Compositions

Falstaff (Karajan)

Falstaff (Karajan)
Year:1893
Genre:Opera
Composer:Giuseppe Verdi
Conductor:Herbert von Karajan
Performers:
 

Libretto

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 26 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. (Verdi had toyed, too, with writing an opera based on King Lear and Arrigo Boito later tried to interest him in Anthony and Cleopatra, but neither project was ever brought to fruition.)

The first performance of Falstaff took place on 9 February 1893 at La Scala, Milan to great success. The illustrious French baritone Victor Maurel, who had created the role of Iago in Verdi's previous opera, Otello, sang Falstaff at the premiere.

While it has not proved to be as immensely popular as the Verdi works that immediately preceded it, namely Aida and Otello, Falstaff has long been an admired favorite with critics and musicians because of its brilliant orchestration, scintillating libretto and refined melodic invention. It is in the standard repertoire of many opera companies.Contents


Performance history

The first performance abroad was in Vienna, on 21 May 1893.[2] Hamburg first saw Falstaff on 2 January 1894, conducted by Gustav Mahler.[3] In the UK, the opera was first presented at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden on 19 May 1894 with Arturo Pessina in the title role, while the US premiere was at the Metropolitan Opera, New York, on 4 February 1895 with Victor Maurel as Falstaff.The opera is still frequently performed throughout the world.


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. Dr. Caius arrives and accuses him of robbery, but the excited doctor is soon ejected. Falstaff hands two letters to each of his servants for delivery to Mistress Ford and to Mistress Page, two wealthy married women. In these two identical letters, Falstaff professes his love for each of them, although it is really their husbands’ money that he covets. His servants Bardolph and Pistol refuse, claiming that 'honour' prevents them from obeying him. Falstaff sends the letters by a page instead. Falstaff then responds ironically by confronting his honourable servants and shouts (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. Meanwhile, Ford has been warned of the letters by Bardolph and Pistol. All three are thirsty for revenge. Finding themselves alone for once, a brief love duet between Fenton (an employee of Ford) and Nannetta follows. The women return home and Mistress Quickly is requested to invite Falstaff to a rendez-vous with Alice. The men also arrive at the scene, and Bardolph and Pistol are persuaded to introduce Ford to Falstaff, but under an assumed name.


Act 2

Engraving by Ettore Tito of Act II, Scene 2, from the original production. Ford and the servants creeps towards Fenton and Nannetta, who they think are Falstaff and Alice, behind the screen, while the women stifle Falstaff in the laundry basket.

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 to go to Alice's house that very day between the hours of two and three. She also delivers an answer by Mistress Page and assures Falstaff that neither are aware of the other's invitaton. Falstaff celebrates his potential success ("Va, vecchio John" /”Go, old Jack, go your own way”). Ford is now introduced as Signor Fontana; he offers money to the fat knight to intercede for him with Mistress Ford. Falstaff is puzzled at the request, "Fontana" says that if Mistress Ford falls for him, it will be easier that she will fall for him too. Falstaff agrees with pleasure and reveals that he has already succeeded, because he has a rendez-vous with her at two; 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!”. Nanetta also learns that her father plans to marry her with Dr. Caius, but all the women declare that that will not happen. Mistress Quickly announces Falstaff's arrival, Mistress Ford has a large hamper 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 red handed; he hides first behind a screen and then the ladies hide the knight in the hamper. In the meantime, Fenton and Nannetta have hidden behind the screen. Upon returning from their search for Falstaff, the men hear the sound of a kiss behind the screen. They think that they will at last grab Falstaff, but instead find Fenton, who is ordered by Ford to leave, in the meantime Falstaff has been complaining that he is sweating too much inside the hamper. When the men again proceed with the search, the women order the hamper to be thrown into the ditch through the window, 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, who blames the servants for what happened to him, the invitation consists of going to Herne's Oak dressed up as the Herne the Hunter, aka the Black Hunter. Although dubious at first, Falstaff promises to go. He enters the house with Mistress Quickly, and the men and women 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. Sir Falstaff recognizes Bardolph in disguise and the joke is over, but he acknowledges that he has received his due. Ford announces that a wedding shall ensue (a second couple "coincidentally" asks to be married at that time also) and Dr. Caius finds that instead of Nannetta, he has landed Bardolph who is dressed in the same fairy queen outfit as Nanetta and Ford unwittingly has married Fenton and Nannetta. 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...").

 

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ACT I

1 001 Falstaff! Ola! 5:52 5.37 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
2 002 So che se andiam la notte 1:48 1.66 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
3 003 Ma e tempo d'assottigliar l'ingegno 3:56 3.60 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
4 004 L'Onore! Ladri!... Io stesso, si, io, io... ( 4:09 3.80 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
5 005 Alice... Meg... Nannetta! 1:17 1.18 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
6 006 Fulgida Alice! amor t'offro 3:51 3.53 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
7 007 Ripeti. In due parole 1:26 1.32 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
8 008 Pst, pst, Nannetta! Vien qua... 1:48 1.65 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
9 009 Falstaff m'ha canzonata 1:26 1.31 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
10 010 Torno all'assalto... 2:13 2.02 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
11 011 Udrai quanta egli sfoggia magniloquenza altera 0:46 0.70 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
12 012 Del tuo barbaro diagnostico 2:22 2.16 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 

ACT II

1 013 Siam pentiti e contriti 1:08 1.03 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
2 014 Reverenza! 5:04 4.64 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
3 015 Va... vecchio John, va 1:54 1.74 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
4 016 Signore, v'assista il cielo! 2:45 2.52 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
5 017 Ve lo diro... C'e a Windsor una dama 5:36 5.13 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
6 018 Lo conoscete Il diavolo se lo porti all'inferno 1:23 1.27 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
7 019 E sogno o realta 4:31 4.13 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
8 020 Eccomi qua, son pronto 1:42 1.56 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
9 021 Presenteremo un bill per una tassa al parlamento 0:38 0.59 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
10 022 Giunta all'albergo della Giarrettiera 3:19 3.04 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
11 023 Gaie comari di Windsor! E l'ora! 1:41 1.55 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
12 024 Alfin t'ho colto, raggiante fior... 1:42 1.56 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
13 025 T'immagino fregiata del mio stemma 1:48 1.65 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
14 026 Quand'ero paggio del Duca di Norfolk 3:37 3.31 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
15 027 Vien qua. Che chiasso! 0:51 0.77 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
16 028 Al ladro! 1:16 1.17 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
17 029 Facciamo le viste d'attendere ai panni 1:12 1.10 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
18 030 Bella! ridente! 3:37 3.31 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 

ACT III

1 031 Ehi! Taverniere!... 4:55 4.50 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
2 032 Io, dunque, avro vissuto tant'anni Buono. Ber del vin dolce 1:30 1.37 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
3 033 Reverenza! La bella Alice... 1:43 1.57 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
4 034 Taspettero nel parco real 3:42 3.40 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
5 035 Brava! Quelle corna saranno la mia gioia! 1:16 1.16 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
6 036 Avro con me dei putti 3:21 3.06 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
7 037 Dal labbro il canto estasiato vola 4:09 3.80 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
8 038 Nossignore! Tu indossa questa cappa 0:54 0.82 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
9 039 Una, due, tre, quattro, cinque, sei 3:51 3.53 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
10 040 Ninfe! Elfi! Silfi! Doridi! Sirene! 2:00 1.83 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
11 041 Sul fil d'un soffio etesio 4:17 3.93 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
12 042 Alto la! 0:49 0.74 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
13 043 Ahime! tu puzzi come una puzzola... Ruzzola, ruzzola 3:22 3.09 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
14 044 Un poco di pausa 2:03 1.88 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
15 045 Ogni sorta di gente dozzinale 3:46 3.45 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 
16 046 Un coro e terminiam la scena... Tutto nel mondo e burla 3:14 2.96 Mb 128 Kbps buy
 

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