''Falstaff'' is an Italian-language

opera Opera is a form of History of theatre#European theatre, Western theatre in which music is a fundamental component and dramatic roles are taken by Singing, singers. Such a "work" (the literal translation of the Italian word "opera") is typically ...

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 A libretto (From the Italian word , ) is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to th ...

by Manfredo Maggioni, given at

Her Majesty's Theatre His Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated in the Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The building, designed by Charles J. Phipps, was constructed in 1897 for the actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, who ...

, 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 Rubini is a surname of Italian origin. Notable people with the surname include: * Cesare Rubini, Italian basketball player * Gabriele Rubini, Italian television presenter * Giambattista Rubini, Italian Catholic cardinal * Giovanni Battista 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 Irish National Opera is one of Ireland's largest arts organisations and presents opera in Dublin, on tour across Ireland and internationally. Irish National Opera was created from a merger of the Opera Theatre Company (OTC) and Wide Open Opera in ...

for

RTÉ (; ; RTÉThe É in RTÉ is pronounced as an English E () and not an Irish É ()) is an Irish public service broadcaster. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on television, radio and online. The radio service began on 1 January 1926, ...

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