Highlights from the Merry Wives of Windsor
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36149 Nifexe) fel milelalicelaecmicelan (Cro) ai(e) om male), Ernst Gutstein Kieth Engen ait ey Fritz Wunderlich . Friedrich Lenz . Car! melee ee A re St, EE ae Loose o: Se yar Pete SOT M7 ee et _ MCOLM THE MERRY WIVES SEA iN LETAG —_ OF WINDSOR 1. 7 TINS Un Co ic HIGHLIGHTS (SUNG IN GERMAN) Ci ; = meee ue THE CAST Sir John Falstaff ..... GoTTLoB FRICK (bass) Mistress Ford .RUTH-MARGRET PUTZ (soprano) Mistress Page .... GisELA LITZ (mezzo-soprano) Nicolai is unique in music history in his attempt to recon- staff (Nein, das ist wirklich doch zu keck!) They compare Anne Pave.) ot EpitH MATHIS (soprano) cile Italian and German operatic traditions: In the mid- notes and determine to take revenge for the fat knight’s dle 1830’s, while he was living in Rome as organist to the presumption. When they leave, we meet their husbands, chapel of the Prussian Consulate, he wrote, “German who are also worried — Ford because he is fatuously con- Petar ees kes Fritz WUNDERLICH (tenor) opera contains plenty of philosophy, but not enough music. sumed with jealousy over his young wife, and Page because Italian opera, on the other hand, contains plenty of music, his daughter Anne is besieged by two desirable suitors but no philosophy. Can it be that it is impossible to make whom she hates (Slender and Doctor Caius) and a poor use of the best of both styles at once?” one (Fenton) whom she loves. In a second scene Mistress og iy fee clean ERNST GUTSTEIN (baritone) Ford plans the trap (in the coloratura aria Nun eilt herbei) Within a decade Nicolai had answered his own question for her would-be lover. She has invited him to a rendez- in the affirmative, with the Italianate sunshine and the Ger- vous, but has also let her husband know of the meeting, to 0 ea ea FRIEDRICH LENZ (tenor) man earnestness of Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor. First teach him the foolishness of his jealousy: Falstaff arrives, performed in 1849, barely two months before its composer’s displaying his most courtly airs, and sets about his con- death, Merry Wives has held the boards without interrup- Dae wae es CarRL HOPPE (bass) quest, but when Ford is heard returning, Sir John has to tion ever since, as the most popular of light operas in the hide in a huge basket of dirty laundry. By prearrangement German language. And it has travelled well in translation. the basket is carried off to be dumped into the Thames, Otto Nicolai was born in 1810 at Konigsberg, son of a while Ford bursts in to find his wife alone with Mistress musician who raised the boy alone and forced him to learn Page. the piano. When only 16 Otto ran away from home, and Act II opens in the Garter Inn, where Falstaff leads a Chorus & Orchestra found a patron who subsidized his organ studies in Berlin. drinking song before the intoxicated townsmen (Als Bub- Appointment to the consular staff in Rome led to a famili- lein klein an der Mutter Brust). Ford (calling himself of the Bavarian State Opera, Munich arity with the operas of Bellini and Donizetti. For the sea- “Brook”) pretends to be interested in Mistress Ford too, son of 1837-38 he went to Vienna as a conductor in the and bribes Falstaff to court the woman’s favors for him. Kartnertor-Theater, but then returned to Rome to try his He extracts from Falstaff’s boastful version of what has conducted by ROBERT HEGER hand at composing operas. The titles Rosmonda d’Inghil- happened only increased jealousy (Duet, In einem Wasch- terra, Il templario, Gildippe ed Odoardo and II proscritto korb?) The second scene, set in Page’s garden, begins suggest the eclectic romantic tastes of his Italian librettists, with Fenton’s loving serenade to Anne (Horch, die Lerche and the list of cities where these operas were produced singt im Hain). The foppish Master Slender and the (Turin, Trieste, Naples, Genoa and Milan) suggests this parody-French Doctor Caius are eavesdropping as the Prussian’s success in the land of song. Notes and English translations young lovers swear their faithfulness; they too join in In 1841 Nicolai returned to Vienna, where he entered with promises of jealous revenge. © 1964 Capitol Records, Inc. into the thick of the city’s musical life as Hofkapellmeister, In Act III, Falstaff has been enticed by the women for founder of the Philharmonic Concerts and composer. He a tryst in Windsor Park, said to be inhabited by super- Library of Congress Catalog Card Numbers R 63- moved to Berlin in 1847 as director of the Cathedral choir natural beings. An unseen chorus accompanies the moon’s dressed with a buck’s 1597 (mono) and R 63-1598 (stereo) apply to this and conductor of the Royal Opera. rise (O siisser Mond) and Falstaff, The Merry Wives of Windsor, with its libretto by H. S. head as the legendary Herne the Hunter, comes on the recording. Mosenthal, was begun as early as 1845, and so occupied scene. He is set upon (Fasst ihn, Geister) by a host of its busy composer for four years. It is more freely adapted elves and goblins—the people of Windsor in disguise, of TIMINGS: side one— 26/05” (band 1—8/34’”, 2— 8/23”, from Shakespeare than Verdi’s Falstaff (1893) , but covers course—and left in complete humiliation. Meanwhile Anne to be married 3—6/01’’, 4—3’07”’) ; side two—27’28” (band 1—5’56”, roughly the same plot: ‘ and Fenton have seized their opportunity Act 1 opens in the courtyard between the houses of Ford while everyone else was tormenting the fat knight. They 2— 2/39”, 3—6’09”, 4— 3/10”, 5— 4/18”, 6— 2715”, (Fluth) and Page (Reich). Their wives enter separately, join the others (So hat denn der Schwank) in a final ex- 7—2/33”). each reading the same amorous letter from Sir John Fal- pression of forgiveness and good will. Band 4: Quartettino (No. 7d) und straft ihn fiir die Biiberei. and punish him for his villany. Zwickt ihn, sengt ihn, lasst ihn drehn, Pinch him, burn him, turn him round, FENTON. Bestiirmen denn die last’gen Freier FENTON. Do the insolent suitors bis dass die Sinne ihm vergehn. till his senses leave him. dich immer noch mit Herz und Hand? plague you still with heart and hand? Wer die Grube will anderen graben, He who would dig another’s grave ANNA. Ach leider ja! ANNE. Ah, painfully true! oftmals fallt er selber hinein. often falls inside himself. Willst du Weiber zum besten haben, If you would get the better of women FENTON. Der dumme Fant, der Junker Sparlich, FENTON. The foolish coxcomb, squire Slender, dann musst du wahrlich pfiffiger sein. you must have far more cunning. mit seinem ewigen: “‘O siisse Anna!” with his constant “O sweet Anne!” Missetiter, Hochverrater! Evil doer, high-traitor! SPARLICH (hervorguckend). SLENDER (spying on them). deine Stunde hat geschlagen; your knell has sounded; Ha, the vulture — who knows what he says Ha, zum Geier! Wer weiss, was er da von mir solche Kniffe, solche Pfiffe such tricks, such cunning spricht! of me? sollst du nimmer wieder wagen. shall you never again employ. ANNA. Den halt mein Vater hoch und teuer, ANNE. My father holds him in esteem, Briefe schreiben, Unfug treiben, Letter-writing, mischief-doing — doch der bekommt mich sicher nicht. but he surely pleases not me. strafen wolln wir dein Betragen. such conduct we will punish. You must here give up your life FENTON. Und jener alberne Franzose? FENTON. And that foolish Frenchman? Her dein Leben musst du geben, wenn du nicht bereust! if you repent not! ANNA. Den wiinscht die Mutter sich zum Sohn, ANNE. My mother wants him for a son, ha, ha! ha, ha! Band 7: Terzettino & Finale (No. 17) cajus (hervorguckend). CAIUS (spying on them). FRAU FLUTH, FRAU REICH UND ANNA. MISTRESS FORD, MISTRESS PAGE AND ANNE. Ah, I understand-a some of dat; Ah, ik verstehen quelque chose; So hat denn der Schwank der frohlichen Nacht So has this merry night’s jest ma foi, I vill kill ce traitre. ma foi, ik miissen morden sson ce traitre. vereinet auf immer der Liebenden Hinde; united forever loving hands; FENTON. Mit solchen Freiern, wie die zwei, FENTON. With such suitors as those two wohlauf nun zur Hochzeit, getanzt und now to the wedding feast, to dancing and wag ich den Wettkampf ohne Scheu, ha, ha! I’ll not fear to wrestle, ha, ha! gelacht. laughter, des alles in Freude und Heiterkeit ende. that all may end in joy and serenity. ANNA. O solche Freier, wie die zwei, ha, ha! ANNE. Oh, such suitors as those two, ha, ha! Sir John... Sir tonn. cajus. Ah, ik verstehen quelque chose, carus. Ah, I understand-a some of dat, FALSTAFF. O weh! FALSTAFF. Woe is me! oui, ik miissen morden sson! oui, | vill kill him! DIE FRAUEN. Wir sind an Gnaden reich, THE WOMEN. We are rich in grace; SPARLICH. Wer weiss, was er da von mir SLENDER. Who knows what he says of me? wir verzeihen. we pardon you. spricht! FALSTAFF. Danke! FALSTAFF. Oh, thanks! ANNA UND FENTON. Nur geduld! Habe Mut, ANNE AND FENTON. Patience! Courage, bis der Augenblick zu fassen! and seize the opportunity! DIE FRAUEN (zu allen andern). THE WOMEN (to the others). Nur geduld, habe Mut! Patience, courage! Und wir danken Euch allen. And we thank you all. Treue Liebe wird nicht True love will not Ach, verzeihet auch [hr, und hatten Euch Ah, may you pardon as well, voneinander lassen! be cast asunder! die lustigen Weiber gefallen! if the Merry Wives have pleased you! All will go well.