Painting: "Behind the scene" by Carl Spitzweg.
History: It is not known whether one of the early German versions of "The merry wives" by Ritter (1794) and von Dittersdorf (1796) were known to Salieri, though the original play itself had been performed in Vienna on numerous occasions. Salieri turned for what was his thirty-seventh opera to Carlo Defranceschi, a little-known figure active in Prague and Vienna, his skillful Italian adaptation, however? proves that he was well-chosen for the task, and the duo would work together on two more occasions. "Falstaff ossia le tre burle" premiered at the Karntnertortheater, Vienna, on January 3, 1799, and appeared later the same year in Dresden and Berlin. Although not an immediate success, the opera slowly gained in popularity, even attracting the attention of Beethoven who composed a spirited set of piano variations on one of the opera's duettinos.
Narrative: Defranceschi's plot is both a simplification and, interestingly, a considerable expansion of its source. Though abandoning a number of characters, the librettist provides a full account of the conflict: the opera actually begins with the initial meeting of the merry wives with Falstaff that prompts the latter to write them the accursed letters and progresses at a moderate pace through the action. Moreover, Salieri's smallish cast, consisting of only five main characters, gives the opera a properly chamber atmosphere and a pronounced sentimental trait. On a final note, the exclusion of the young lovers also makes the two married couples sound much younger than in any other reading of the opera, lending credibility to their merriment. The main story, however, remains virtually the same: Falstaff (bass) sends Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Slender (sopranos) amorous letters that provoke a chain reaction of events which include numerous disguises, fits of jealousy from Ford (tenor) and the three tricks of the title that force Falstaff to finally admit defeat from the merry wives.
Music: Though I cannot say that I am personally attracted to the style of Salieri's work which truly finds itself on the crossroads of the classic and the romantic musical periods, Salieri's reading of the story is a quite enjoyable one, comparing well to Nicolai's later version and reminding one immediately of the Mozart we know from "Le nozze di Figaro". The basic structure of the work (brief, brisk solos and similarly uncomplicated, well-propelled ensembles) complements the action perfectly and keeps the plot constantly moving, while enabling the composer at the same time to clearly trace each detail of the story. The characters are all richly drawn, especially the Fords (he - a truly loving, if unreasonably jealous, husband, she - a woman of great wit and even greater charm) and, quite rightly, Falstaff whose extreme depravity is not a simple caricature but a realistic portrayal of a sincerely immoral man, a clear forerunner to Verdi's equally engaging Sir John. What's more, Salieri and his librettist manage wonderfully to contrast the slightly unsubtle humor of the original story with numerous scenes of unashamed sentimentality: in this respect, we must single out Ford's tormented arias; a Barbarina-like cavatina for Betly; and, above all, a virtually unaccompanied reconciliation duettino for the Fords. The comic highlights are just as unanimously delightful: a brilliant laughing terzettino for the ladies, accounting Falstaff's near drowning in the Thames; the two "love duettinos" for Falstaff and Mrs. Ford, both effectively spoofing the elegance of the period's romantic style; practically the whole part of Falstaff; and, finally, an elaborate Act I finale. All in all, a work of considerable merit and charm, proving just how unfair was the music world, when it denied Salieri the recognition he rightly deserves.
Recording: The 1985 Hungarton issue of the virtually complete score was actually the premiere recording of the work, and it is, indeed, a very fine reading, boasting a perfect orchestra (Salieri Chamber Orchestra), a reasonable conductor (Tamas Pal) and a Falstaff to whom all others must be compared. The rest of the cast is similarly competent, charming and clearly enjoying themselves.
Falstaff - Jozsef Gregor,
Ford - Denes Gulyas,
Slender (bass) - Istvan Gati,
Mrs. Ford - Maria Zempleni,
Mrs. Slender - Eva Panszel,
Betty (soprano), the Fords' maid - Eva Vamossyi,
Bardolfo (bass), Falstaff's servant - Tamas Csurja.
Hope you'll enjoy :).
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Hidden treasures - Otto Nicolai - Il templario (1840) - Selected highlightsby LindoroRossini2,549 views
Thank you, sir for your comments the quality of which are rarely seen in this new virtual reality, the internet.
besakamel 1 year ago
Great! *****
synballein70 2 years ago
Lindoro...superb. Rossini...2 (-:
xr1983kr 2 years ago