Verdi : Falstaff. Maestri, Gatti.

   in Opera Now (Nov, 2012)
As a record of the 2011 Opernhaus Zürich production of Falstaff this Blu-ray recording does the job very well, but there is a Swiss efficiency about the performance that robs it of any great sense of charm, humour or personality. Sven- Eric Bechtolf ‘s staging is prosaic and straightforward, its only interesting innovation being to freeze-frame some characters in order to allow others their moment of focus. It’s a shame, as Ambrogio Maestri as Falstaffis characterful, witty and engaging with a generous voice to match. Barbara Frittoli’s well-sung Alice Ford is often overly arch, and of the remaining singers I particularly liked Javier Camarena’s sweet-toned Fenton. The remaining cast is good, …