Don Carlo

Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1883)

DESCRIPTION

Anyone attending this performance and hearing Felicia Weathers as Elisabetta would likely have come away convinced that they were witnessing the emergence of a major Verdian soprano. That such a trajectory did not ultimately materialize is a subject open to speculation. One plausible explanation lies in the casting itself: Weathers, still in her twenties at the time, was entrusted with a role many sopranos reserve for their late thirties. That she didn’t have a longer career is a tragedy for the opera world, for her singing here is exquisitely poised—marked by a crystalline purity of tone and a fearless upper register that commands attention.

The remainder of the cast proves solid, though generally less distinguished. Exceptions include Camillo Meghor, whose Rodrigo is rendered with firm vocal presence, and Zoltán Kelemen, whose Grand Inquisitor achieves a chilling intensity that lingers. It's also worth noting that in a rare choice for 1964, this performance adopts the five-act version.

CAST

Filippo II – Mark Elyn
Don Carlo – Herbert Schachtschneider
Posa – Camillo Meghor
Grande Inquisitore – Zoltán Kelemen
Un Frate – Erich Winkelmann
Elisabetta – Felicia Weathers
Eboli – Annamaria Bessel
Lerma – Heribert Steinbach
Tebaldo – Karl-Heinz Lilie
Araldo – Barbara Bardy
Voce dal Cielo – Liselotte Hammes

DETAILS

Location: Köln
Date: October 15, 1964
Conductor: István Kertész
Catalogue Number: OD 12275-3
Label: Opera Depot
Number of Discs: 3
In Stereo

NOTE

There is some skipping during the Grand Inquisitor Scene