Falstaff (1993)
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It is to composer and librettist Arrigo Boito and his constant pestering of the octogenarian Verdi that there remained within him one last great comedy fighting to get out that we owe this absolute miracle of an opera. Produced in 1893 as Verdi turned 80 there is much in this masterpiece that can be identified as a modernist neoclassical work. The use of short motifs instead of long arioso melodic lines, the spry and reduced orchestral textures and the lack of a single 'stand and deliver' dramatic declamatory aria all serve to make this more of a 20th century work than an example of 19th century late-Romanticism.
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Top billed cast
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Mirella FreniAlice Ford
Barbara BonneyNannetta
Paul PlishkaSir John FalstaffBruno PolaFordMarilyn HorneMistress Quickly
Frank LopardoFentonPiero De PalmaDr. CajusAnthony LaciuraBardolfo
James CourtneyPistola
Susan GrahamMeg Page
James LevineSelf - ConductorCarole WrightMistress of the InnKeywords
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Frequently asked questions about Falstaff
What is Falstaff about?
It is to composer and librettist Arrigo Boito and his constant pestering of the octogenarian Verdi that there remained within him one last great comedy fighting to get out that we owe this absolute miracle of an opera. Produced in 1893 as Verdi turned 80 there is much in this masterpiece that can be identified as a modernist neoclassical work. The use of short motifs instead of long arioso melodic lines, the spry and reduced orchestral textures and the lack of a single 'stand and deliver' dramatic declamatory aria all serve to make this more of a 20th century work than an example of 19th century late-Romanticism.
How long is Falstaff?
Falstaff has a runtime of 126 minutes.