| Description |
1 online resource (1 video file (2 hr., 7 min., 55 sec.)) : sound, color |
| Playing Time |
020755 |
| Description |
digital |
|
video file |
| Note |
Opera in 3 acts; libretto by Arrigo Boito, from the comedy The Merry wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare. |
| Language |
Sung in Italian; English subtitles. |
| Performer |
Christopher Purves (Falstaff) ; Tassis Christoyannis (Ford) ; Dina Kuznetsova (Alice Ford) ; Marie-Nicole Lemieux (Mistress Quickly) ; Adriana Kŭcerová (Nanetta) ; Bülent Bezdüz (Fenton) ; Jennifer Holloway (Meg Page) ; Peter Hoare (Dr. Caius) ; Paolo Battaglia (Pistol) ; Alasdair Elliott (Bardolf) ; Glyndebourne Chorus ; London Philharmonic Orchestra ; Vladimir Jurowski, conductor. |
| Credits |
Richard Jones, stage director. |
| Event |
Recorded Glyndebourne Festival, Glyndebourne, Lewes, Great Britain. |
| Summary |
Falstaff in Richard Jones' delightful production for the Glyndebourne Festival Far from the tragic and heroic elements that gave a bad name to the opera in the public's mind, Falstaff stands out for the comical dimension of its libretto, here put to the fore by the an exquisitely mocking production and the brilliant performers' acting (especially Christopher Purves and Marie Nicole Lemieux). No aria di bravura is to be found, as would be the case in Bellini's or Puccini's works. In Falstaff, music does not prevail over the action, music holds up the dramatic tension from the beginning to the end. Everything flows naturally. The comedy in Falstaff. The main themes (cross-dressing and revenge) suggest the comical dimension in which the plot will plunge. Not to mention Arrigo Boito's depiction of Falstaff as a farcical character, the opera is bursting with comic situations either stemming from mises en abyme, lies, misunderstandings, sudden development or traps set by the different characters. The atmosphere is exhilarating, as the Glyndebourne audience can testify! Sir John Falstaff, a coarse hero? Drawing its inspiration from Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor (the Bard of Avon's influence on Verdi is well-known), Falstaff presents a shallow, horrendous, despicable, and cynical character. Thus, who is the hero? Women are the heroin. Organized in a "gang," they lead the dance and set traps, not only to the lustful Falstaff, but also to the marital authority. At the end of the day, it is the witty Mrs Quickly who best expresses the moral of the story: Women are cunning as a fox! |
| Subject |
Operas.
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Operas. |
| Genre/Form |
Internet videos.
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Internet videos.
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| Added Author |
Roussillon, François, film director.
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Boito, Arrigo, 1842-1918, librettist.
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Purves, Christopher, performer.
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Christoyannis, Tassis, performer.
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Kuznetsova, Dina, performer.
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Lemieux, Marie-Nicole, performer.
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Kučerová, Adriana, performer.
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Bezdüz, Bülent, performer.
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Holloway, Jennifer (Mezzo-soprano), performer.
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Hoare, Peter, 1965- performer.
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Battaglia, Paolo, 1968- performer.
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Elliott, Alasdair, performer.
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Jurowski, Vladimir, 1972- conductor.
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Opera adaptation of (work): Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616.
Merry wives of Windsor.
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Container of (work): Verdi, Giuseppe, 1813-1901.
Falstaff.
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ZDF/Arte (Firm), production company.
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Glyndebourne Enterprises, production company.
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François Roussillon et associés, production company.
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Glyndebourne Festival Chorus, performer.
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London Philharmonic Orchestra, performer.
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Glyndebourne Festival Opera.
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