Verdi Falstaff opera to libretto by Arrigo Boito. Directed 2021 by Sven-Eric Bechtolf at the Teatro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino. Stars Nicola Alaimo (Sir John Falstaff), Simone Piazzola (Ford), Matthew Swensen (Fenton), Christian Collia (Dr. Cajus), Antonio Garés (Bardolfo), Gianluca Buratto (Pistola), Ailyn Pérez (Mrs. Alice Ford), Francesca Boncompagni (Nannetta), Sara Mingardo (Mrs. Quickly), and Caterina Piva (Mrs. Meg Page). John Eliot Gardiner conducts the Orchestra e Coro del Maggio Musicale Fiorentino (Chorus Master Lorenzo Fratini). Set design by Julian Crouch; costume design by Kevin Pollard; lighting design by Alex Brok; video design by Josh Higgason. Directed for TV by Tiziano Mancini; video production by Metis; sound recording by MASClassica Audio Recording, Claudio Speranzini, and Antonio Martino. Sung in Italian. Released in 2022, disc has 5.1 dts-HD Master Audio sound. Grade: NA
The trailer from Dynamic below shows this to be a happy production with a quaint atmosphere:
Neil Fisher, writing in the October Gramophone at page 102 is full of praise for the conductor as well as Pérez, Piva, Swensen, Buratto and Mingardo. Fisher reserves his greatest enthusiasm for Alaimo stating that his “wonderful diction and warmth of expression creates a Falstaff with charisma and even romantic charm.” So if you are pleased by the trailer above, this title would seem to be a safe bet.
OR
