Verdi Falstaff

The whole world is a jest man was born a great jester So goes the brilliant conclusion to Verdis Falstaff an opera inspired by Shakespeares beloved comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor The virtuosic score requires a particularly talented cast not to mention a truly exceptional conductor Herbert von Karajan perfectly fits the bill and this performance featuring the Wiener Philharmoniker and an allstar group of singers is clearly worthy of Verdis powerful work a masterpiece whose comic facade thinly veils the complex and sometimes even tragic characters struggles Recorded in 1982 Rereleased 2015