[Met Performance] CID:204310



Falstaff
Metropolitan Opera House, Fri, October 29, 1965




Falstaff (90)
Giuseppe Verdi | Arrigo Boito
Sir John Falstaff
Geraint Evans

Alice Ford
Mary Costa

Ford
Frank Guarrera

Dame Quickly
Regina Resnik

Nannetta
Judith Raskin

Fenton
George Shirley

Meg Page
Mildred Miller

Dr. Cajus
Paul Franke

Bardolfo
Andrea Velis

Pistola
Norman Scott

Mistress of the Inn
Rae Calitri

Innkeeper
Thomas Powell


Conductor
Joseph Rosenstock


Production
Franco Zeffirelli

Choreographer
William Burdick





Falstaff received eight performances this season.

Review 1:

Review of Miles Kastendieck in the Journal American

Evans, Resnik Excel in Opera

Welcomed back for another season, the Zeffirelli production of Verdi's "Falstaff" brought a great deal of pleasure musically and dramatically at the Metropolitan last night. It qualifies as one of its finest offerings.

With Geraint Evans in the title role and Regina Resnik as Dame Quickly the dramatic values so important in this work had meaning. Such character portrayal by each one and such interplay between them conveys vividly the meaning of opera as theatre, something about which Verdi had become keenly aware in this final opera.

Mr. Evans gave his masterful delineation in voice and manner of the old knight with his vestige of knightly dignity yet full share of rascality, his gaiety, and his poignancy. Miss Resnik delighted the audience with her inimitable characterization. With those two playing, a performance is made.

New in the role of Mrs. Ford was Mary Costa, lovely to hear and lovely to behold. Because her voice is light and not always well focused, her performance fell short of distinction. She acted well, but because of her stage movement it was often hard to hear her. Mildred Miller as Mrs, Page fared much better. Judith Raskin's Nanetta remains one of her most fetching performances in every way.

The men were consistently good: Frank Guarrera as Ford, George Shirley as Fenton, Andrea Velis and Norman Scott as Bardolfo and Pistola respectively, and Paul Franke as Dr. Caius.

Some changes in the stage direction have made the shenanigans more boisterous, not necessarily heightening the quality of the farce, but only making it more obvious.

Joseph Rosenstock conducted his thoroughly dependable, quite musicianly reading of the wonderful score. He does not impart the buoyancy lurking in it, which makes "Falstaff" the singular opera it is. And some of the subtlety is gone.

Discovering "Falstaff" remains one of the most fascinating experiences in opera, for it takes time to get thoroughly acquainted with the genius of its creation.



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