A Perfect Falstaff Music and Vision February 28

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Ensemble

A Perfect Falstaff
GIUSEPPE PENNISI visits
the Vienna State Opera



Just a few weeks ago, I reviewed the two 'comic' operas by Verdi: Zeffirelli's production of Falstaff in Rome and Pizzi's production of Un Giorno di Regno in Parma. The Falstaff, although updated by Zeffirelli several times (the Rome staging was the ninth update), is nearly fifty years old, and it shows its age. Un Giorno di Regno was thirteen years old, but in revising and updating it, Pizzi achieved marvels in creating a good show on the basis of a modest libretto and a mediocre score.

In Vienna for a series of concerts, your reviewer took the opportunity to see Falstaff in Marco Arturo Marelli's production at the Staatsoper. The Wiener Staatsoper (Vienna State Opera) is a repertory opera house where good productions are revived for several years, even decades. In this year's program are some sixty titles, including ballet and children's operas, with a dozen being new productions. This Falstaff had its début in 2003 but still attracts audiences and, most likely, will continue to be performed several times each year for some time. On the evening of 22 February 2010, the house was packed with an audience from every age bracket and social condition.

Ambrogio Maestri in the title role of Verdi's 'Falstaff' at Vienna State Opera
Ambrogio Maestri in the title role of Verdi's 'Falstaff' at Vienna State Opera

For Zeffirelli, as pointed out a month ago, Falstaff is a truly comic opera, full of gags, and with a very fast rhythm. In Zeffirelli's view, Verd's intention was to make the audience laugh. The rich sets and costumes are inspired from Elizabethan paintings; within such an elegant context, there is plenty of action ... maybe too much. Boito and Verdi did label Falstaff a 'lyric comedy in three acts', not a 'comic opera' or an 'opera buffa'.

Actually, Falstaff is a serious opera upside down or reversed: the ageing protagonist is looking at the intrigues of life with melancholy, irony and detachment. It is also the only Verdi opera where erotic expression has a role, but this is erotic expression as seen through the memory of the protagonist in his last attempt to seduce a woman. Melancholy, irony and detachment have no place in Zeffirelli's fast moving direction but are, in my view, central to most modern readings of the work. Marco Arturo Marelli (stage direction and sets) has an approach much closer to this modern reading of the opera. The stage sets and the costumes (Dagmar Niefield) are atemporal.

Jane Henschel as Mrs Quickly and Ambrogio Maestri in the title role of Verdi's 'Falstaff' at Vienna State Opera
Jane Henschel as Mrs Quickly and Ambrogio Maestri in the title role of Verdi's 'Falstaff' at Vienna State Opera

The protagonist and his two servants are in Elizabethan attire, but all the others are in twentieth century clothing -- Mrs Quickly has a purple Queen Mother afternoon suit. The stage set is an inclined platform: with a few props, it becomes Windsor, Alice's living room and the forest. It opens up to became the tavern. Thus, timings for changing sets are minimal. The action is swift but also covered by melancholy of time (and youth) past.

Krassimira Stoyanova as Alice Ford and Ambrogio Maestri in the title role of Verdi's 'Falstaff' at Vienna State Opera
Krassimira Stoyanova as Alice Ford and Ambrogio Maestri in the title role of Verdi's 'Falstaff' at Vienna State Opera

The conductor, Asher Fish, also presided over the Rome Falstaff. Without Zeffirelli's gags and voiceless old protagonist, he did an excellent job in showing all the nuances of Verdi's score, including the anticipation of twentieth century music, for example in the final fugue.

Ambrogio Maestri in the title role of Verdi's 'Falstaff' at Vienna State Opera
Ambrogio Maestri in the title role of Verdi's 'Falstaff' at Vienna State Opera

The protagonist is Ambrogio Maestri; at forty, his is a perfect Falstaff, both vocally and scenically. The group of the ladies was just superb: Krassimira Stoyanova, Teodora Gheorghiu, Jane Henschel and Nadia Krasteva. The gents were also high quality: Boaz Daniel, Gergely Németi, Benedikt Kobel, Herwing Pecoraro and Janusz Monarcha.

Keep an eye on Romanian soprano Teodora Gheorghiu ... she will go far.

Copyright © 28 February 2010 Giuseppe Pennisi,
Rome, Italy

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GIUSEPPE VERDI

FALSTAFF

VIENNA STATE OPERA

VIENNA

AUSTRIA

ITALY

ROMANIA

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