Giuseppe Verdi 2DVD 2010 Don Carlo: The Royal Opera House / Conducted by Antonio Pappano / Directed by Nicholas Hytner / Royal Opera House Orchestra, Royal Opera Chorus / Starring: Rolando Villazón, Marina Poplavskaya / Warner Music

UPC 5099963160994

REGION 0 NTSC (ALL REGIONS)

MADE IN EU

AUDIO: Italian 5.1 surround, Italian LPCM stereo

SUBTITLES: English, Italian, German, French, Spanish

Total Runtime: 126+85 minutes (2 discs)

English Summary:

"Antorio Pappano delivers an implacably powerful, mordant drama... Ferruccio Fulanetto's profoundly troubled Philip dominates, Simon Keenlyside's dauntlessly hyper-energetic Posa raises the dramatic temperature onstage...and Eric Halfvarson's black-toned Inqusitor is the perfect incarnation of evil masquerading as divine truth." The Guardian

Giuseppe Verdi - Don Carlo - Opera in five acts

Fathers and sons, love tainted by politics and the evils of organised religion all come under the dramatic microscope in Verdi's most monumental opera. Antonio Pappano conducts with tremendous sweep, allowing all the principals to bare the souls of their rich and complex characters whithin Nicholas Hytner's production, captured live at London's Royal Opera House in High Definition video and surround sound.

Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi (I1813 – 1901) was an Italian opera composer. He was born near Busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, and developed a musical education with the help of a local patron. Verdi came to dominate the Italian opera scene after the era of Vincenzo Bellini, Gaetano Donizetti, and Gioachino Rossini, whose works significantly influenced him. Verdi, the first child of Carlo Giuseppe Verdi (1785–1867) and Luigia Uttini (1787–1851), was born at their home in Le Roncole, a village near Busseto, then in the Département Taro and within the borders of the First French Empire following the annexation of the Duchy of Parma and Piacenza in 1808. The baptismal register, prepared on 11 October 1813, lists his parents Carlo and Luigia as "innkeeper" and "spinner" respectively. Additionally, it lists Verdi as being "born yesterday", but since days were often considered to begin at sunset, this could have meant either 9 or 10 October. Following his mother, Verdi always celebrated his birthday on 9 October, the day he himself believed he was born.

Cast:

Rolando Villazón as Don Carlos

Marina Poplavskaya as Elizabeth of Valois

Simon Keenlyside as Rodrigo, Marquis of Posa

Sonia Ganassi as Princess Eboli

Ferruccio Furianetto as Philip II, King of Spain

Eric Halfvarson as Grand Inquisitor

Robert Lloyd as Carlos V

Royal Opera Chorus - Chorus Director: Renato Balsadonna

Orchestra of the Royal Opera House - Concert Master: Vasko Vassilev

Conductor: Antonio Pappano

Stage director: Nicholas Hytner

Music producer: David Groves