There is a late Italian version of this long opera called Don Carlo (without the "s") ... more
which omits the first act. However, it's worth going the extra mile to hear it in the original French version, as given on this wonderful recording. The first act is an explosive mix of the personal and political, and Verdi's music depicting a love struggling to grow in blood-soaked soil is completely gripping. This is a live recording from the Châtelet and the chorus sounds rather distant and bland--hardly ideal in the epic, large-scale scenes. And some details of phrasing and articulation which would be picked up by a studio microphone get swallowed in the whole. That said, the advantages of hearing a live performance are considerable: the energy fizzes off the stage with electric intensity. Alagna is a fantastic Carlos, full of power and pathos, but more than matched by his Elisabeth, Karita Mattila, who brings a heartbreaking, dignified despair to the role. Waltraud Meier also gives an edge- of-seat account of the flirt who comes to feel the torture of remorse. And conductor Antonio Pappano ensures there is never a drop in the tension. --Warwick Thompson
Postage & Packaging:Free! Availability:Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
Production Year: 1992 - Music / Performing Arts - Director: Derek Bailey - Original Language: Italian - Classification: Exempt - Starring: Edita Gruberova, Giorgio Zancanaro, Neil Shicoff, Carlo Rizzi
Music / Performing Arts - Original Language: English - Classification: Parental Guidance - Starring: BBC Concert Orchestra, Dennis Quilley, Christopher Gable, Honor Blackman
Production Year: 1986 - Music / Performing Arts - Director: Keita Asari - Original Language: Italian - Classification: Exempt - Starring: Yasuko Hayashi, Hak-Nam Kim, La Scala Theatre Orchestra, Lorin Maazel
Advantages: Relaxing, very close to the beach,10 mins away from shops Disadvantages: not the place to go if you want nightclubs, as its the quieter side of the island
Advantages: Amitabh Bachchan in a double role Disadvantages: Some of the fight scenes drag on a bit
a very catch tune from the film and was sung by Kishore Kumar. The two other songs in the film were ?Bombay Nagaria? and ?Jiska Mujhe Tha Intezar?. The lyrics for all bar Yeh Mera Dil Pyaar Ka Deewana were by Anjaan.
WHERE TO GET IT
You can buy the DVD of Don from Amazon for £19.99 or from audiorec.co.uk for £4.95. Play.com are offering the DVD for £16.99 or you could always try renting it from your usual DVD rental source.
OVERALL
Overall I?d give Don a strong 8.5 out of 10. I watched it as a kid in India, didn?t really pay much attention back then, watched it during the 80s on video in the UK and watched it again more recently as I wanted to compare it to the remake which I?ve also seen. It?s stood the test of time well and I can honestly rate this as one of the top films to have come out of Bollywood in the 70s ...
Advantages: Richest Freak Show On The Planet Disadvantages: Gaudy, Tacky and Fake
Prelude
In August of this year I was lucky enough to spend a few weeks travelling Provence and the South Of France. Here is what I had written at the time of my Monte Carlo experience...
After spending the last few weeks travelling the south of france in a motorhome, i thought i would share some of my experiences with you lucky lot and not least because i recieved the credit card bill through the post today!
The journey into Monte Carlo is quite unimpressive, very industrial and stark contrast to the picturesque landscapes surrounding Monte Carlo. You get the first taste of its financial implications by the increased frequency of the tolls upon its approach. It seemed like there was a toll booth on the roads every 10 mins as opposed to the every couple of hours we had experienced around Provence.
We arrived at night, a bit ...
![Verdi: (Il) Trovatore [DVD Audio]](http://imagesa.ciao.com/iuk/images/icons/no_pic_generic_S.gif){kind=icon}
