Any opera company that takes on Don Carlos, which stands among Verdi's greatest, grandest, and most ambitious operas, deserves some applause, and this Royal Swedish Opera production, taped in December of 1999 and January of 2000, is a valiant effort. The version used is a mixture of the original French and the Modena revision (sung in Italian): Elisabeth and Carlos meet at Fontainebleau in Act 1; Eboli and the queen exchange costumes at the start of Act 3; the extended number after Posa's death is included (later used by Verdi in the Requiem); and the mysteriously quiet ending is used. Catalan conductor Alberto Hold-Garrido has a fine feel for the score, with the intimate moments nicely paced and the big, public ones suitably grand, although his refusal to underline some of the more cruel moments--the Philip/Posa and Philip/Inquisitor confrontations, for instance--is a mistake. He also makes the wildly wrong decision to cut the second verse of Elisabeth's farewell to her companion--but otherwise the edition seems sensible. His orchestra plays cleanly and with energy, with shiny brass and fine winds, if not exactly lush string tone, and the chorus, well-trained if not passionate, is very good.

The mostly Swedish cast is impressively involved. Indeed, the only non-Swede, the Finnish bass Jaakko Ryhännen, sings with rich tone (although he's a note short at both ends) but odd detachment; even his big aria is sung so matter-of-factly that he seems not to understand the text. As Don Carlos, tenor Lars Cleveman is the most caught-up Carlos on disc; he lives every moment. He has a stunning mezza-voce, which he uses generously and wisely, and only when he forces at the very top of his range does trouble enter. It's not a lush or glamorous sound, but he's a very good Carlos.

Hillevi Martinpelto's Elisabeth runs hot and cold. She certainly can't compete with recorded competition like Tebaldi or Caballé, and the top Bs are somewhat strident; but she also gets a great deal from the role. Ingrid Tobiasson is plagued by an uncertain top, which wrecks "O don fatale" (her "eek" on the big B in the aria's first part is something to behold); but her edgy tone is otherwise right for the vindictive Eboli, and she manages some gentle roulades in the "Veil Song". Peter Mattei's soft-grained voice is handsome and his Posa has great nobility, but this role needs more ring, particularly in the confrontation with Philip. This scene should terrify and it doesn't. As mentioned, Philip's scene with the Grand Inquisitor is not very effective, and Bengt Rundgren's worn sound doesn't help. In short, this is a noble effort, but it's no competition for Giulini, et al. on EMI.

--Robert Levine