Falstaff (Salieri)
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Falstaff | |
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Kärntnertortheater , Vienna |
Falstaff, ossia Le tre burle (Falstaff, or The Three Jokes) is a dramma giocoso in two acts by Antonio Salieri, set to a libretto by Carlo Prospero Defranceschi after William Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor.
One of the earliest operatic versions of Shakespeare's play, Salieri's Falstaff is notable for a general compression and streamlining of the original plot, note the absence of the two young lovers, Fenton and Anne, and the addition of a scene in which Mistress Ford pretends to be German to charm Falstaff (actually two such scenes exist, one in a separate score by Salieri was probably omitted from the original Viennese productions). Defranceschi moves the plot and structure away from Elizabethan drama and closer to the standard conventions of late 18th century opera buffa.
Highlights include the Sinfonia (overture) in the style of
Performance history
It was first performed at the
Roles
Cast | Voice type | Premiere, January 3, 1799 (Conductor: - ) |
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Sir John Falstaff | bass
|
Carlo Angrisani |
Master Ford | tenor | Giuseppe Simoni |
Mistress Ford | soprano | Irene Tomeoni |
Master Slender | baritone | Ignaz Saal |
Mistress Slender | soprano | Louise Milloch |
Bardolf, Falstaff's servant | baritone | Gaetano Lotti |
Betty, Mistress Ford's maid | soprano | Marianne Gaßmann |
Arrangements
Discography
- Romano Franceschetto, Fernando Luis Ciuffo, Filippo Bettoschi, Milan Madrigalists, Chiara Chialli, et al. Alberto Veronesi cond, Guido Cantelli Orchestra Milan. 2 CDs, DDD, Chandos, 17 March 1998
- Simon Edwards, Salomé Haller, Liliana Faraon, Raimonds Spogis, Hjördis Thébault, et al. Jean-Claude Malgoire cond., La Grande Écurie et la Chambre du Roy, Chantres de la Chapelle de Versailles. 2 CDs, DDD, Dynamic, 3 March 2003
- József Gregor, Mária Zempléni, Dénes Gulyás, Istvan Gáti, Eva Pánczél, et al. Tamás Pál cond., Salieri Chamber Orchestra, Salieri Chamber Chorus. 3 CDs, DDD, Hungaroton, 27 September 2003
- John Del Carlo, Teresa Ringholz, Richard Croft, Delores Ziegler, Jake Gardner, et al. Claus Viller, Agnes Meth dir., Arnold Östmann cond., Radio Symphony Orchestra Stuttgart. DVD, 120 mins, Arthaus Musik, 31 July 2000
References
- ISBN 0-333-73432-7
Sources
- Casaglia, Gherardo (2005). "Falstaff, 3 January 1799". L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia (in Italian).