''Falstaff'' is an Italian-language

opera Opera is a form of theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically a collaboration between a composer and a libr ...

Michael William Balfe Michael William Balfe (15 May 1808 – 20 October 1870) was an Irish composer, best remembered for his operas, especially ''The Bohemian Girl''. After a short career as a violinist, Balfe pursued an operatic singing career, while he began to co ...

, written to a libretto by Manfredo Maggioni, given at

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who established t ...

, London, 19 July 1838.Dan H. Marek, ''Giovanni Battista Rubini and the Bel Canto Tenors: History and Technique'', Lanham MD, Scarecrow, 2013, : "After a performance of ''La prova d'una opera seria'', on July 19, 1838, came the last premiere of Rubini's career, that of Fenton in Michael Balfe's ''Falstaff''. It was the fiftieth role creation for the forty-four-year-old tenor. Balfe was the most popular “British” opera composer of the nineteenth century."

Recordings

*''Falstaff'' Marcel Vanaud (Falstaff), Majella Cullagh (Mistress Ford), Sam McElroy (Ford), Barry Banks (Fenton) RTÉ Concert Orchestra, conducted by Marco Zambelli, in association with

Opera Ireland The Irish National Opera was created from a merger of the Opera Theatre Company (OTC) and Wide Open Opera in 2017 and launched in January 2018. The new entity continues the tradition of the former Opera Ireland (), Ireland's first permanent natio ...

for RTÉ

External links

* Céline Frigau Manning: ''Le Falstaff de Manfredo Maggioni et Michael Balfe : façonner un opéra italien pour le public anglais''. Revue LISA, December 2011

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Falstaff Operas Italian-language operas Operas by Michael Balfe 1838 operas