Falstaff : Karajan / Vienna Philharmonic, Gobbi, Schwarzkopf, etc (1957 Mono)(2CD)

GIUSEPPE VERDI:
Falstaff

Tito Gobbi ......Falstaff
Elisabeth Schwarzkopf ......Alice Ford
Anna Maria Canali ......Meg Page
Anna Moffo ......Nanetta
Giulietta Simionato ......Mistress Quickly
Rolando Panerai ......Ford
Luigi Alva ......Fenton
Tomaso Spataro ......Dr. Cajus
Renato Ercolani ......Bardolfo
Mario Petri ......Pistola
Vienna State Opera Chorus
Vienna Philharmonic
Herbert von Karajan, conductor

Live Recording 1957, Salzburg Festival (mono)

Falstaff sparkles with Italianate brio and temperament, qualities due not least to Karajan's cast of singers imported from Milan. At their head is Tito Gobbi as Shakespeare's fat knight, his performance capturing not only the comedy and down-at-heel disreputability of the character but also his innate nobility.