Verdi Falstaff - favourite versions?

[Andy Evans]

What are your favourite versions of this opera? Not only the obvious
versions but some of the other lesser-known performances e.g. Italian
productions with Rossi etc on smaller labels.

andy

[wagnerfan]

My favorite one (the one I keep coming back to) is the Bernstein on
CBS. He conducts with such exuberance and vitality it sweeps every
other Falstaff conductor before it and that includes Toscanini. The
fact that the recording was based on live performances at the Wiener
Staatsoper doesn't hurt. Fischer-Dieskau does not have the fat round
voice the lead requires (for that you go to Taddei on the RAI
broadcast) but he sings with humor and intelligence. The supporting
cast is very strong (Ligabue is my favorite Alice Ford and Resnik
sings her famous funny Dame Quickly, Panerai is Ford and Rossl-Majdan
is Meg Page) The lovers are a bit weak with Sciutti and Oncina both a
bit past it but as a whole its my favorite.
Right behind is the Toscanini - the orchestra is amazing and the cast
gives him all they have - Valdengo doesn't have the right voice either
but the part was drilled into him and he is mimics the real thing.
Nelli gives her best Toscanini performance - its still like Susan
Alexander Kane but the role isnt too hard for her. Stich-Randall is a
cute Nanetta which is more than be said for her Fenton who screwed up
his big aria in the third Act in the broadcast so badly the whole
thing had to be re=recorded (funny thing is that in all these years I
have seen a recording of the actual broadcast - just the edited
release and rehearsals.)
The Solti for RCA is a good reference version - he was not IMHO a
natural Verdi conductor - I rarely felt that he had the pulse of the
music though he had a lot of rhythmic drive (not the same thing).
Evans was a very famous Falstaff though it is not quite the revelation
I was hoping for - very strong but not the magic I had heard about.
The rest of the cast is first class top to bottom abd the sound is
wonderful.
Sound and orchestral execution is important in this opera since so
many strands are going at one time which is why I put the Rossi a step
below. He is wonderful no doubt but the orchestra as idiomatic as it
is just isn't he Vienna Phil or the NBC and the fact that there were
no retakes doesn't help. However Taddei must be heard as Falstaff -
the voice is exactly right for the part and the role is fully formed
(considering how young he was) the rest of the cast is ful of grade b
or worse singers (Carteri excepted) and they are all idiomatic but you
really need some great vocalism here. The sound is good early 50s
mono.
The EMI Karajan set is interesting - beautifully played but a little
too controlled and inhibited - Gobbi is hysterically funny and the
cast was carefully chosen by Legge - Schwarzkopf is also funny and
knowing - again the cast is top drawer right top t0 bottom and the
stereo sound is fine.
Falstaff has been a fortunate opera on records - I know of very few
bad recordings - I guess you should pick depending on what you want -
IMHO you should have more than one. Wagner fan

[Ricky Jimenez]

On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 03:42:26 -0800 (PST), Andy Evans
<performan...@gmail.com> wrote:

There are two DVDs that I enjoy immensely. There is one with Karajan
with Taddei as Falstaff. The other is a small theater/orchestra
version, conducted by Muti. A young Juan Diego Flórez plays Fenton.

[CHSIII]

I agree completely about the Bernstein - the best all round Falstaff -
Fischer-Dieskau was made for this role. Also a chance to hear the wonderful
Ilva Ligabue.

It is a shame that Tebaldi never commercially recorded Alice Ford - she was
fabulous in this role, and it provided the rare opportunity to see her
wonderful sense of humor, as well as her exquisite sense of timing. It was
late for her, but if you can get a hold of a recording of one of the 1972
Met performances, with Gobbi or Geraint Evans, and Roberta Peters, Regina
Resnik, Kostas Paskalis, Luigi Alva, and the great comprimarii stable that
was once the Met's - Joanne Grillo, Paul Franke, Andrea Velis, Richard
Best - all joyfully conducted by Christoph Von Dohnanyi - you will be
utterly charmed and delighted.

"wagnerfan" wrote in message
news:i1okj7lbqiteqqken...@4ax.com...

[Andy Evans]

The one I've been listening to and getting a lot of pleasure from is
Rossi in 1966 on Myto with Gobbi, Ligabue, Alberti, Marimpietri,
Lazzari. This is good quality mono - no doubt a broadcast. It's very
snappy and full of fun - bright energetic performance with good
singing to my ears. It's probably a typical high quality Italian
theatre performance, and isn't as suave as Karajan and all the rest
with their symphony orchestras. But so far I'm liking it. I'm a guy
who vastly prefers Jilek to Mackerras in Jenufa if that makes any
sense. I like the local theatre performances in many cases.

Anyone know this Myto?

Andy

[wagnerfan]

No butIt will defintely get it - it too me awhile to "get" the
miracle that is Verdi's Falstaff and now I find it a source of endless
pleasure. BTW if you can get a copy of the actual Vienna Falstaff
conducted by Bernstein - even better than the studio. As a side story,
when the Columbia LPs of the Bernstein Falstaff were issued, he was
really pissed at the relative cheapness of the libretto. CBS made it a
point do a luxury one for him the next time - that was the
Rosenkavalier. Wagner Fan

[rich...@gmail.com]

On Feb 14, 1:33 pm, wagnerfan <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:39:54 -0800 (PST), Andy Evans
>

A completely fascinating discussion to me....After multiple attempts
(and multiple discussions here) I can admire Falstaff, but love it I
cannot.

At least not yet.

[wagnerfan]

It will happen. Funny how all of a sudden we "get" it - I had never
really appreciated Nozze di Figaro until I heard of all things the
German language set that was released on the Seraphim label with an
excellent cast conducted by Suitner - then it happened!! So you can
never tell. Wagner Fan

[Andy Evans]

On Feb 14, 8:54 pm, wagnerfan <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 11:46:12 -0800 (PST), "richer...@hotnail.com"

>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> <richer...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >On Feb 14, 1:33 pm, wagnerfan <ivanmax...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> On Tue, 14 Feb 2012 07:39:54 -0800 (PST), Andy Evans
>
> >> <performanceandme...@gmail.com> wrote:
> >> >The one I've been listening to and getting a lot of pleasure from is
> >> >Rossi in 1966 on Myto with Gobbi, Ligabue, Alberti, Marimpietri,
> >> >Lazzari. This is good quality mono - no doubt a broadcast. It's very
> >> >snappy and full of fun - bright energetic performance with good
> >> >singing to my ears. It's probably a typical high quality Italian
> >> >theatre performance, and isn't as suave as Karajan and all the rest
> >> >with their symphony orchestras. But so far I'm liking it. I'm a guy
> >> >who vastly prefers Jilek to Mackerras in Jenufa if that makes any
> >> >sense. I like the local theatre performances in many cases.
>
> >> >Anyone know this Myto?
>
> >> >Andy
>
> >>  No butIt will defintely get it - it too me awhile to "get" the

> >> miracle that isVerdi'sFalstaffand now I find it a source of endless

> >> pleasure. BTW if you can get a copy of the actual ViennaFalstaff
> >> conducted by Bernstein - even better than the studio. As a side story,

> >> when the Columbia LPs of the BernsteinFalstaffwere issued, he was

> >> really pissed at the relative cheapness of the libretto. CBS made it a
> >> point do a luxury one for him the next time - that was the
> >> Rosenkavalier. Wagner Fan
>
> >A completely fascinating discussion to me....After multiple attempts

> >(and multiple discussions here) I can admireFalstaff, but love it I

> >cannot.
>
> >At least not yet.
>
>   It will happen.  Funny how all of a sudden we "get" it - I had never
> really appreciated Nozze di Figaro until I heard of all things the
> German language set that was released on the Seraphim label with an
> excellent cast conducted by Suitner - then it happened!! So you can
> never tell.  Wagner Fan

I never listened to any Verdi before Otello - I thought it was all
jolly drinking songs, mass choruses and weird plots with people being
stabbed in cupboards and barrels. Then with Otello I heard something
quite different - long continuous melodic lines and my immediate
reference was Meistersinger which I listen to often. So with different
listening ears I suddenly discovered a masterpiece I could relate to.
And from there I looked up Verdi's life and works and the next obvious
step was Falstaff. I expected little at first but it started to grow
on me, and when the melodic lines get into your head you start getting
addicted quite quickly. Both operas are just so damned musical - like
Meistersinger, just end to end beautiful singing.

So I'm hooked, and knowing me I'll be hooked for days and listen to
loads of different versions of both operas. Good feeling!

Andy

[CHSIII]

But, mon vieux, you must! It is the most lovable of all Verdi's works! It
elevates Verdi to the rank of Mozart.

[wkasimer]

On Feb 14, 11:58 am, "CHSIII" <chs...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> I agree completely about the Bernstein - the best all round Falstaff -
> Fischer-Dieskau was made for this role.

I haven't heard the Bernstein recording, but Fischer-Dieskau was born
to sing *Ford*, not Falstaff. Here's an extended scene, with
Metternich at Falstaff:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isuMB_--yPw

Ford's soliloquy begins around 12:00.

Bill

[Andy Evans]

Well, as for me, after multiple attempts I can admire Mozart operas,
but love them I

cannot.  At least not yet.

In fact I'm finding all of Mozart increasingly hard work. I can't
listen to Chopin any more either. I have shelves full of CDs by both.
Just can't love Bartok either, and gone off Brahms. I'm coming back to
Beethoven, Schumann and Dvorak. My love for Stravinsky, de Falla,
Prokofiev, Wagner and Scriabin has never failed. And Janacek holds up
pretty well too. Maybe Verdi will.

Andy

[CHSIII]

Very impressive in 1952, but by '66, DFD was Falstaff, not Ford. Listen to
the Bernstein.

"wkasimer" wrote in message
news:a2ae8207-ad0a-49cd...@hs8g2000vbb.googlegroups.com...

[wkasimer]

On Feb 16, 9:29 am, "CHSIII" <chs...@yahoo.com> wrote:

> Very impressive in 1952, but by '66, DFD was Falstaff, not Ford.  Listen to
> the Bernstein.

I have. As DFD aged, his voice not become more opulent - it actually
became thinner less resonant, making him even less well suited to
Falstaff.

Bill

[CHSIII]

Chacun...

"wkasimer" wrote in message
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