the Paris Opera was for a five-act grand opera in the style of Meyerbeer or Halévy. Grand indeed, for the scale of Verdi’s conception was monumental. However, in his enthusiasm, Verdi composed an opera that was, even for French taste, too long. As rehearsals progressed, it became necessary to make cuts, some of them substantial. It’s not hard to imagine Verdi’s dismay at this point and after the first performance he left Paris, never having heard his opera as originally composed. The eliminated music remained unheard and was forgotten until David Rosen and Andrew Porter began reassembling the opera according to Verdi’s original plan. Conceived by the BBC’s Chief Producer for radio, Julian Budden and with a Francophone cast, the 1973 BBC “restored” Don Carlos was a revelation. The restored passages were, of course, a great discovery but the real excitement came with the first ever opportunity to fully comprehend Verdi’s original intentions for this magnificent opera. This 4 CD set comes with a 300 page illustrated booklet which, as well as containing the libretto and synopsis in Italian, German, French and English, also has an introductory note by Andrew Porter. Ronald F. Payne 5.0 out of 5 stars The French Grand Opera Version! November 3, 2002 For anyone who wants to know what "Don Carlos" is all about, this is indispensible! This version is the Paris Dress Rehearsal before Verdi was forced to make cuts so that members of the audience could catch the last trains to the suburbs at midnight. This BBC concert version features singers who understand and articulate the French text cleanly and idomatically. It has a performance flow that is dramatically compelling. The recording is excellent for a live broadcast performance. There is a Gallic sensibility here missing in other French language recordings. If you know this opera only from the Italian Versions, you are in for a surprise. This recording offers a unique insight into what Verdi really had in mind! Warning--no libretto included! Try to find the ENO Guide to "Don Carlos" with the French text and Andrew Porter translation. If you really want to dive deep into Verdi, GET THIS!