An excellent performance from the Lenny-Period of Falstaff-conducting. Though this is from Vienna, Bernstein started out with Falstaff two years previously when he conducted many performances at the MET. A new standee, me, heard him 4 times with three world-class Falstaffs (Evans, Corena, Colzani) in the first season of Franco Zefferelli's stunning production that graced the MET's stage for many seasons. In this performance, Regina Resnik is the only artist I heard in that series--- three times with Lenny leading. I find this performance topping Lenny's studio recording with F-D with quite good sound. This Vienna production is a winner with a terrific ensemble. Fischer-Dieskau proves tamer than most Tubby Knights but sings beautifully. The entire cast is tops with Panerai a standout as Ford.

The Bernstein recording of 'Falstaff' was the third opera I ever purchased on LP back in 1967 - it is how I got to know the opera and I have always loved this cast. This live recording surprised me since I found the sound quality perfectly acceptable, and, as Andy and David Reynolds say, the performance is more lively and exciting than the commercially released recording. I can't really fault any of the cast except for Sciutti's occasional flatness on sustained notes. It is my favourite Fischer-Dieskau Italian role, Resnik is my favourite Quickly in any performance I have yet seen or heard, and Panerai is also superb. Although the commercially released recording has been re-mastered now I would still go for this live recording in preference.

Falstaff was one of three operas Bernstein conducted in Vienna (the other two were Rosenkavalier and Fidelio). He didn't conduct a lot of Italian opera anyway so his participation in this production​ was a big deal at the time. He recorded it in the studio about this time as well with the same cast we have here. His tempos as was his wont tend to be a little slower than usual, especially in the concerted passages. This has the advantage of making the words and vocal lines clearer. Never do his choices get in the way of the music as they would later on in his Carmen at the Met.Fischer-Dieskau makes a marvelous character of Falstaff; he is obviously enjoying himself immensely. All right, other Falstaffs are more Italianate, but the German baritone is memorable in all the best ways. Resnik's distinctive voice can clearly be heard in the ensembles and of course she is having a high old time with her part. Ligabue is as always a first-class Alice while Sciutti is a lovely, if occasionally flat, Nanetta. Panerai is a tremendous Ford. It is so helpful to have a native Italian speaker in the role who clearly knows what he's singing about at every moment. Oncina is a sexy Fenton too. The supporting cast is superb, especially Stolze's whining Dr. Caius.The sound, from a broadcast, is all right, but sounds like it's several generations away from the master tape. At least it's properly pitched. There are a number of minor bumps and pops along the way, but nothing too serious.