Falstaff. (Metropolitan Opera).

BROADCAST OF APRIL 6, 2002 SPONSORED BY CHEVRONTEXACO OVER THE CHEVRONTEXACO-METROPOLITAN OPERA INTERNATIONAL RADIO NETWORK, 1:30 P.M. FALSTAFF Music by Giuseppe Verdi Libretto by Arrigo Boito, after Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor

 
FALSTAFF 
 
THE CAST (in order of vocal appearance) 
 
Dr. Caius                   tenor, JONATHAN WELCH 
Sir John Falstaff               bass, BRYN TERFEL 
Bardolfo              ten., JEAN-PAUL FOUCHECOURT 
Pistola                       bass, RAYMOND ACETO 
Meg Page                   mezzo, SUSANNE MENTZER 
Alice Ford             sop., MARINA MESCHERIAKOVA 
Mistress Quickly          mezzo, STEPHANIE BLYTHE 
Nannetta                 soprano, CAMILLA TILLING 
Fenton                       tenor, GREGORY TURAY 
Ford                       baritone, DWAYNE CROFT 
Mistress of the Inn      actor, CHARLOTTE PHILLEY 
The Innkeeper                actor, JOSEPH PARISO 
 
Conducted by JAMES LEVINE 
 
Production: Franco Zeffirelli 
Set and costume designer: Franco Zeffirelli 
Chorus master: Raymond Hughes 
Musical preparation: Jane Klaviter, 
  Robert Morrison, Joseph Colaneri, 
  John Churchwell 
Assistant stage director: David Kneuss, 
  Zoe Pappas, J. Knighten Smit 
Children's chorus director: Elena Doria 
Prompter: Jane Klaviter 
 
Production a gift of the late 
  Mrs. John D. Rockefeller, Jr. 
 
Restoration a gift of 
  Mr. and Mrs. Bruce Crawford 
 
THE SCENES                       Timings (ET) 
  (Windsor, England, early fifteenth century) 
ACT I                               1:30-2:04 
  Sc. 1 Garter Inn 
  Sc. 2 Ford's garden 
ACT II                              2:30-3:17 
  Sc. 1 Garter Inn 
  Sc. 2 Ford's house 
ACT III                             3:46-4:34 
  Sc. I Outside the inn 
  Sc. 2 Windsor Park Forest 
 
Announcer: Peter Allen 
Audio director: Jay David Saks 
 
INTERMISSION FEATURES 
 
Producer: Michael Bronson             Timings 
David Hamilton looks ahead          2:04-2:30 
  to Sly (taped) 
A conversation with Lillian Groag, 
  stage director, Oregon Shakespeare 
  Festival (taped) 
Chevron Texaco Quiz Kids            3:17-3:46 
William Fulton questions three high-school 
  students selected in the final round of the 
  Chevron Texaco Quiz Kids competition in 
  Houston, February 8 
 
* Send quiz questions to Chevron Texaco Opera 
Quiz F.D.R. Station, P.O. Box 805, N.Y.C. 
10150, or via www.ChevronTexaco.com. Click 
on Texaco, then on "What We Support" 

THE STORY

ACT I. Sir John Falstaff, the portly rascal of Windsor, sits in the Garter Inn with his "bad companions" Bardolfo and Pistola. When Dr. Caius enters to accuse the three of abusing his home and robbing him, Falstaff dismisses the charges with mock solemnity. He then upbraids his friends for being unable to pay the bill. Seeking to better his fortunes, Falstaff plans to woo two wealthy matrons, Alice Ford and Meg Page ("V'e noto un tal, qui del paese"). He produces love letters to both, but his henchmen decide their ethics forbid them to deliver the missives. Falstaff gives the notes to a page boy and lectures his cronies on honor ("L'onore! Ladri!"), declaring it is nothing but a word, as he chases them from the inn.

In her garden, Alice and her daughter Nannetta talk to Meg and Mistress Quickly, soon discovering that Falstaff has sent identical letters ("Fulgida Alice! amor t'offro!"). Outraged, they resolve to punish him, then withdraw as Ford arrives with Caius, Fenton, Bardolfo and Pistola, all warning him about Falstaff's designs. Briefly alone, Nannetta and Fenton steal kisses ("Labbra di foco") until the women return, plotting to send Quickly to Falstaff to arrange a rendezvous with Alice. Next, Nannetta and Fenton are interrupted by Ford, who also plans to visit Falstaff. As the women reappear, all pledge to take the fat knight down a peg or two.

ACT II. At the inn, Falstaff accepts Bardolfo and Pistola's feigned penitence for their mutiny. Soon Quickly curtseys in ("Reverenza!") to assure Falstaff that both Alice and Meg return his ardor. Arranging a meeting with Alice, Falstaff rewards Quickly with a pittance and then, alone, preens himself ("Va, vecchio John"). The next visitor is Ford, disguised as "Master Brook" and proclaiming an unrequited passion for Alice. ...