Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor (Opera) Plot & Characters

Overview

Synopsis

Otto Nicolai鈥檚 comic singspiel Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor is a German retelling of Shakespeare鈥檚 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, Sp盲rlich (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鈥檚 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

Lead Characters

View all characters in Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor

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 鈥楴ein! Das ist wirklich doch zu keck鈥� - Frau Fluth, Frau Reich

Scene 3

Dialogue 鈥楴un, liebe Herren鈥� - Herr Fluth. Herr Reich, Sp盲rlich, Dr. Cajus

Scene 4

Dialogue 鈥榁erg枚nnt mir ein Wort, Herr Reich!鈥� - Fenton, Herr Reich
No. 2 Recitative and Duet 鈥楽o geht indes hinein鈥� and 鈥楨urer Tochter鈥� - Herr Reich, Dr. Cajus, Sp盲rlich, Fenton

Scene 5

No. 3 Recitative and Aria 鈥楴un eilt herbei, Witz, heitere Laune鈥� and 鈥榁erf眉hrer! Warum鈥� - Frau Fluth

Scene 6

Dialogue 鈥楴un, Frau Gevatterin, ist alles fertig?鈥� - Frau Reich, Frau Fluth

Scene 7 - 11

No. 4 Finale 鈥楽o hab ich Dich errungen鈥� - Falstaff, Frau Fluth, Frau Reich, Herr Fluth, Herr Reich, Dr. Cajus, Chorus

Act Two

Scene 1

Dialogue 鈥橩ellner! Hol die Pest鈥� - Falstaff, Kellner

Scene 2

Dialogue 鈥楬abt Ihr gerufen, Sir John?鈥� - Kellner, Falstaff

Scene 3

Dialogue 鈥楬a, da kommen schon die Herren Burgen zum Morgentrunk鈥� - Kellner, Erster B眉rger, Zweiter B眉rger, B眉rgers
No. 5 Song with Chorus 鈥楢ls B眉blien klien鈥� - Falstaff, Ein B眉rger
Dialogue 鈥業ch - halte - ich鈥� - Erster B眉rger, Falstaff, Dritter B眉rger, Vierter B眉rger

Scene 4

Dialogue 鈥榁erzeiht, Sir John!鈥� - Kellner, Falstaff

Scene 5

No. 6 Recitative and Buffo Duet 鈥楪ott gr眉ss Euch, Sir!鈥� and 鈥業n einen W盲schkorb?鈥� - Herr Fluth. Falstaff

Scene 6-7

No. 7a Scene 鈥楧ies ist die Stunde鈥� - Sp盲rlich, Dr. Cajus, Fenton

Scene 8

No. 7b Romance 鈥楬orch, die Lerche singt鈥� - Fenton

Scene 9

No. 7c Duet 鈥楩enton! Mein M盲dchen!鈥� - Fenton, Anna
No. 7d Quartet 鈥楤est眉rmen denn die l盲st鈥檊en Freier鈥� - Fenton, Anna, Sp盲rlich, Dr. Cajus

Scene 10

Dialogue 鈥楲iebe Frau Fluth!鈥� - Falstaff, Frau Fluth

Scene 11

Dialogue 鈥楿m Gottes willen, Frau Gevatterin鈥� - Frau Reich, Frau Fluth, Falstaff

Scene 12

No. 8 Duet 鈥楽o! Jetzt h盲tt ich ihn gefangen鈥� - Herr Fluth, Frau Fluth, Two Servants

Scene 13-15

No. 9 Finale 鈥楳acht aug, Herr Fluth鈥� - Sp盲rlich, Herr Fluth, Herr Reich, Frau Fluth, Dr. Cajus, Falstaff, Frau Reich

Act Three

Scene 1

Dialogue 鈥楲iebster Engel, wirst du mir jemals vergeben k枚nnen?鈥� - Herr Fluth, Frau Fluth, Herr Reich, Frau Reich
No. 10 Ballad 鈥榁om J盲ger Herne鈥� - Frau Reich
Dialogue 鈥楪ut, liebe Frau, und was gedenkst du zu tun?鈥� - Herr Reich, Frau Reich, Herr Fluth, Frau Fluth

Scene 2

Dialogue 鈥楿nd nun, liebes Kind鈥� - Frau Reich, Anna

Scene 3

Dialogue 鈥楴ein, liebe Mutter鈥� - Anna, Herr Reich

Scene 4

Dialogue 鈥楨inen gl眉cklichen Zufall konnte es nicht geben!鈥� - Anna
No. 11 Recitative and Aria 鈥榃ohl denn! Gefasst ist der Entschluss鈥� and 鈥楽o schweb ich Dir, Geliebter, zu鈥� - Anna

Scene 5

Dialogue 鈥業m Pavillon werden wohl schon鈥� - Herr Fluth, Herr Reich, Sp盲rlich

Scene 6

Dialogue 鈥楨s ist bald Mitternacht鈥� - Frau Fluth, Frau Reich, Dr. Cajus
No. 12 鈥極 s眉sser Mond鈥� - Chorus

Scene 7-8

No. 13 Trio 鈥楧ie Glocke schlug schon鈥� - Falstaff, Frau Fluth, Frau Reich

Scene 9-12

No. 14 Chorus and Elf-Dance 鈥業hr Elfen weiss und rot und grau鈥� - Chorus, Anna, Fenton, Herr Reich

Scene 13

No. 15 Mosquito Dance and Chorus - Chorus, Falstaff, Herr Reich, Sp盲rlich, Dr. Cajus
No. 16 Dance and Chorus 鈥楩asst ihn, Geister鈥� - Herr Reich, Chorus

Scene 14

Dialogue 鈥楬alt, Verrater!鈥� - Herr Fluth, Frau Fluth, Frau Reich, Falstaff

Scene 15

Dialogue 鈥楬e, holla!, Vater Reich!鈥� - Sp盲rlich, Dr. Cajus, Herr Reich

Scene 16

Dialogue 鈥榁erzeihung, lieber Vater, liebe Mutter!鈥� - Anna, Herr Reich, Frau Reich, Fenton, Anna, Sp盲rlich, Dr. Cajus
No. 17 Trio and Finale 鈥楽o hat denn der Schwank鈥� - 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

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