Jesús López Cobos conducts Verdi: Falstaff – With Bryn Terfel (Falstaff), Erika Grimaldi (Alice Ford), Ying Fang (Nannetta), Luca Salsi (Ford)

Mystery surrounds the composition of Falstaff. Verdi probably wrote it for his unique pleasure, in secrecy and without any intention to see it performed. Drawing its inspiration from Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor, Falstaff is the final opera completed by the 80-year old composer.

The action takes place in Windsor, under the reign of King Henry IV. To pay his debts at the Garter Inn, Sir John Falstaff, also known as “il Pancione” (Potbelly), decides to seduce two rich bourgeois ladies. Alice Ford and Meg Page discover the trickery and choose to exact vengeance.

Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel plays Falstaff; a role he has performed around the world to wide acclaim for the past 15 years. He sings next to Erika Grimaldi (Alice Ford), Luca Salsi (Ford) and the young Chinese singer Ying Fang in the role of Nannetta for her debut at the Verbier Festival.

Bryn Terfel appears courtesy of Deutsche Grammophon.

Picture: Jesús López Cobos © Georges Braunschweig

Credits