was heisst hier alles: Verdi's Don Carlos @ Caramoor 7.20.13

As presented at Caramoor as part of its Verdi in Paris program, Don Carlos was the proof of a thesis:

Resolved: The opera is better in its original French than in any iteration of its Italian translation.

By curtain time this argument had been proposed and well-supported in the afternoon's sessions of discussion, lecture and performance, more on which later. But it could be summed up by conductor Will Crutchfield's point that, contrary to popular assumption, there never was an Italian-language libretto for which Verdi wrote music (except for one scene Ghislanzoni contributed for the 1871 Naples version, later discarded).

Even the four act version, with the Fontainebleau scene excised, was originally written to a French libretto, and that was the version given last Saturday night. Indeed, unlike, say, the Chatelet recording, with its patchwork of earlier drafts, there was nothing in this semi-staged concert performance that would be unfamiliar to anyone well-versed in the now-standard four act version, except the libretto.

For all that afternoon's discussion of the finer points of relationship between text and score, the performance itself was, in terms of the drama, fairly standard. This wasn't unexpected, given how seldom any performance of this opera escapes the carapace of mannerisms that tend to cleave to it (and to Verdi performance in general), even in full productions with reasonable stage rehearsal time. But if there wasn't much earth-shatteringly revelatory on the vocal front, either, then at least its standard was a very high standard.

Caramoor's marketing hook for this performance was mezzo Jennifer Larmore's first Eboli, and she did in fact turn out to be the standout. I tend to associate her with baroque opera, and she brought to the coloratura passages in the Veil Song a Handelian's understanding of how to make a lot of rapid ornamentation signify. Also, she's a good actress. If her voice isn't quite the rock-solid (read monolithic) instrument we often hear in the role these days, her Eboli was multi-dimensional and interesting, and she would bring a lot to a fully-staged production, o opera house casting people.

Everybody else turned in solid performances. James Valenti went wide on a few exposed notes, and his Carlos is a bit textbook, but he filled the space of that role better than many. He did, in the final scene, have a way of gazing off into the distance like a Constructivist model beholding a bright future full of Five Year Plans, but never mind, they all do that. Jennifer Check's Elisabeth was a little reedy toward the beginning but warmed up nicely. I rather liked how she got all up in Philip's grill in the King's Study confrontation, and my hastily scribbled note for the final scene says "JCheck has this in the bag. ttly." Not the most eloquent phrase, I admit, but 'twas true.

Christophoros Stamboglis stands up well in a crowded field of Philips who are mostly Ferruccio Furlanetto right now.  He has a lush bass well-suited to Verdi, and his performance was nicely balanced if a fairly traditional interpretation. His Elle ne m'aime pas was beautifully nuanced. He's gone on record now for being in favor of the French libretto, so hopefully he'll have many more opportunities to prove Maestro Crutchfield's point.

Stephen Powell has a respectable baritone, sometimes water, sometimes wood, and did a creditable job with Posa, but didn't bowl me over. Mikhail Svetlov has an appropriately sinewy thousand-year-old Grand Inquisitor voice, but couldn't quite be still enough to represent the Rock of the Church. Nor was he helped by wearing a white jacket / black pocket handkerchief to contrast with Le Roi Philippe's  black / white ensemble. I get the point, but it sort of inadvertently said "Call me Cardinal Vegas."

Maestro Crutchfield, finally, leading the Orchestra of St Luke's, made some keen-edged interpretive choices that popped out the score a little here and there, and kept things from lagging in the way they can under less skilled (or interested) but probably higher-paid batons. Man knows how to shape some Verdi sound, and St Luke's gave him a lot to work with.


Stay tuned for our next installment, which will probably have something to do with this: