Falstaff - English National Opera Guide 10 - includes libretto

'A lyric comedy unlike any other,' wrote Verdi about Falstaff, his last opera

That the last work of a composer who was almost notorious for his preference for tragic and gloomy subjects should be a brilliant human comedy was and remains one of the wonders of music

Michael Rose considers its status in Italian comic opera tradition, while Davis Cairns pours his enthusiasm for the piece into a detailed and illuminating musical analysis

Andrew Porter, whose translation almost matches Boito's original libretto for elegance and wit, explains the challenges and risks of the undertaking in his fascinating introduction

REVIEWS

'Brilliantly produced and superb value' ~ Sunday Times

'All these will provide the new opera-goer with food for thought' ~ Daily Telegraph

'Wholehearted recommendation of this valuable new series' ~ TLS