Salieri: Falstaff [Import]

Antonio Salieri (Composer), Jean-Claude Malgoire (Conductor), Pierre-Yves Pruvot (Performer), Salomé Haller (Performer), Simon Edwards (Performer), Nighel Smith (Performer), Hjördis Thébault (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Pierre-Yves Pruvot, Salomé Haller, Simon Edwards, Nighel Smith, Hjördis Thébault
• Conductor: Jean-Claude Malgoire
• Composer: Antonio Salieri
• Audio CD (April 22, 2003)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Import
• Label: Dynamic Italy
• ASIN: B00008ZL6R
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #726,133 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Overture

2. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 1. Viva il comune amico

3. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 1. Sia pur l'ultimo bicchiere

4. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 1. Ma già l'alba s'avvicina

5. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 1. Vedete che capriccio

6. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 1. Ah, pezzo di birbante

7. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 1. Con molta degnazione

8. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 1. Da scrivere!

9. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 1. Vicino a rivedere

10. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 1. Di dubitar di lei non ho motivo

See all 25 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 1. Signora, c'è Mrs.Slender nell'anticamera

2. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 1. Se son geloso a torto

3. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 2. Sentite pure

4. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 2. Nell'acqua il buzzone

5. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 2. Ehi! Bardolf! A chi dico?

6. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 2. Ah, Signore, se sapesse

7. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 2. Se me vedeste il cor

8. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 2. E il nostro signor Broch

9. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 2. Stelle, sogno o son desto?

10. Falstaff or The Three Tricks, comic opera in 3 acts: Act 2. Presto Betty che già torna l'amico

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

Salieri's Falstaff is nothing like Verdi's. The whole feel is lighter and more operetta-like; there are many arias and ensembles, most of them brief. The period instrument ensemble under Jean-Claude Malgoire plays the pure classical score with verve (this was recorded on stage), highlighting the tangy wind writing. The characterizations are to the point, with an aria of rage for Mr. Ford (here, a tenor, the on-the-money Simon Edwards); a cute, telling duet for Mrs. Ford and Mrs. Slender (Salomé Heller and Hjördis Thébault, respectively [Slender is the Meg Page character in Verdi]) when they receive the identical love letters from Falstaff; and flavorful music for Bardolf, Falstaff's servant, which is a bigger role than in Verdi--nicely sung by Raimonds Spogis. Baritone Pierre-Yves Pruvot as Falstaff manages to avoid mugging while at the same time finding all the absurdity in the character. It's a charming evening's entertainment, occasionally quite funny; the action moves quickly and pointedly, the dry recitatives are frequent but never too long, and when they do go on, the cast here is clever and involved enough to make them dramatically viable. A charmer, in short. --Robert Levine