Falstaff

Synopsis

“The whole world is a jest, man was born a great jester…” So goes the brilliant conclusion to Verdi’s Falstaff, an opera inspired by Shakespeare’s beloved comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor. The virtuosic score requires a particularly talented cast, not to mention a truly exceptional conductor. Herbert von Karajan perfectly fits the bill, and this performance featuring the Wiener Philharmoniker and an all-star group of singers is clearly worthy of Verdi’s powerful work, a masterpiece whose comic facade thinly veils the complex and sometimes even tragic characters’ struggles.

Additional Info

• No: 8574
• Composer: Giuseppe Verdi
• Conductor: Herbert von Karajan
• Orchestra: Wiener Philharmoniker; Wiener Staatsopernchor
• Artists: Giuseppe Taddei, Rolando Panerai, Francisco Araiza, Heinz Zednik, Raina Kabaivanska, Janet Perry, Trudeliese Schmidt, Christa Ludwig
• Production year: 1982
• Run time: 02:14:00
• Director: Stage Director: Herbert von Karajan
• Producers: Telemondial
• Format: HDTV 16:9