Verdi: Falstaff - DVD

ENGLISH

Verdi: Falstaff (OA1021D) (2009)<br /> <br /> Christopher Purves (Falstaff); Tassis Christoyannis (Ford); Dina Kuznetsova (Mrs Ford); Marie-Nicolre Lemieux (Mistress Quickly); Jennifer Holloway (Mrs Page); Bulent Bezduz (Fenton); London Philharmonic Orchestra; Vladimir Jurowski<br /> <br /> The inspirational Vladimir Jurowski conducts Verdi’s last opera, his only true comic opera. An international cast is led by Christopher Purves in the larger-than-life role of the corpulent Falstaff, whose profligacy both outrages and inspires the citizens of Windsor. Richard Jones’s production brings out the humour, bitterness and anger - mixed with tenderness and wisdom - embodied in the Shakespeare plays on which the libretto is based. Filmed in High Definition and recorded in true surround sound.<br /> <br /> "Some of Glyndebourne’s more entrenched punters took umbrage at Richard Jones’s updating of Falstaff to a 1940s Ealing-comedy Windsor. Most, though, as you can hear throughout this film, roared at the gags in a production so sharply coordinated with the music." (BBC Music Magazine)<br /> <br /> "In the pit, Vladimir Jurowski and the London Philharmonic hone their reflexes so that the instrumental guffaw, exclamation, explosive flourish leaps out at you. It’s exciting and detailed and rhythmically so alive." (The Independent)<br /> <br /> "The cast is uniformly excellent...Jurowski conducts so as to bring out all the score's energy and wit without forcing the pace or underlining the jokes." (Gramophone)