Overview
Synopsis
Taking Shakespeare’s The Merry Wives of Windsor as its basis, and combining other texts from Ben Johnson, Philip Sidney, Thomas Middleton, and Beaumont and Fletcher, Vaughan-Williams offers his own retelling of the famous story of Sir John Falstaff. Like its predecessors in the world of opera, Verdi’s Falstaff and Nicolai’s Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor, Sir John in Love offers its audience a witty farce, which sees Falstaff punished for his bad behaviour.
When Mistress Page and Mistress Ford 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, and engage Mistress Quickly’s help. After hiding Falstaff in a basket of laundry and throwing him in a ditch, and then disguising him as an elderly maid, the women 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 Abraham Slender, Doctor Caius, and Fenton have been competing for the hand of young Anne Page. Her parents have each chosen their favorite suitor, but neither of them have picked Fenton, despite Anna’s love for him. With her parents both planning for her to marry their preferred suitor during the masquerade, Anne takes the opportunity to outwit them both 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
- Ralph Vaughan-Williams
- Libretto
- Ralph Vaughan-Williams
- 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
- 4
- First Produced
- 1929
- Genres
- Comedy, Farce
- Settings
- Period, Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings
- Time & Place
- Windsor, England, 16th Century
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Medium
- Dancing
- Some Dance
- Ideal For
- College/University, Professional Opera, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Mature Adult, Young Adult, Adult, Elderly, Early Teen, Late Teen, Child Characters, Large Cast
Context
Plot
Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Supporting |
Female |
Contralto |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto |
Songs
Author’s Note: This opera is through-composed with no strict scene delineations. Indications are given here of when the action changes, or particular arias or duets, at the author’s discretion. Other breakdowns may vary.
Act One
Scene One
- Introduction
- What hoa, what hoa’ - Shallow, Evans, Slender, Page, Bardolf, Pistol, Nym, Simple
- ‘Ahem’, ‘I had rather than forty shillings’ - Anne, Slender
- ‘This is my father’s choice’ - Anne, Fenton
- ‘Hark ye, master Slender would speak a word with you’ - Page, Anne, Fenton
- ‘Vere is dat knave Rugby?’ - Caius, Rugby, Simple, Quickly, Fenton
Scene Two
- Episode
- ‘How now, mine Host of the Garter’ - Bardolph, Nym, Pistol, Host, Falstaff
- ‘Wilt thou revenge?’ - Pistol, Nym, Ford
- ‘Love my wife? I will be patient’ - Ford, Mrs. Ford, Mrs Page
Act Two
Scene One
- Introduction
- ‘Thine own true knight’ - Mrs. Page, Mrs. Ford
- ‘Sigh no more ladies’ - Quickly, Mrs. Page, Mrs. Ford
Scene Two
- ‘Bardolph! Bardolph, I say!’ - Falstaff, Bardolph, Quickly
- ‘Go thy ways, go thy ways, old Jack!’ - Falstaff
- ‘There’s one Master Brook below’ - Bardolph, Ford, Falstaff
- ‘Ha, is this a vision?’ - Ford
- ‘Vere is mine host’ - Caius, Host, Slender, Shallow, Page
Act Three
Scene One
- Introduction
- ‘Yet hear me speak’ - Fenton, Host
- ‘Fair and fair and twice so fair’ - Host, Chorus of Young Women
- ‘But listen, good mine Host’ - Anne Page, Chorus of Young Women, Host
Scene Two
- Introduction
- ‘When as we sat in Papylon’ - Evans, Simple
- ‘Yonder he’s coming’ - Simple, Evans, Shallow, Slender, Host, Page, Caius
- ‘Come, Master Ford’ - Page, Ford, Simple, Slender, Shallow, Caius, Evans, Host, Rugby
Scene Three
- Introduction
- ‘What, John! What, Robert!’ - Mrs Ford, Mrs Page, John, Robert, Quickly
- ‘Alas, my love, you do me wrong’ - Mrs Ford, Falstaff
- ‘Mistress Ford!’ - Quickly, Mrs Ford, Falstaff, Mrs Page
- ‘When I was a bachelor’ - Ford, Men’s Chorus, Mrs Ford, Robert, Page
- ‘Is not there a double excellency in this?’ - Mrs Page, Mrs Ford, Ford, Evans, Caius, Slender, Shallow, Host, Page, Pistol, Nym, Rugby, Chorus
Act Four
Scene One
- Introduction
- ‘Pardon me, wife’ - Ford, Mrs Ford, Page, Mrs Page, Evans
- ‘There is an old tale that goes Herne the hunter’ - Mrs Page, Mrs Ford, Page, Ford, Evans, [Anne Page, Quickly, Shallow, Simple, Bardolph, Robert, Nym, Host, John, Rugby, Pistol with] Chorus
- ‘Master Doctor a word with you’ - Mrs Page, Slender, Page, Caius, Evans, [Principals with] Chorus
- Interlude
Scene Two
- Introduction
- ‘The Windsor bell hath struck 12’ - Falstaff, Mrs Ford, Mrs Page, Anne, Chorus
- ‘But till ‘tis 1 o’clock’ - Quickly, Chorus, Anne
- Dance of the Fairies - Caius, Slender, Robin, William, Anne, Fenton,
- ‘But stay! I smell a man of middle earth’ - Evans, Falstaff, Chorus [and Principals], Quickly
- ‘Nay, do not fly’ - Page, Mrs Page, Ford, Mrs Ford, Host, Bardolph, Nym, Pistol, Quickly, Evans
- ‘Yet, be cheerful, knight’ - Page, Mrs Page, Shallow, Slender, Simple, William, Caius, Robin, Rugby, Ford
- ‘My heart misgives me’ - Mrs Page, Chorus, Fenton, Anne, Page
- ‘Stand not amazed’ - Falstaff, Anne, Mrs Page, Mrs Ford, Quickly, Fenton, Pistol, Chorus [and remaining principals]
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.
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.