Verdi: Falstaff(2011)

Verdi's Falstaff performed live at the Teatro Regio di Parma

Verdi's final opera, Falstaff, is a comedic masterpiece based on Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor. Set in Windsor during Henry IV's reign, the story follows the scheming Sir John Falstaff as he sends identical love letters to two married women, Meg Page and Alice Ford, hoping to seduce them. When the women discover his duplicity, they devise an elaborate revenge plot, pretending to welcome his advances while their husbands lie in wait. This three-act opera buffa, with libretto by Arrigo Boito, premiered at La Scala in Milan in 1893 when Verdi was 80 years old. The composer's wit and musical invention shine throughout, crafting a sparkling work full of intrigue, mistaken identities, and rollicking humor. This recording captures a live performance from Teatro Regio in Parma in 2011.