Falstaff (opera)
All you want to know about Falstaff (opera)
| Operas by Giuseppe Verdi |
|---|
 |
|
Oberto (1839) |
Falstaff is an operatic commedia lirica in three acts by Giuseppe Verdi, adapted by Arrigo Boito from Shakespeare's plays The Merry Wives of Windsor and scenes from Henry IV. It was Verdi's last opera, written in the composer's ninth decade, and only the second of his twenty-six operas to be a comedy. It was also the third of Verdi's operas to be based on a Shakespearean play, following his earlier Macbeth and Otello.
The first performance took place on February 9, 1893 at La Scala in Milan, Italy to great success. While not as immensely popular as the works that immediately preceded it, Aida and Otello, Falstaff has long been a critical favorite for its refinement and melodic invention.
Contents |
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 9 February 1893[1] (Conductor: Edoardo Mascheroni[2]) |
|---|---|---|
| Sir John Falstaff, a fat knight | baritone | Victor Maurel |
| Ford, a wealthy man | baritone | Antonio Pini-Corsi |
| Alice Ford, his wife | soprano | Emma Zilli |
| Nannetta, their daughter | soprano | Adelina Stehle |
| Meg Page | mezzo-soprano | Virginia Guerrini |
| Mistress Quickly | contralto | Giuseppina Pasqua |
| Fenton, one of Nannetta's suitors | tenor | Edoardo Garbin |
| Dr Caius | tenor | Giovanni Paroli |
| Bardolfo, a follower of Falstaff | tenor | Paolo Pelagelli-Rossetti |
| Pistola, a follower of Falstaff | bass | Vittorio Arimondi |
| Mine Host of the Garter Inn | Silent | Attilio Pulcini |
| Robin, Falstaff's page | Silent |
Synopsis
- Time: The reign of Henry IV, 1399 to 1413
- Place: Windsor, England
Act 1
A room at the Garter Inn
Falstaff is surrounded by his servants Bardolph, Pistola, and the innkeeper, when Dr. Caius arrives and accuses him of robbery, but the excited doctor is soon ejected. Falstaff hands letters to his servants for delivery to Mistress Ford and to Mistress Page. The letters, which profess Falstaff's love for the two respectable women, are intended to seduce them, although it is really a seduction to possess their husbands’ money. However, Bardolph and Pistol refuse, claiming that 'honor' prevents them from obeying his orders. Sending the letters by a page instead, Falstaff confronts his servants (L'onore! Ladri! Voi state ligi all’honor vostro, voi! / “Honor! You rogues! You are bound by your honor…”) and chases them out of his sight.
Ford's garden
Alice and Meg have received Falstaff's identical letters. They exchange them, and in conjunction with Mistress Quickly, resolve to punish the knight. The three are also none too pleased with Master Ford, who is intending to give his daughter Nannetta in marriage to the elderly Dr. Caius. They resolve that this will not happen. Meanwhile, Ford has been apprised of the letters by Bardolph and Pistol. All three are thirsty for revenge. Finding them alone for once, a brief love duet between Fenton and Nannetta follows. The women return home and Mistress Quickly is requested to invite Falstaff to an assignation. The men also arrive upon the scene, and Bardolph and Pistol are persuaded to introduce Ford to Falstaff, but under an assumed name.
Act 2
A room at the Garter Inn
Bardolph and Pistol (now in the pay of Ford), pretending to beg for forgiveness for past transgressions, announce to their master the arrival of Mistress Quickly, who delivers the invitation. Falstaff celebrates his potential success ("Va, vecchio John" /”Go, old Jack, go they ways”). Ford is now introduced as Signor Fontana; he offers money to the fat knight to intercede for him with Mistress Ford. Falstaff agrees with pleasure, and while he dresses in his most splendid array, Ford is consumed with jealousy (È sogno o realtà? / "Is it a dream or reality?").
A room in Ford's house
The three women plot their strategy ("Gaie Comari di Windsor" / “Merry wives of Windsor, the time has come!”. As Mistress Quickly announces Falstaff's arrival, Mistress Ford has a large clothes basket placed in readiness. Falstaff's attempts to seduce the Alice with tales of his past glory ("Quand'ero paggio del Duca di Norfolk" / “When I page to the Duke of Norfolk I was slender”) are cut short, as Mistress Quickly reports the arrival of Master Ford. When the angry Ford and his friends appear with the aim of catching Falstaff, the ladies hide the knight in the basket. In the meantime, Fenton and Nannetta are hidden behind the screen. Upon returning from their search for Falstaff, the men hear the sound of a kiss. They think that they will at last trap Falstaff, but instead find Fenton, who is ordered by Ford to leave. When the men again proceed with the search, the women order the wash basket to be thrown into the ditch, where Falstaff is compelled to endure the jeers of the crowd.
Act 3
Before the inn
In a gloomy mood, Falstaff curses the sorry state of the world. However, some mulled wine soon improves his mood. The fat knight receives another invitation through Mistress Quickly, which is overheard by the men. Although dubious at first, Falstaff promises to go to Herne's Oak dressed as the Black Huntsman, the agreed-upon meeting place. He enters the house with Mistress Quickly, and the men concoct a plan for his punishment. Dr. Caius is promised Nannetta's hand in marriage and is told how he may recognize her in her disguise, but the plot is overheard by Mistress Quickly.
Herne's Oak in Windsor Park on a moonlit midnight
Fenton arrives at the oak tree and sings of his happiness ("Dal labbro il canto estasiato vola" / “From my lips, my song of ecstasy flies”) ending with “Lips that are kissed lose none of their allure”. Nanetta enters to finish the line with “Indeed, they renew it, like the moon”. The women arrive and disguise Fenton as a monk, telling him that they have arranged things so as to spoil Dr. Caius' plans. Nanetta, playing the role of the Fairy Queen, instructs her helpers ("Sul fil d'un soffio etesio" / “On the breath of a fragrant breeze, fly, nimble spirits”) before all the characters arrive on the scene. Falstaff's attempted love scene with Mistress Ford is interrupted by the announcement that witches are approaching, and the men, who are disguised as elves and fairies, soundly thrash Falstaff. Dr. Caius finds that instead of Nannetta, he has landed Bardolph who is dressed in the same fairy queen outfit as Nanetta. With Ford's consent, Fenton and Nannetta are to be married. Falstaff, pleased to find himself not the only dupe, proclaims in a fugue, which the entire company sings, that all the world is folly and all are figures of fun (Tutto nel mondo è burla... Tutti gabbati! / "Everything in the world a jest...").
Synopsis source: [3]
Scoring
Verdi scored Falstaff for 3 flutes (third doubling piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, percussion (triangle, cymbals, bass drum), harp, and strings. In addition, a guitar, natural horn, and bell are heard from offstage.
Selected recordings
| Year | Cast (Falstaff, Ford, Fenton, Mrs. Ford, Mistress Quickly) |
Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1957 | Tito Gobbi, Rolando Panerai, Luigi Alva, Elisabeth Schwarzkopf, Fedora Barbieri |
Herbert von Karajan, Philharmonia Orchestra and chorus |
Audio CD: EMI Classics Cat: CDM 5 67083 2 |
| 2001 | Bryn Terfel, Thomas Hampson, Danil Shtoda, Adrianne Pieczonka, Larissa Diadkova |
Claudio Abbado, Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra and chorus |
Audio CD: DGG Cat: 289 471 194-2 |
Notes
- ^ List of singers taken from Budden, Julian: The Operas of Verdi (Cassell), vol 3, p. 416.
- ^ Ibid, p.430
- ^ Adapted from Leo Melitz, The Opera Goer's Complete Guide, 1921 version
References
- Melnitz, Leo, The Opera Goer's Complete Guide, 1921 version.
External links
- Some recordings of Falstaff
- Recordings of Falstaff
- Creative Commons MP3 Recording
- Libretto
- Database list of Falstaff
- Further Falstaff discography
- San Diego OperaTalk! with Nick Reveles: Verdi's Falstaff OperaTalk!: Falstaff
No comments have been added.
Ads
Popular Pages
- Shah Rukh Khan
- Aamir Khan
- Salman Khan
- Saif Ali Khan
- Aishwarya Rai
- Amitabh Bachchan
- Abhishek Bachchan
- Kareena Kapoor
- Rani Mukerji
- Hrithik Roshan
- Mallika Sherawat
- John Abraham
- Bipasha Basu
- More...
Related Sites
- Amrita Rao
- Priyanka Chopra
- Vidya Balan
- English Music
- Free Music
- Music Download
- Actress Photos
- Buy Bollywood DVDs
- Ringtones
