At dusk the horses that work Central Park trot downward to the stables of Hell’s Kitchen. In an effort to beat the approaching rain tonight a carriage takes the corner at the light so fast, not only is it believable to me that you could be trampled to death by a horse, but before cars it must have happened all the time… We’re on the corner of 11th street on our way toward Juilliard when the light gives the green light to pitter patter from the sky and we pup up our umbrellas.
One of my favorite operas based on a character from Shakespeare’s “The Merry Wives of Windsor,” is named Falstaff. I don’t know why I was surprised that the plot for Wives and Falstaff are exactly the same, I guess why second guess Shakespeare. The most famous section from Merry is the overture and is often heard in isolation at concerts. Interestingly, Verdi excluded an overture completely from Falstaff, he jumps right into the plot with the bellowing of Falstaff’s name, “Falstaff!” I’d like to think it was out of respect or professional courtesy that Verdi didn’t try to one up Otto Niccolai’s popular tune.
The Juilliard theater is fabulously intimate and while we have to turn our heads to read the projected libretto, we get to see the performers up close. The entire cast is splendid and thanks to the intimate seating I’ll recognize them if I see them again on bigger stages.
The production placed the action in a modern suburb of hedges and white picket fences that rang true for me cutting lawns in the summer. The 2nd Act like Falstaff is a fantasy evening right out A Midsummers Night Dream rich with the magic, a giant moon aglow behind the singers.
We exit into a late evening pour of rain exchanging one romance for another. The horses snugly dream in their stables by now and we walk splashily home while street lamps reflect in running puddles.
So what is The Merry Wives of Windsor all about? John Falstaff down on his luck attempts to woo two wealthy women for his own means and pleasure, he is a lecherous and libaceous cad, but likable because he is transparent and pompous wind. The women are onto him immediately and play a number of tricks on him revealing the worst sides of men in their lives.
Notes on the Production:
Composer…………………….. Otto Nicolai
Frau Fluth ………………………Amanda Batista
Frau Reich…………………….. Jasmin White
Herr Reich……………………… Donghoon Kang
Spärlich …………………………..Michael McDermott
Herr Fluth ……………………….Erik Grendahl
Dr. Cajus ………………………….Joseph Parrish
Fenton ……………………………..Patrick Bessenbacher
Sir John Falstaff ……………Matthew Soibelman
Bartender (spoken) ……..Reed Gnepper
Anna Reich ……………………..Libby Sokolowski
Juilliard
4/16/22