Despite the importance of Verdis last Opera, Falstaff does not have a discography comparable to that of Traviata or Trovatore. From 1950 to 2000 the recordings concerning this opera are relatively few, and among these the 1963 version conduced by Georg Solti remains among those memorable. The great Hungarian conductor would then record it once again in the Nineties; however, the vocal cast of 1963 remains unrepeatable, made up of voices that would later become the legend of the Opera, except the protagonist, Geraint Evans, whom some critics have discussed in more than one occasion. Despite this, the vitality of the interpretation, the overwhelming comic charge and the beauty of the Decca sound of those years (it is no coincidence that the production was by John Culshaw) still make this version a milestone in Falstaff s discography.

Artists

Geraint Evans (Falstaff), Alfredo Kraus (Fenton), Robert Merrill (Ford), John Lanigan (Dr. Cajus), Piero De Palma (Bardolfo), Giovanni Foiani (Pistola), Ilva Ligabue (Alice Ford), Mirella Freni (Nannetta), Rosalind Elias (Meg Page), Giulietta Simionato (Mistress Quickly), RCA Italiana Opera Orchestra, Georg Solti