Verdi: Don Carlos (complete opera [Five-act French version] recorded in 1996)

Don Carlos, one of Verdi's supreme achievements, received its premiere in Paris and this live recording from the city's Théâtre du Châtelet presents the original, five-act version of the opera. Singing eloquently in their native French, Robert Alagna and José van Dam head a charismatic cast, while Antonio Pappano, in the words of Gramophone, leads "an inspiriting performance of Verdi's singular music-drama depicting private tragedy within public conflict … a subtly shaped, superbly paced and vital interpretation from start to finish."