Verdi: Falstaff (In Russian)

Nechipailo, Vishnevskaya, Arkhipova; Melik-Pashayev

Moscow, 1955

$9.95

Description:

Opera’s greatest comedy is anything but lost in translation in this delightful Russian-language performance of Falstaff from the Bolshoi Theatre. Under the vibrant baton of Alexander Melik-Pashayev, Verdi’s orchestra takes on an added layer of richness, with plush textures and bold, characterful playing. Thundering brass and vivid woodwinds amplify Falstaff’s bombastic delusions of grandeur, while the Act III “witching” scene is rendered with an ethereal, shimmering charm.

The cast is uniformly strong, led by Viktor Nechipailo as a gloriously full-voiced and larger-than-life Sir John. Galina Vishnevskaya is a witty, vibrant Alice, bringing sharp timing and radiant tone to the role. Of special interest is Irina Arkhipova, who appears in the small role of Meg—a tantalizing preview of the major star she would soon become at the Bolshoi.

In Mono

OD 11327-2