The lecherous Falstaff, with his infamous roving eye, finally meets his match when his underhand plans to solve money troubles have the three merry wives of Windsor conspiring to teach him a lesson.
Verdi was already in his eighties with a successful career behind him when he wrote Falstaff. After Otello and Macbeth, the composer went back to Shakespeare, this time for a comedy about the grotesque figure of Falstaff. A drunkard, womaniser, troublemaker and glutton, Falstaff is also capable of tenderness and dejection. It is this endearing and complex character - so human in his excesses and demise - that director Denis Podalydès conjures up in the inspired setting of a run-down hospital designed by Eric Ruf. This musical masterpiece, in which the orchestra plays a particularly important role, is conducted by Antonello Allemandi. Clad in costumes by Christian Lacroix, the cast of excellent singers work as an ensemble to bring these colourful characters to life.
Full performance streamed on OperaVision from 22 September 2023 at 19:00 CET to 22 March 2024 at 12:00 CET:
CAST
Falstaff
Tassis Christoyannis
Alice Ford
Gabrielle Philiponet
Meg Page
Julie Robard-Gendre
Mrs. Quickly
Silvia Beltrami
Nannetta
Clara Guillon
Ford
Gezim Myshketa
Fenton
Kevin Amiel
Dr. Caius
Luca Lombardo
Bardolfo
Loïc Félix
Pistola
Damien Pass
Comedians
Laurent Podalydès
Léo Reynaud
Orchestra
Orchestre National de Lille
Chorus
Choeur de l’Opéra de Lille
Music
Giuseppe Verdi
Text
Arrigo Boito
Conductor
Antonello Allemandi
Director
Denis Podalydès
Associate Director
Laurent Delvert
Sets
Éric Ruf
Costumes
Christian Lacroix
Lighting
Bertrand Couderc
Hair and Make-Up
Véronique Soulier Nguyen
Chorus Master
Mathieu Romano
Singing coach
Nicolas Chesneau
Scenography assistants
Julie Camus
Zoé Pautet
Assistant choreographer
Cécile Bon
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