Falstaff (SACD)

Following his acclaimed recording of Britten's Peter Grimes, Sir Colin Davis and the LSO are joined by a magnificent cast led by Michele Pertusi for a spectacular performance of Verdi's comic masterpiece. Recorded during the LSO's centenary celebrations in 2004, Falstaff is one of LSO Live's finest releases to date.

Rewievs: 

GRAMMY AWARD WINNNER

- Best Opera

Editor's Choice

Gramophone

CD of the Week

BBC Radio 3 CD Review

'If it wasn't obvious before, then it is now. The LSO Live label is the recording phenomenon of the decade. Here's a conductor at the height of his powers with an orchestra on top form, here's singing so exciting it would make a piece of sandpaper moist, here's the crackling energy of a live performance captured brilliantly. Pertusi is simply stunning as the Fat Knight - bombastic, arrogant and yet touchingly vulnerable too. A must-hear.'

Classic FM Magazine

' ... the most exhilarating account of the opera ... Pertusi is brilliant in the title-role, bluff and powerful, with his voice cleanly focused over the widest expressive range - now biting, now soothing, now full of fun. Ana Ibarra as Alice Ford leads a superb team of women soloists, phenomenally precise in their chattering ensembles. Above all, the liveness of the experience adds to the electricity ... An astonishing bargain'

The Guardian

'Hard on the heels of their magnificent Peter Grimes, Sir Colin Davis and the LSO unite with a fine array of soloists to bring all the requisite wit, sparkle and poignancy to Verdi's Shakespearean masterpiece. Pertusi is outstanding in the title role ... this rates as one of LSO Live's finest releases to date, even by the in-house label's own high standards.'

The Observer

'This is a feast ... one to set beside their Trojans as a monument to the partnership between Davis and the orchestra. Their playing has an energy, finesse and sense of delight in the ever-amazing score that is intoxicating. Davis, always a great Falstaff interpreter, surpasses himself. Michele Pertusi, the excellent Falstaff ... Ana Ibara's Alice and Carlos Alvarez's Ford are outstanding'

The Sunday Times

'an absolute gem ... equaling the best on the market. Colin Davis gets such well-articulated playing from the LSO that students of orchestral writing could actually learn from listening ... the women are wonderful. As the madly jealous Ford, baritone Carlos Alvarez almost walks away with the show. It doesn't hurt that he has the longest and most dramatic aria in the piece, which is sung and nuanced perfectly. Listening to his hysteria mount is a real delight. Pertusi's a terrific, smart, colorful Falstaff. And this is a terrific, smart, colorful Falstaff, captured with great sonic impact and immediacy.'

Performance 10 Sound 10

ClassicsToday.com

'Verdi's great explosion of laughter at the end of his astonishing career has always been a Davis speciality ... it preserves another classic Davis ensemble performance, with yet another Italian crucially cast in the title-role ... it's unbeatable.'

International Record Review