A true recording blockbuster! Following a legendary run at the Salzburg Festival of the Don Carlo 1884 four-act version (staged by the conductor himself with his trademark opulence), Herbert von Karajan sought to immortalize his vision with the same artistic team. The star-studded cast features the greatest voices of their generation, from the luminous José Carreras and Mirella Freni to the profound basses Nicolai Ghiaurov and Ruggero Raimondi. In a poignant note for today's listeners, the role of the Friar is sung by the recently departed José van Dam, whose passing we mourn. This is a legendary document of a pharaonic production, where Verdi’s drama has never felt more visceral.