Verdi: Falstaff - Evans, Angioletti, Freni, Resnik, Alva, Shaw, Veasey, Langdon; Giulini. London, 1961
$8.95
Listen to a Sample:
Although a performance of Falstaff is only as strong as its weakest link, there is still an enormous onus on the title character to create a credible foil who has the ability to come across as both noble and grotesque, charming and repellant at the same time. Geraint Evans manages to achieve all of this with remarkable ease. The rest of the cast is spectacular down to even the smaller roles. Regina Resnik offers a brash and brassy Quickly. Mirella Freni and Luigi Alva, as Nannetta and Fenton, breathe life into what can often seem like a rather perfunctory love story. Mariella Angioletti as Alice doesn't really reach the high bar set by her colleagues, but nonetheless delivers an admirable performance. Carlo Maria Giulini delivers a sensibly paced performance without shortchanging the energy of the Verdi's score. The sound is good.
OD 10914-2
