The Merry Wives of Windsor (opera)
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The Merry Wives of Windsor (in German: Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor) is an opera in three acts by Carl Otto Nicolai to a German libretto by Salomon Hermann von Mosenthal, based on the play The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare. The first performance was at the Hofoper in Berlin on 9 March 1849.
The opera is a Singspiel, containing much spoken dialogue between distinct musical numbers. The opera is occasionally performed, and the overture is more frequently heard in concert.
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[edit] Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 9 March 1849 (Conductor: -) |
|---|---|---|
| Alice Ford (Frau Fluth) | soprano | |
| Meg Page (Frau Reich) | mezzo soprano | |
| Sir John Falstaff | bass | |
| Fenton | tenor | |
| Mr. Ford (Herr Fluth) | baritone | |
| Anne Page (Anna Reich) | soprano | |
| Mr. Page (Herr Reich) | bass | |
| Slender | tenor | |
| Dr. Caius (with high ossias) | bass | |
| Chorus: Men and women of Windsor, neighbors, elves, spooks, insects | ||
[edit] Noted arias
- "Horche, die Lerche singt" (Fenton)
- Drinking Song (Falstaff)
[edit] Synopsis
[edit] Act 1
[edit] Act 2
The Garter Inn
[edit] Act 3
Windsor Forest
[edit] Selected recordings
- Deutsche Grammophon 2740 159: Edith Mathis, Hanna Schwarz, Kurt Moll, Bernd Weikl, Siegfried Vogel, Peter Schreier, Claude Dornoy; Chorus of the Staatsoper; Berlin Staatskapelle; Bernhard Klee, conductor[1]
- Decca D86D 3: Helen Donath, Karl Ridderbusch, Wolfgang Brendel, Lilian Sukis; Bavarian Radio Chorus; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Rafael Kubelík, conductor[2]
[edit] References
[edit] External sites
- Recording of "Nun eilt herbei" from Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor by Lotte Lehmann
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