Program Notes

Text by Robert Markow

Program Notes

Program Notes
Verdi: Opera Falstaff

The world of opera is filled with great tragedies: Verdi’s Otello, Bellini’s
Norma, Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, Puccini’s Tosca, Britten’s Peter
Grimes, and Berg’s Wozzeck just for starters. But what about comedies?
How many truly great comedies are there? Very few. At the top of the list issurely Verdi’s Falstaff. There are no “big issues” here, no profound character
development, no doomed love ̶ just an engaging story filled with fun andfrolic, youthful high spirits, memorable characters, scintillating music, andrapid-fire dialogue (no repeating the same words over and over!). Falstaff
is an opera almost impossible not to love.
Verdi’s 26 operas were not evenly spaced across his career. Between
1839 (Oberto) and 1850 (Stiffelio) he turned out an opera a year, sometimes
two. Beginning with Rigoletto in 1851 the spacing began to get wider. There
were six more until 1862, then just four more over the next thirty years.
With Otello in 1887, Verdi truly thought he had done enough, and looked
forward to living out the rest of his life in quiet comfort (in fact, he lived
right into the twentieth century, dying at the age of 87 in 1901).

20
Oct
21
Oct
23
Oct

But there was one final masterpiece waiting to be born, and it was
Verdi’s librettist for Otello, Arrigo Boïto (also composer of Mefistofele),
who was largely responsible for its conception. Boïto knew that Verdi had
long wanted to write a comedy. He also knew of Verdi’s profound loveof Shakespeare. The bait Boïto dangled in front of Verdi consisted of hisadaptation of the bard’s comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor (condensinghere, expanding there), laced with monologues from Henry IV Parts I andII. The result, first presented on February 9, 1893 at Milan’s La Scala,
was predictably a roaring success. Notables from all over Europe attended.
Tickets went for incredible sums. The applause afterwards lasted an hour.
Falstaff was given 23 more times in its first season alone at La Scala.
31

Program Notes
20
Oct
21
Oct
23
Oct

Falstaff was quickly recognized for what it is ̶ a magnificent
synthesis of poetry, drama, and music, much in the manner of a Wagnerianmusic drama but without all the mythological and philosophical baggage.
The action is swift. the design is compact, there is not a single wasted
moment. Every word is important, and the orchestra is an equal partnerwith the singers. In fact, the orchestra is probably more important inFalstaff than in any other Verdi opera, providing continuous commentaryon the action and a vast array of colors to match the mood at any given
moment. Often the music flies by so fast that it takes multiple hearings tocatch it all, but a few moments stand out. In the first scene, for example,
when Falstaff looks in his purse for coins to pay the tavern-keeper, hediscovers it is nearly empty, a notion reflected in the orchestra by horns
alone, sustaining widely-spaced long tones to create the sensation of“emptiness” (no notes in between). Introducing Scene 2 is a deliciously
appropriate bit of orchestral writing that perfectly sets the mood offrivolity for the capricious, chattering ladies we are about to meet.
Perhaps the most memorable moment for the orchestra occurs at theconclusion of Falstaff ’s opening monologue in Act III. As the wine heis drinking begins to take effect, warming his body and mellowing hisspirit, a single flute begins to trill. More flutes, then more woodwinds,strings, and finally the entire orchestra ̶ even trombones! – join in topaint the unmistakable picture of Falstaff having returned to his jolly
old self.
There are ten characters in the opera, and all have important parts.
There is an almost constant coming-and-going of cast members. Ensemble
passages abound; there are even several rare examples of nonets. For thisreason it is one of the most difficult operas in the repertory to conduct, toprompt, to direct, or in which to manage the surtitles (or sidetitles). There
are no passages suitable for excerpts on operatic or vocal recital programs,
either because they are too short, lack tidy endings, or just don’t work outof context (Ford’s and Falstaff’s monologues, for example).

32

Program Notes

Kolodin’s reference to a sorcerer is apt. Verdi magically transformed
the whole world of Italian opera. Even his early opera Nabucco (Verdi’sthird and the one that made him famous) has a raw energy that went far
beyond what Italians were used to hearing in their bel canto repertory. Theorchestra was larger and more powerful, the singers had more forceful andstrongly defined roles, and the entire opera was deeply imbued with dignity,monumental strength, tragic pathos and Biblical grandeur. These qualities
carried over into many of Verdi’s subsequent operas. The transformation of
Italian opera reached even greater heights with the great central trilogy ofRigoletto, Il trovatore, and La traviata. With these, Verdi became the only
opera composer who could rival the French Meyerbeer, and by far the mostpopular Italian composer of the mid-nineteenth century.

Program Notes

Falstaff has been called “among the loveliest dreams of yesterday
ever imagined by the mind of man … It has the mobility of mercury andthe durability of silver, and sounds as a combination of those two mightcome from a sorcerer capable of converting a sensation of the hand into asensation of the ear.” (Irving Kolodin)

20
Oct
21
Oct
23
Oct

Verdi’s public life was not limited to the world of opera. He was deeply
involved with a political and social movement known as the Risorgimento,
whose purpose was the overthrow of Austrian domination and unificationof the various Italian city-states into a single country. Verdi lived to see
his dream come true: Italy became a unified country in 1861. He wasbriefly a member of the country’s first Parliament, and even his name wasturned into an acrostic symbolizing his nationalistic sentiment: Vittorio
Emmanuele, Re D’Italia (Victor Emmanuel II was King of Sardinia from1849 to 1861 and became the first king of a united Italy in 1861). WhenVerdi died, forty years after unification, all Italy went into mourning. For
the interment of his body in the crypt of the Casa di Riposo in Milan, acrowd of more than a quarter of a million gathered for the event. Verdi theman was gone, but his legacy lives on, with operaphiles around the world
loudly singing the praises of Falstaff as one of his greatest achievements.
33

Program Notes
20
Oct
21
Oct
23
Oct

SYNOPSISACT I Scene 1
There is no overture. With a “bang” from the full orchestra we’re offand running. The scene is Sir John Falstaff ’s favorite watering hole, theGarter Inn in fifteenth-century Windsor (a small city near London). Old Dr.
Caius is complaining mightily to Falstaff that one or the other of Falstaff’s
sidekicks, Bardolfo and Pistola, picked his pocket last night. Before thematter is resolved the bill for today’s food and drink arrives. Falstaff has
virtually no money, but he has contrived a plan to get some. He has prepared
identical letters to send to Alice Ford and Meg Page (the merry wives), bothmarried to wealthy gentlemen and both of whom control the purse-stringsin their households. Falstaff expects Bardolfo and Pistola to deliver themail for him, but they sanctimoniously refuse to be part of such an intrigue,
citing “honor” as their justification. This prompts Falstaff to launch into his
famous monologue about honor and how completely useless it is. He gets apage to deliver the letters and chases his two useless sidekicks out the door.
Scene 2 introduces us to the ladies of the story in the garden of Ford’s
luxurious home. Alice and Meg have received their letters and discoverthem to be identical, which greatly amuses them. Also on the scene are
Dame Quickly (a gossipy neighbor) and Nanetta (pretty, young daughterof Ford, who wants her to marry Dr. Caius). To delightfully lighthearted
music, their voices unite in a quartet as they plot how to deal with thisfat old fool. They leave, and five men enter: Dr. Caius, Bardolfo, Pistola,Ford (Alice’s husband) and Fenton (a young man in love with Nanetta). Ina quintet they too spin a web of conspiracy against Falstaff. Suddenly, asif flipping a switch, we become party to an intimate scene between Fenton
and Nanetta – an oasis of calm amidst the mad turmoil around them. Hereis miraculous music of sweet young love, written by a man of nearly eighty.
Then, just as suddenly, we are thrust back into the world of gleeful plotting.
At one point every character in the opera save Falstaff – nine of them! – isbabbling away simultaneously, the five men to one rhythm, the four women
to another. The men leave, and the act ends with the women summarizing

34

Program Notes
Program Notes

the plans they have devised for Falstaff, who has no idea how badly his
flirtatious intentions are going to backfire.

ACT II Scene 1
We’re back at the Garter Inn, where Dame Quickly has come withnews for Falstaff. Her presence, here and for the rest of the opera, ispunctuated by a memorable gesture in word and tone: “Reverenza,”delivered with unctuous, mock-serious courtesy. The news is that Alice
Ford has responded favorably to Falstaff’s letter; furthermore, her husband
is always out between two and three in the afternoon (“dalle due alle tre”).
Falstaff is delighted and flattered. The news gets better: Meg too can’t
wait to meet him. Falstaff sings a monolog of self-congratulation (“Va,vecchio John!”) and sends Quickly away with a reward. Bardolfo enterswith news of another visitor, one Fontana, who is really Ford in disguise.
Ford has come bearing gifts of wine and cash for Falstaff, if only the finegentleman would do him the favor of seducing a lady who has hitherto
refused him. If Falstaff can break down her resistance, Fontana suggests,
then he (Fontana) can move in later. The lady is really Ford’s own wife
Alice, of course, but this is all part of the elaborate plot to trap Falstaff.
Falstaff assures Fontana (Ford) that this will be no problem, as he alreadyhas an assignation this very afternoon between two and three with the lady
in question. Ford is outraged to hear this, though he conceals this reaction
from Falstaff. While Falstaff leaves to change his clothes, Ford delivers
his famous soliloquy (“E sogno? O realta?”) in which he rages over what
he presumes is his own wife’s faithlessness and vows revenge.

20
Oct
21
Oct
23
Oct

Scene 2 takes place in a spacious room in Ford’s house. The fourladies are back, chattering away over the success of their plan so far andpreparing for the next chapter in their little comedy, which is to get Falstaff
into a large laundry basket and dump him into the river below. All except
Alice disappear as Falstaff arrives, right on schedule, mouthing all mannerof fulsome praise and flattery for his intended beloved. Suddenly Quickly
interrupts Falstaff ’s ridiculous attempt at love-making to announce that35

Program Notes
20
Oct
21
Oct
23
Oct

Meg is coming. Falstaff hides behind a screen as Meg bursts in with thenews that Alice’s husband is heading home in a fury with murder in hisheart, believing that his wife is entertaining a lover in his own home. (Infact, from the previous scene Ford really does think his wife is guilty; thiswas not part of the plan to trap Falstaff.) Orchestra and singers respond
frantically. The breathless pace goes up another notch when Ford and his
buddies burst in and begin searching everywhere (including the laundrybasket but not behind the screen) for Alice’s guest. When they are all off
in another room, the ladies stuff Falstaff into the laundry basket while
Fenton and Nanetta slip behind the screen for another intimate interlude.
Ford and Company return, notice movement behind the screen, and believe
they’ve cornered Falstaff. Wrong! More mad scurrying around looking
for the scoundrel, words and notes flying by like the wind. This is themoment for the servants to hoist the laundry basket over to the windowand empty its contents.

Act III Scene 1
Sitting alone outside the Garter Inn, Falstaff, bruised in both body andspirit, laments his sad fate in another of his famous monologues. He calls
for wine. Gradually its warming effect spreads through his body, an effectgraphically mirrored in the orchestra. But Falstaff’s misadventures are far
from over. Quickly arrives to assure him that being dumped into the river
was a misunderstanding on the servants’ part, and that Alice really stillloves him. She wants to meet him tonight in Windsor Park under Herne’s
Oak (legendary site where a huntsman long ago met his fate and still roams
as a ghost). Falstaff is to arrive disguised as the Black Hunter (Herne).
As he and Quickly enter the inn, all the remaining characters assemble todiscuss their roles in the upcoming masquerade. In an aside, Ford and Dr.
Caius conspire how to trick Nanetta into marrying the doctor.
The opera’s final scene takes place at midnight in the park. Distanthorn calls add a touch of magic to the sylvan setting. Fenton sings a lovesong, then joins the rest of the group for last-minute preparations for the36Program Notes

GIUSEPPE VERDI: Born in Le Roncole, Italy, October 10, 1813; died inMilan, Italy, January 27, 1901
Original work: William Shakespeare The Merry Wives of Windsor, Henry IV
Libretto: Arrigo Boïto Work composed: 1890-1892
World premiere: February 9, 1893 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan
Instrumentation: 3 flutes (3rd doubling on piccolo), 2 oboes, English horn,
2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones,cimbasso, timpani, percussion (bass drum, triangle, cymbals), harp, strings

Program Notes

intrigue against Falstaff. Sir John enters, a bit fearful of the spot, buteagerly looking forward to seeing Alice again. She appears on cue, and thefun begins – well, fun for everyone but Falstaff! At first the shenanigans
are low-keyed: fairies, sylphs, and elves emerge from the woods while
Nanetta (in disguise, as are all except Ford) sings a lovely fairy song.
The action suddenly picks up as everyone takes turns at poking, pinching,kicking, biting, hitting, and hurling insults at Falstaff until he can take nomore. Eventually recognizing the true identity of his tormenters, he accepts
defeat and asks for forgiveness. Off to the side, Ford blesses the union of
Nanetta and the masked Fenton, Ford mistakenly thinking the latter is Dr.
Caius. In a mood of joy and reconciliation, all voices join in a brilliant
fugal episode. The opera’s grand finale is described by Edward Downes as“a reckless, joyous sort of roller-coaster ride past technical perils, leaving
the listener dizzy with exhilaration.” It was Verdi’s spectacular farewellto a spectacular operatic career.

20
Oct
21
Oct
23
Oct

[banda] guitar, bass horn in A♭, bell in F

Formerly a horn player in the Montreal Symphony, Robert Markow now writes program
notes for orchestras as well as for numerous other musical organizations in North America and Asia. He taught at Montreal’s McGill University for many years, has led music
tours to several countries, and writes for numerous leading classical music journals.

37