Scene from: Falstaff
Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
Conductor: Carlo Maria Giulini
Verdi's great comic opera, Falstaff is based on Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor but the central character is much closer to the Falstaff of Henry IV. The superb lyric baritone, Renato Bruson, a renowned interpreter of Verdi, sings the title role. Katia Ricciarelli leads the trio of "merry wives", with Lucia Valentini-Terrani as Mistress Quickly and Brenda Boozer as Meg Page. Leo Nucci sings the role of Ford and Dalmacio Gonzalez and Barbara Hendricks portray the young lovers.
Carlo Maria Giulini's appearances in the opera house were always infrequent and were therefore major musical events. When, at the age of 72, the Maestro returned to public opera performances after an absence of fourteen years, he chose for the occasion the enduring comic masterpiece, Falstaff. The outcome has been vividly captured on this recording from The Royal Opera, Covent Garden.
"Mr Giulini can be welcomed back very warmly indeed, not only for the personal success he scores as conductor but also for providing, by virtue of his rarity, the circumstances under which a perfect cast has been able to work towards this performance over a period of months."
Paul Griffiths, THE TIMES.
"The operatic event of the year…."
SUNDAY TIMES
Cast: Sir John Falstaff - Renato Bruson, Pistol - William Wilderman, Bardolph - Francis Egerton, Dr. Caius - John Dobson, Meg Page - Brenda Boozer, Alice Ford - Katia Ricciarelli, Nannetta - Barbara Hendricks, Mistress Quickly - Lucia Valentini-Terrani, Ford - Leo Nucci, Fenton - Dalmacio Gonzalez, Host - George MacPherson.
Catalogue: 5144204942