Imagine! An all-Italian cast in an Italian opera! What we have here is the four-act Don Carlo with a cast that was considered luxurious for the mid-’50s in Italy, taken from a live performance in Florence in June of 1956. The main draws are the Filippo of Cesare Siepi and Anita Cerquetti’s Elisabeth. Neither recorded the role commercially (and Cerquetti recordings are as rare as her career was brief). Siepi’s beautiful basso cantante rolls out effortlessly, and if he’s not quite as tortured or towering as, say, Ghiaurov or Christoff, he makes up for it with a type of sadness, importance, and decorum that is very effective, and his soft singing is breathtaking. Cerquetti’s Elisabeth, a few uncertain moments and shrill patches aside, is glorious–both imperious and deeply felt, with a truly grand voice. Giulio Neri’s black-voiced Grand Inquisitor is terrifying; his scene with Siepi is an absolute knockout.
Another point of recommendation is the Posa of Ettore Bastianini, possessor of a voice as handsome as Siepi’s. He has the perfect Italian sound for this music, and though he’s thoroughly unimaginative, it’s just nice to hear such a velvety sound. Angelo Lo Forese, more of a ’50s tenorial footnote than a great star, is serviceable as Carlo; he sings the role with feeling but lacks real individuality or tonal allure. Fedora Barbieri’s Eboli is powerful and intelligent, but she sings flat and strenuously above the staff (when she isn’t leaving out the high notes entirely) and rewrites the “Veil Song” in order to get through it. Antonino Votto’s conducting is ordinary at best and distracts us from caring. The bonus tracks–arias from Forza, Ballo, Otello, Don Carlo, and Barbiere–are vocal showpieces for Bastianini. The sound is clear throughout.
