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Title: Get any other recording of Don Carlos, not this one
Review: I love this opera, I have been to Paris to see the original performance which is represented on this CD. It is in all points disappointing: the record does not capture the voices and the drama. Alagna's beautiful and expressive singing becomes a shouting on the CD, the silver voice of Mattila sounds strange, Meier's seducing and expressive singing turns into something witchy, van Dam looses all his characterization of a broken king, only Hampson survives the recording. Yes, they all manage the French language, yes, they act perfectly - but Pappano is not following them and the recording destroys it all. One of the greatest deceptions on records there is (the video is a little better)! But, why not get the Solti version (if you don't care about the Italian language).
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