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Overview

Synopsis

Otto Nicolai’s comic singspiel Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor is a German retelling of Shakespeare’s play The Merry Wives of Windsor. Many of our characters are transformed into their German counterparts (Alice Ford becomes Frau Fluth, Meg Page becomes Frau Reich), and the plot is distilled to its main elements, but the comic comeuppance of the notorious drunkard and womanizer, Sir John Falstaff, remains just as rewarding.

When Frau Fluth and Frau Reich each receive the same letter from Sir John Falstaff, professing his love for them, and trying to entice them to have an extra-marital affair with him, they plan to teach him a lesson. After hiding Falstaff in a basket of laundry and throwing him in a ditch, and then disguising him as an elderly maid, Frau Fluth and Frau Reich finally let their husbands in on the secret. One last plot is devised to embarrass the man, and it will all happen at the grand masquerade in the forest

While this has been going on, Spärlich (Slender), Dr. Cajus, and Fenton have been competing for the hand of young Anna Reich (Anne Page). Her parents have each chosen their favorite suitor, but neither of them have picked Fenton, despite Anna’s love for him. Herr and Frau Reich both plan to marry Anna to their preferred suitor during the masquerade, but she outwits them and marries her beloved Fenton instead.

At the masquerade, the guests disguise themselves as elves, insects, and ghosts, and perform grotesque dances, terrifying Falstaff in the dark, before revealing their identities and having a good laugh at his expense.

Show Information

Music
Otto Nicolai
Libretto
Salomon Hermann Mosenthal
Based on the Play/Book/Film
The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
Category
Opera
Age Guidance
Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
Number of Acts
3
First Produced
1849
Genres
Comedy, Farce
Settings
Period, Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings
Time & Place
Windsor, England, Beginning of the reign of King Henry V, 15th Century
Cast Size
large
Orchestra Size
Medium
Dancing
Some Dance
Licensor
None/royalty-free
Ideal For
College/University, Professional Opera, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Young Adult, Adult, Child, Early Teen, Late Teen, Elderly Characters, Large Cast

Context


Plot


Characters

Name Part Size Gender Vocal Part

Sir John Falstaff

Lead

Male

Bass

Herr Fluth

Lead

Male

Baritone

Frau Fluth

Lead

Female

Soprano

Frau Reich

Lead

Female

Mezzo-Soprano

Fenton

Supporting

Male

Tenor

Herr Reich

Supporting

Male

Bass

Spärlich

Supporting

Male

Tenor

Dr. Cajus

Supporting

Male

Bass, Bass-Baritone

Anna Reich

Supporting

Female

Soprano

Erster Bürger / First Citizen

Featured

Male

Tenor

Der Kellner

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Zweiter Bürger / Second Citizen

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Dritter Bürger / Third Citizen

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Vierter Bürger / Fourth Citizen

Featured

Male

Non-singer

Chorus

Ensemble

Either Gender

Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto

Songs

Overture

Act One

Scene 1-2

  • No. 1 Duet ‘Nein! Das ist wirklich doch zu keck’ - Frau Fluth, Frau Reich

Scene 3

  • Dialogue ‘Nun, liebe Herren’ - Herr Fluth. Herr Reich, Spärlich, Dr. Cajus

Scene 4

  • Dialogue ‘Vergönnt mir ein Wort, Herr Reich!’ - Fenton, Herr Reich
  • No. 2 Recitative and Duet ‘So geht indes hinein’ and ‘Eurer Tochter’ - Herr Reich, Dr. Cajus, Spärlich, Fenton

Scene 5

Scene 6

  • Dialogue ‘Nun, Frau Gevatterin, ist alles fertig?’ - Frau Reich, Frau Fluth

Scene 7 - 11

  • No. 4 Finale ‘So hab ich Dich errungen’ - Falstaff, Frau Fluth, Frau Reich, Herr Fluth, Herr Reich, Dr. Cajus, Chorus

Act Two

Scene 1

  • Dialogue ’Kellner! Hol die Pest’ - Falstaff, Kellner

Scene 2

  • Dialogue ‘Habt Ihr gerufen, Sir John?’ - Kellner, Falstaff

Scene 3

  • Dialogue ‘Ha, da kommen schon die Herren Burgen zum Morgentrunk’ - Kellner, Erster Bürger, Zweiter Bürger, Bürgers
  • No. 5 Song with Chorus ‘Als Büblien klien’ - Falstaff, Ein Bürger
  • Dialogue ‘Ich - halte - ich’ - Erster Bürger, Falstaff, Dritter Bürger, Vierter Bürger

Scene 4

  • Dialogue ‘Verzeiht, Sir John!’ - Kellner, Falstaff

Scene 5

  • No. 6 Recitative and Buffo Duet ‘Gott grüss Euch, Sir!’ and ‘In einen Wäschkorb?’ - Herr Fluth. Falstaff

Scene 6-7

  • No. 7a Scene ‘Dies ist die Stunde’ - Spärlich, Dr. Cajus, Fenton

Scene 8

  • No. 7b Romance ‘Horch, die Lerche singt’ - Fenton

Scene 9

  • No. 7c Duet ‘Fenton! Mein Mädchen!’ - Fenton, Anna
  • No. 7d Quartet ‘Bestürmen denn die läst’gen Freier’ - Fenton, Anna, Spärlich, Dr. Cajus

Scene 10

  • Dialogue ‘Liebe Frau Fluth!’ - Falstaff, Frau Fluth

Scene 11

  • Dialogue ‘Um Gottes willen, Frau Gevatterin’ - Frau Reich, Frau Fluth, Falstaff

Scene 12

  • No. 8 Duet ‘So! Jetzt hätt ich ihn gefangen’ - Herr Fluth, Frau Fluth, Two Servants

Scene 13-15

  • No. 9 Finale ‘Macht aug, Herr Fluth’ - Spärlich, Herr Fluth, Herr Reich, Frau Fluth, Dr. Cajus, Falstaff, Frau Reich

Act Three

Scene 1

  • Dialogue ‘Liebster Engel, wirst du mir jemals vergeben können?’ - Herr Fluth, Frau Fluth, Herr Reich, Frau Reich
  • No. 10 Ballad ‘Vom Jäger Herne’ - Frau Reich
  • Dialogue ‘Gut, liebe Frau, und was gedenkst du zu tun?’ - Herr Reich, Frau Reich, Herr Fluth, Frau Fluth

Scene 2

  • Dialogue ‘Und nun, liebes Kind’ - Frau Reich, Anna

Scene 3

  • Dialogue ‘Nein, liebe Mutter’ - Anna, Herr Reich

Scene 4

Scene 5

  • Dialogue ‘Im Pavillon werden wohl schon’ - Herr Fluth, Herr Reich, Spärlich

Scene 6

  • Dialogue ‘Es ist bald Mitternacht’ - Frau Fluth, Frau Reich, Dr. Cajus
  • No. 12 ‘O süsser Mond’ - Chorus

Scene 7-8

  • No. 13 Trio ‘Die Glocke schlug schon’ - Falstaff, Frau Fluth, Frau Reich

Scene 9-12

  • No. 14 Chorus and Elf-Dance ‘Ihr Elfen weiss und rot und grau’ - Chorus, Anna, Fenton, Herr Reich

Scene 13

  • No. 15 Mosquito Dance and Chorus - Chorus, Falstaff, Herr Reich, Spärlich, Dr. Cajus
  • No. 16 Dance and Chorus ‘Fasst ihn, Geister’ - Herr Reich, Chorus

Scene 14

  • Dialogue ‘Halt, Verrater!’ - Herr Fluth, Frau Fluth, Frau Reich, Falstaff

Scene 15

  • Dialogue ‘He, holla!, Vater Reich!’ - Spärlich, Dr. Cajus, Herr Reich

Scene 16

  • Dialogue ‘Verzeihung, lieber Vater, liebe Mutter!’ - Anna, Herr Reich, Frau Reich, Fenton, Anna, Spärlich, Dr. Cajus
  • No. 17 Trio and Finale ‘So hat denn der Schwank’ - Frau Fluth, Anna, Frau Reich, Falstaff

A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.

Monologues

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Scenes

All scenes are the property and copyright of their owners. Scenes are presented on StageAgent for educational purposes only. If you would like to give a public performance of this scene, please obtain authorization from the appropriate licensor.

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Guide Written By:

Wendy Silvester

Wendy Silvester

Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.