Otto Nicholai

Nicholai's magnificent opera comique gives, in its fascinating credit titles, reluctant acknowledgement to the help of one William Shakespeare. The result is a remarkable co-operative effort which involves the viewer in the fun, the jealousies and lustiness of a golden age of English living.

In no other operatic version, for example, does the leading soprano sing an aria as she strips to take a bath! And it takes a strong-willed leading man to keep both countenance and voice while being stuffed in a washing basket and dumped in a lake! Later, in fact, Sir John sets the pace for a hundred modern farces by being dressed up as a woman to escape from amorous entanglement.
The result, as can clearly be seen, is no stuffy, high browed entertainment but a happy and bawdy musical reconstruction of a time when love and jealousy were equally abandoned.

A rare opportunity to see and hear the outstanding Austrian soprano Lucia Popp, in the role of Anna, shortly after her stage debut..

Cast:
Sir John Falstaff: Norman Foster
The SoldierMistress PageThe Princess: Mildred Miller
Mistress Ford: Colette Boky
Anna Ford: Lucia Popp
Mr. Page: Igor Gorin
Opening dance sequence choreographed and performed by Rosella Hightower

Music performed by:
Score played by: The Zagreb Symphony Orchestra

Production Credits:
Director: George Tressler
Produced by: Norman Foster

• Colour
• 97 minutes
• Certificate U