Opera
Falstaff
Giuseppe Verdi
We do not want Falstaff to die. And of course he does not. He is life itself.— Harold Bloom
Pot-bellied, hedonistic, and somewhat cowardly, Sir John Falstaff spends most of his time drinking and scheming. He falls for Alice Ford and Meg Page, two young married women who take pleasure in arousing the old knight’s desire in order to mock his attempts at seduction. With Falstaff, Giuseppe Verdi bids farewell to Shakespearean theatre and to his career in opera with a great burst of laughter. To reveal the magic of this opera, at once funny and melancholic, La Monnaie has turned to the acclaimed duo of Alain Altinoglu and Laurent Pelly. Following Cendrillon, The Golden Cockerel, and Don Pasquale, our Music Director and the French stage director promise another bittersweet production for the end-of-year festivities.
Magazine
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OperaLaurent Pelly at La Monnaie
A video portrait
In January, director Laurent Pelly returns to la Monnaie for a new production of Tchaikovsky's Yevgeny Onegin. It marks his fifth visit to our house, after Don Quichotte (2010), Cendrillon (2011), The Golden Cockerel (2016) and Don Pasquale (2018), who all met with critical and public acclaim. In this small documentary, we sit down with Laurent Pelly to look back on these beloved La Monnaie productions and to discuss the artistic credo that underpins them.
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OperaFalstaff
Alain Altinoglu and Laurent Pelly on Verdi’s guffawing goodbye
“After having relentlessly massacred so many heroes and heroines, I have at last the right to laugh a little," Verdi commented on his comical swan song. Chief-conductor Alain Altinoglu explains how the gags in Falstaff are not limited to what is seen on stage. Director Laurent Pelly, meanwhile, mixes bitter and sweet into a well-balanced Verdian cocktail. As if he himself were a bartender in the Osteria della Giarrettiera.
Gallery
Dates
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Tue 08 Dec 2020
Time
20:00
Venue
CANCELLED -
Thu 10 Dec 2020
Time
20:00
Venue
CANCELLED -
Sun 13 Dec 2020
Time
15:00
Venue
CANCELLED -
Tue 15 Dec 2020
Time
20:00
Venue
CANCELLED -
Wed 16 Dec 2020
Time
20:00
Venue
CANCELLED -
Fri 18 Dec 2020
Time
20:00
Venue
CANCELLED -
Sat 19 Dec 2020
Time
20:00
Venue
CANCELLED -
Sun 20 Dec 2020
Time
15:00
Venue
CANCELLED -
Tue 22 Dec 2020
Time
20:00
Venue
CANCELLED -
Wed 23 Dec 2020
Time
20:00
Venue
CANCELLED -
Sun 27 Dec 2020
Time
15:00
Venue
CANCELLED -
Tue 29 Dec 2020
Time
20:00
Venue
CANCELLED
Cast
ConductorALAIN ALTINOGLU
Director & costumesLAURENT PELLY
Set designBARBARA DE LIMBURG
LightingJOËL ADAM
Chorus master ALBERTO MORO
Sir John FalstaffROBERTO FRONTALI
WERNER VAN MECHELEN (10, 15, 18, 20, 22 DEC)
FordMATTIA OLIVIERI
LIONEL LHOTE (10, 15, 18, 20, 22 DEC)
FentonANICIO ZORZI GIUSTINIANI
Dott. CajusRAÚL GIMÉNEZ
BardolfoMIKELDI ATXALANDABASO
PistolaGIOVANNI FURLANETTO
Mrs. Alice FordMYRTÒ PAPATANASIU
ANNE-CATHERINE GILLET (10, 15, 18, 20, 22 DEC)
NannettaELENA GALITSKAYA
Mrs. Meg PageANGÉLIQUE NOLDUS
Mrs. QuicklyDANIELA BARCELLONA
BETH TAYLOR (10, 15, 18, 20, 22 DEC)
La Monnaie Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
ProductionTEATRO REAL (MADRID)
Co-productionDE MUNT / LA MONNAIE, OPÉRANATIONAL DE BORDEAUX, TOKYO NIKIKAI OPERA FOUNDATION, NEOESCENOGRAFIA S .L.
In coproduction with Shelter Prod and Prospero MM Productions
With the support of taxshelter.be and ING
With the support of the tax shelter of the Belgian federal government
