The Merry Wives of Windsor (opera)

• Sir John Falstaff ( bass)
• Robin, Falstaff's Page (voice)
• Master Ford, citizens of Windsor ( baritone)
• Mr. Reich, citizens of Windsor ( bass)
• Fenton (tenor / lyric tenor )
• Junker sparse (Tenor / Tenor game )
• Dr. Caius ( bass)
• Mistress Ford (soprano / coloratura soprano)
• Mrs. Reich ( mezzo-soprano)
• Maid Anna Reich (soprano / lyric soprano )
• The host at the inn for the Garter (voice)
• The waiter at the inn for the Garter (voice)
• First Citizen (Tenor)
• Second, third and fourth citizen ( speaking roles )
• Two servants of the Lord flood ( dumb roles)

Choirs and ballets. Citizens and women of Windsor. Children. Masks of elves, fairies and other spirits, mosquitoes, wasps etc. waiter.

The Merry Wives of Windsor is a comical -fantastical opera in three acts by Otto Nicolai. The libretto Salomon Hermann Mosenthal based on the eponymous comedy by William Shakespeare. The premiere took place on March 9, 1849 at the Royal Opera House to Berlin under the baton of the composer.

• 3.1 emergence
• 3.2 Reception History

Action

Act I

The married ladies tide and poor discover that they have both obtained simultaneously from the impoverished country nobleman Falstaff love letters. They decide to teach him a lesson and retire, to concoct a plan. Now step on the two gentlemen tide and poor. Anna, the daughter of the Empire is keeping marriageable age and three men for her hand: Dr. Caius, a French Galan, the favorite of the mother, father kingdom is to shy Junker wishes sparse as a son, but Anna herself is in the destitute Fenton in love.

Mistress Ford has invited to an alleged tryst Falstaff, he performs with great pathetic gestures and begins to ensnare clumsy. When Mrs. Reich, as agreed, announces the return of the suspicious Lord flood, Falstaff is hidden in a laundry basket, its contents will be cleared shortly thereafter in the moat. Master Ford, meanwhile, has searched the whole apartment without success and has his wife believe that protested her innocence.

Second Act

The tavern itself Falstaff has recovered from his bath and sings rough drinking songs. A messenger brings him a letter in which Mistress Ford proposes another rendezvous. Her husband appears in disguise and introduces himself as Mr. Bach to engage Falstaff in a conversation about his liaisons. This brags clueless about his relationship with Mistress Ford, what incites the wrath of her husband.

Sparse and Caius sneak before Anna's window up and down, but before they dare to approach, they are distributed by the serenade of Fenton and hide in the bushes. From there they watch the rapturous love scene between the two lovers.

Again Falstaff is at Mistress Ford, and again warns Ms. Reich the two before returning husband. This time, the fat knight Falstaff is plugged in women's clothes and pretends to be a washerwoman. Mr. flood occurs again and finds nothing, except the old washerwoman, he throws angrily out of the house.

Act Three

The gentlemen tide and Empire will finally inaugurated by their wives in the plan and the four of them decide to Falstaff trick one last time. In a large masquerade in the Windsor Forest Knights to be disgraced. Mr. and Mrs. Reich plan for any additional right to marry off Anna in this confusion with the respective favorite suitors. These agreed instead to meet with Fenton in the forest at night.

After an illustrated by choir and orchestra moon rising the panel game begins in the forest. Falstaff, disguised as a knight Herne is first attracted by the two ladies, but then startled by different than spirits, elves and insects clad extras. After the masks stored and Falstaff was mocked by all, appear and Anna Fenton, who have been in the forest chapel tied the knot. In a joyous finale that all parties reconcile.

Music

The opera is in the Singspiel tradition, the musical numbers are so connected with spoken dialogue. Nicolai, as well as the term " comic- fantastic opera" shows a consensus between the romantic opera in the style of Carl Maria von Weber and the then very popular comic operas of Albert Lortzingstraße. On the romantic side include the love scenes between Anna and Fenton, the ghosts and elves music and of course the moonrise. The buffo element comes in the figure of Falstaff, to carry the husbands and the two spurned by Anna suitors.

History

Formation

The music was composed by Otto Nicolai in the between 1845 and 1849. Previously, he had recorded with some Italian opera great success, but this opera should be his masterpiece in German language. The libretto has it changed a little of the composer.

Reception history

At first it was difficult to find a stage that wanted to play the women when they were listed but, the opera had a brilliant success and their popularity continues to this day. If the libretto and the dramaturgy of today's audience look a little dated, so the work has yet to secure its place in the repertoire of opera houses until today (2014) because of its musical qualities.

Giuseppe Verdi laid in 1893 with his Falstaff before its own processing of the substance.