D.Verdi. Falstaff

Giuseppe Verdi's opera "Falstaff" on the stage of the Hamburg State Opera, directed by Calixto Bieito.

Verdi's opera "Falstaff" is the composer's last, twenty-sixth opera, based on the libretto by Arrigo Boito based on William Shakespeare's plays "Henry IV" and "The Merry Wives of Windsor". When the opera was written, Verdi was already almost eighty years old. At the same time, it became only the second comic opera of his authorship. The premiere of the opera took place on February 9, 1893 at the La Scala theater.

The Garter Inn. Sir John Falstaff is busily writing a love letter to two wealthy married women, Alice Ford and Meg Page, hoping to improve his dire financial situation at their expense. Dr. Caius bursts in, accusing Bardolfo and Pistola of robbing him. Falstaff drives him away and instructs the servants to deliver the letters to the ladies, but they refuse to participate in the scam. Falstaff sends the correspondence with a page.

Alice and Meg compare their letters in the Fords' garden and, convinced of their identity, decide to teach the fat man a lesson with the help of Mrs. Quickly. Bardolfo and Pistola inform Ford of their master's intentions. Consumed by jealousy, Ford decides to visit Falstaff incognito and learn more about his plans. Alice is going to invite Falstaff to her home to play a joke on him.

Mrs. Quickly brings an invitation to a date to the tavern. Ford also comes here under the name of Fontana. He will forgive Falstaff for helping him seduce Alice. The fat man boasts that he has an appointment at her house today. Ford is burning with jealousy.

Falstaff comes to the Fords' house, where the owner unexpectedly returns. Alice and Mrs. Quickly quickly hide the fat man in a laundry basket. Ford begins to search the house, but instead of the lecher, he finds his daughter Nanette in the arms of Fenton. Ford explodes and throws the young man out, because he was planning to marry his daughter to Caius. When the search for Falstaff resumes, he is already floating in the laundry basket along the Thames - Alice threw it out of the window with all its contents.

Dejected, Falstaff returns to the Garter. Mrs. Quickly brings another invitation from Alice - this time to Windsor Park. Ford, who overheard their conversation, agrees with Caius about an urgent marriage to Nanette and asks him to come to the park dressed as a monk. This, in turn, is heard by Mrs. Quickly.

Alice wants her daughter to marry for love, so the women dress up Fenton as a monk. In the park, Falstaff meets Alice, but people dressed as ghosts and witches attack him and give him blows. Ford is pleased, he sees Caius on the arm of a lady whose face is hidden. Next to them is another couple, whom he also blesses in joy. When everyone throws off their masks, it becomes obvious that Ford has been deceived - Bardolfo is standing next to Caius, and the second couple turns out to be Nanette and Fenton. Falstaff laughs heartily at what has happened.

PERFORMERS:

Sir John Falstaff, the Fat Knight - Ambrogio Maestri

Ford, the Rich Man - Markus Bruck

Mrs. Alice Ford, his wife - Maya Kowalewska

Navita, their daughter - Elbenita Kajtasi

Mrs. Meg Page - Ida Aldrian

Mrs. Kivkley - Nadezhda Karyazina

Fenton, Nanette's Lover - Alexey Palchikov

Doctor Caius - Jurgen Sacher

Bardolf, Falstaff's Servant - Daniel Kluge

Pistol, Falstaff's Servant - Tigran Martirosyan

Hamburg State Philharmonic Orchestra

Conductor - Axel Kober

Hamburg State Opera Choir

Hamburg State Opera, Hamburg, 2020