Customer Reviews

Verdi: Falstaff

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

When Bryn Terfel first performed this work here in Australia, many critics believed he would rise to become one of the great Falstaffs of our age. They were right. Terfel's cheeky nature makes him the ideal person to portray the big oaf with the required amount of non-humility. His arias (for want of a better word) are some of the finest singing on this set. He is superbly matched by Thomas Hampson as the jealous Ford. His second act aria is an absolute highlight for me and nearly made me burst into spontaneous applause at the conclusion (until I realised I would have looked stupid clapping a cd). Hampson brings both fear and humbleness to the role which is rare, but not in Hampson who, along with Terfel, must surely be one of the great male voices of our time. The ladies fare well too, headed by Adrienne Pieczonka as Alice. Although, at the risk of sounding like a Gramophone Magazine pedant, she does occasionally lose some of the brightness and sparkle in her middle register- not that it matters a lot to the untuned ear, it is still a memorable performance nonetheless. The supporting roles are all sung superbly with the right choice of character voice for each one. Vocally, the only drawback is Daniil Shtoda's Fenton who has a rather annoying vibrato when pitching his top notes. It's almost as if he's trying a little TOO hard. Commanding it all is the skillful hand of Claudio Abbado. Being a Verdi veteran (and having created, arguably, two defenitive recordings of Verdi operas- "Simon Boccenegra" and "Macbeth") he brings all his wealth of knowledge to this score. At no time does he sound forced with tempo and the Berliners respond with their usual finesse and grace. The set is well worth the money, and it more than compliments the old Karajan, Gobbi, Schwarzkopf set from the 50's. I believe that this recording will surely go down as one of the finest releases of the year.

It's hard to believe that Claudio Abbado hasn't recorded a Verdi opera in almost 17 years, but then, where are the great Verdi voices these years?
Here he was fortunate enough to grab the best possible cast of our time. True, both Terfel and Hampson are still rather young for their roles, and neither is a natural-born verdian, but at least both are individual artists with first class voices.
Terfel makes a jolly Sir John, and he pours a lot of sound to go with the belly, it's only the sense of fun of a Giuseppe Taddei that is missing.
Hampson too makes a young and yuppy Ford, missing the sheer gusto that the great Rolando Panerai brought to a role he made his own.
Abbado recorded this opera after a long and serious illness, but you would never know it. The Berlin Philharmonic play like gods and most of the rest of the cast is very good.
Of all digital versions this stands next to the 1982 Giulini for all around excellence. In general I would still prefer Giulini's cast, and even though Bruson is a little too-serious knight, he is the genuine article as a Verdi baritone. The Karajan digital recording suffers from his unidiomatic conducting, but Taddei and Panerai make it indispensable. The Gardiner recording has a very provincial cast that is hardly memorable (except for Sara Mingardo as Quickly).

Having seen Bryn Terfel sing Falstaff I was very interested in this recording of the opera. His performance for this recording is superb, and is the chief reason for buying this set. Claudio Abaddo and the Berlin Philharmonic are equally excellent and it is apparent from their performance that they have a lot of affection for the score. However, having listened to this recording a few times, I think it helps to have seen a performance of Falstaff in order to better appreciate the comic situations and humor, particularly for a better appreciation of Mr. Terfel's performance. The booklet provides a glimpse into the makeup and costume that adds so much to the character.

The wives of Windsor, Adrianne Pieczonka (Alice Ford), Dorothea Roschmann (Nannetta), Larissa Diadkova (Mistress Quickly) and Stella Douffexis (Meg Page) are very well cast. Their performances are full of character and are a highlight of the recording. Thomas Hampson's Ford seemed to me to be overshadowed by Bryn Terfel, and not a very good match with the role. Mr. Hampson sings well but his character never catches fire. Daniil Shtoda made a suitably ardent Fenton and Anthony Mee and Anatoli Kostcherga make a comic Bardolph and Pistol.

The recording is excellent with a good feel for the orchestra and singers. Altogether, this is a good recording but not one that can outshine those that came before it.

The long awaited collaboration of Terfel and Abbado in a recording of Falstaff has finally been realized. The recording demonstrates the depth of perception Terfel has achieved in this role following his performances at the Salzburg Festival. With Thomas Hampson as Ford, the interaction between soloists and conductor brings endless illumination. The quality in all departments of the Berlin Philharmonic provides continuous pleasure. The only thing that bothers me in this set is how Anthony Mee uses English vowels in his Italian. But it must be said, with the recording industry in a decline, that this is a remarkable achievement and in my opinion the most generous contribution on record to mark the centenary of Verdi's death.

One of a valecdictory series of discs for Abbado and the Berlin Philharmonic, this Falstaff has a number of good moments to offer, but does not quite make a convincing whole. Abbado secures brilliant playing from the BPO, and at frequently rapid speeds. When the right frisson happens between singers and podium, as in much of Act 2, this is as lively a Falstaff as you'll ever hear. I listened to Muti recently for direct comparison, for Muti and the more indigenous casting (compared to the veritable UN-style, Tower of Babel casting on Abbado - who poured the borscht over the pasta and tomato sauce?), and it turns out sounding studio-bound - live performance that it is. A Karajanesque malaise hangs over it, as well cast as his women are (preferable in the Nanneta and Quickly categories to the new set, particularly). Muti was a little too new to the score to be cutting a recording of it, under any circumstances. (If he follows more the De Sabata model next time, instead of the Karajan, he might be able to work wonders).

Abbado lacks lyricism, or lyricism rounded by warmth - places that Muti capitalizes on more. Bryn Terfel makes a fine,warm, jolly fellow out of Falstaff, always with a personable twink in the eye (and to the phrase). The broad nuancing in a few places betray that he is not quite entirely the natural as a Gobbi, Stabile, or Evans, but this is certainly no achievement to scoff at, and much preferable to the mannered Fischer-Dieskau or to the completely deadpan Pons (Muti). Thomas Hampson makes a handsome Ford, if without the traditional snarl of a Panerai (that Frontali drily emulates well for Muti). There is more of a Mozartean lightness and roundness to this Ford (Stilwell similar on the Solti video) and his interaction with Terfel (and Abbado) in their scene together is brilliantly humorous, energizing Abbado and his forces to thier quicksilver, sleight-of-hand best. Adrienne Pieczkonka is a warm voiced, animated, supple Alice Ford. If less Italianate than Dessi, she is more even voiced and equally animated for much of the role. Dorothea Roschmann is also fine as Nannetta, if not as light voiced and magical in the final scene as her best rivals, or even O'Flynn on Muti. Stella Doufexis (Meg) and the Caius, Bardolfo, and Pistola are all fine.

The only Italianate or Latin casting on Abbado is the Dr Caius of Ernesto Facini. One would not feel so inclined to fly all the way to White Nights at the Kirov for a Falstaff, but this new set by Abbado gives an idea in a few places what such an evening might be like. What part of Snow Maiden inspired Verdi when he wrote Fenton's arioso? Daniil Shtoda, an artist of some promise, even including for some Italian roles, I'll dare say, is a little miscast here. He makes a heroic Fenton, but a heroic Slavic Fenton at that. Ramon Vargas, also suffering a few intonation problems, conveys a little more charm in this part, for Muti. And, c'mon guys. The competition on the part of Quickly is simply too great (Elmo, Barbieri, Simionato, Horne, Ludwig, Manca di Nissa) to accept Diadkova here, histrionically brilliant and deep voiced an artist that she is. What is "Po-VAY-ra Donna?" What language is this? Diadkova's voice also does not blend well with the other ladies, but tends to dominate trio, quartet groupings. A major part of the wit in Falstaff depends on language sounding like something communicable between characters, and this Falstaff misses that a few too many times, thus also running contrarian to Abbado's stated point of view on this masterpiece, however good the intentions were. Abbado hears in Falstaff a lot of influence on 20th century music, as the liner notes tell us. It was a favorite opera of Ferrucio Busoni, for some of the very qualities that make the best passages on this recording work. Note the brilliant divisi near the end of Act 1, between the different strands of ensemble.

Where to turn? Gobbi/Karajan, in spite of a humorless podium (made up by great solo work both from all the singers and within Philharmonia), and secondarily the Toscanini (very animated, if a little cold, studio-bound, and with a disastrous Fenton), or better yet,with sacrifice of sound quality, the live De Sabata (La Scala 1951) with a young Tebaldi, aging Mariano Stabile as Falstaff (a little weak on voice, long on humor and wisdom), and great casting the rest of the way. De Sabata sacrifices cleanliness of ensemble between stage and pit in a few places, but listening to this set, you'd hate for anyone to go back and fix it. There also exists the brilliant Solti/Friedrich video (Karan Armstrong, Friedrich's wife, cast as a very animated and sexually alluring Alice, if a bit unsteady vocally) with Gabriel Bacquier as Falstaff. Fruity sounding Nannetta aside, this is a must-see and definitely should be reissued on DVD soon.

I'd recommend Diadkova, Abbado, and the BPO no less, to reconvene for Folk Songs on a new disc of Luciano Berio. One might hear more influence that Falstaff has had than one might have first suspected. Thinking about the idea for a moment, it isn't really as diabolical as it might sound, at first. "Una parola. Che c'e in questa parola? C'e dell'aria che vola (Air that flies away)." Translated into Armenian, Mandarin, or Swahili, it is ....

Despite liking most of Verdi's operas, I had never warmed to this one. In fact, one of the few concerts in my lifetime that I've walked out on (a slightly embarrassing admission), was a concert "Falstaff" years ago -- my friend and I looked at each other with a sort of "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" stare, and we fled.

So revisiting with older and wiser ears, I must say that, although this opera will probably not rise to my "top ten" list (but who knows?), this recording is one of the finest operatic productions I've ever heard. The outstanding cast, headed by Bryn Terfel in a role that seems made for him, is excellent in every way, including Thomas Hampson as Ford, Adrianne Pieczonka as Alice, and everyone else. The Berlin Philharmonic plays the score with both passion and precision, and it's all directed with great brilliance by Claudio Abbado, who seems to be having a personal renaissance in the last few years, after some terrifying health problems.

Conventional wisdom: no, this opera doesn't have "big tunes" as such. It's more declamatory, with small jewel-like moments of orchestral color in between the exquisite characterizations offered to the singers. If you're looking for say, Richard Strauss, then this won't be your cup of tea. If you want the rhythm and drive of Mozart, this probably won't suffice there, either. But if you're wanting a great story, with terrific acting that happens to be sung, it would be hard to find a better example.

The DG sound is excellent -- "velvety" is the word that comes to mind -- and suits the opera, the singers and Abbado's vision beautifully. Highly recommended, especially for those who may not have responded to this piece in the past.

This an effervescent recording of what is, in my opinion, Verdi's greatest opera. The BPO play with terrific elan and virtuosity (as you'd expect). Abbado conducts the performance with all the experience he's gained over many years. It shows. The extraordinary second scene of Act II (where Falstaff gets dumped into the Thames) is very successful, the line of the drama never being allowed to slacken. All the singers sound involved in the performance, much as they would if it had been recorded live.
When listening to this recording you can only be amazed, again and again, at the incredible fecundity of Verdi's musical imagination. As a comic opera, Falstaff only has an equal in the three Da Ponte operas of Mozart. No one else, other than Mozart and Verdi in Falstaff, came close to creating a fluid musical texture that could respond to every comic nuance of a libretto. Certainly not Rossini, good as he is. What a miraculous achievement this score is. 10 out of 10 for the recording too for bringing it to life

If you want a version of Falstaff without the charicature - a version in which the characters are realistic human beings (apart from Falstaff himself, of course) - then this might easily be the version for you. Abbado leads a performance which is relatively light on its feet and definitely more intimate than many of the classics; textures are airy and delicate, climaxes more subtle than pverpowering, and any exaggeration for comical effect is avoided. The performance is also a very fast one, maybe a little bit too quick-paced at times, but in general Abbado's is a viable approach.

The cast is in general a strong one. Bryn Terfel might seem like an obvious choice for Falstaff, but I am not completely sure he fully convinces in the title role - he is perhaps a little bit too young and fresh sounding, very energetic and forward; not the in the end likeable old fop we are used to hear, but a more obviously unsympathetic, even wicked, bully. Maybe Terfel overcharacterizes it, and I am not sure taking away the sympathy for Falstaff benefits the opera. In any case, he has a warm, flexible voice and many of the numbers are gorgeously sung. I am glad to have heard it, and maybe I'll be more thoroughly convinced on repeated listening, but the characterization does come as something of a surprise.

I have no qualms about Adrianne Pieczonka's finely characterized and well sung Alice. I am also pretty much convinced by Doufexis and Röschmann, whereas Diadkova's Quickly is truly outstanding. Thomas Hampson's Ford is perhaps more questionable, but mostly, I think, because his is such an unusual take on the role, relatively dry, sung rather un-Verdi-like with the character portrayed as humane but unlikeable. Daniil Shtoda is, however, colorful and effective and the smaller roles are overall pretty good. The Berlin Philharmonic is riveting, of course, although the playing is softer and subtler (if quicker) than we are used to in this work. The recording is relatively close, but the sound crystal clear and very effective. Overall, then, this might not be the first choice in this work (I guess Toscanini is still the classic), but it is still a rather fine achievement, definitely worth considering - especially if you already know the opera and is interested in an alternative take on it.

Verdi's FALSTAFF is an opera that continues to surprise us. Those who associate Verdi with opera's of twisted, nearly indecipherable plots, or tales of death and intrigue, of love gone wrong - all the material that serves as fodder for Verdi's sublimely beautiful, show-stopping arias - usually have a tough time with a Verdi comedy where there are almost no arias that allow for disruptive applause in the storyline. Yet FALSTAFF (based on the Shakespeare character) is probably one of the most fully integrated, finely written pieces of musical theater in the repertoire. Rich in characters, glorious orchestral and vocal writing, and some of the finest ensemble music ever written, FALSTAFF is a masterpiece.

To make the opera come to life requires a conductor who can mold the gigantic orchestral score from opening to finale, a supporting cast of exceptional singer/actors, and a baritone who can demand stage center at all times. Many of us felt the old Giulini recording was as fine as they come - until this recording. Here Claudio Abbado reigns in the Berlin Philharmonic to a note perfect, gorgeous and solid execution of the multifaceted score, romping with the comedy, and creating filigree magic of the forest setting in the final act.

Bryn Terfel simply inhabits the title role. His glorious voice is never anything but beautiful and rich and his comic timing and fully realized portrayal of Falstaff has no rivals. Of course, having the opportunity of seeing him in the current Los Angeles Opera production fleshes out the visuals of his center of the target interpretation! The others in this stunning cast are exemplary, especially Adrianne Pieczonka as Mistress Ford (this is a gifted soprano to watch carefully!) and Thomas Hampson as Ford, and that is mentioning only two. While Larissa Diadkova as Mistress Quickly may not erase everyone's indelible memory of Regina Resnik's interpretation, these are very negligible (and doubtless personal) asides.

The sound is spacious and rich and in every way this recording manages to capture the genius of this comedic magnum opus. It is a delight! Grady Harp, May 05

I expected greatness given the lead singer and conductor. But Terfel blusters and overacts, showing too much fussiness in his phrasing and not enough simple Italian brio. (I didn't believe this Falstaff when he says, at the end, that he is humorous in himself and the cause of humor in others.) Terfel has lots of color in his voice, more than anyone since Taddei and Gobbi, but there's also an alarming wobble at times to mar the pitch. Nobody else in the cast does anything special, and Abbado reverts to his unsmiling, proficient style in Verdi. For a set that clearly was supposed to be a classic, this is more or less a dud unless you simply accept what each singer has to offer on its own terms.

Fortunately, as of Nov. 2007, the Metropolitan Opera has made a deal to provide online versions of many broadcasts, and one from April 6, 2002 features a Falstaff with Terfel in muh better form, with James Levine giving one of the funniest, most lively accounts of the score that I have ever heard. The rest of the cast is also satisfying, more comic and in better voice than DG's cast (few of the suporting singers on either set are stars). Only the sonics fall short of Abbado's set, although they are good enough. The online source is Real Rhapsody.