On Dec. 3rd, 6th, 8th and 10th, 2017, a co-production of the NCPA and Wiener Staatsoper—comic opera Falstaff, composed by Giuseppe Verdi, will be presented for audiences. At preview event on Nov. 22nd, singers of Falstaff jointly showed excerpts of Act II, Scene II.

Act II, Scene II takes place in the living room of Ford’s home. Falstaff dressed in costume, played by baritone Roberto de Candia, goes to a secret meeting with Mrs. Meg Page (played by mezzo-soprano Lilly Jørsyad). Unexpectedly, the whole tryst is a trap set up by many persons. With the sudden appearance of Ford (played by baritone Filippo Polinelli), the scenario enters an intense phase. In so much hurry and confusion, Falstaff hides in a case of dirty clothes, while others put the case into the Thames River using the excuse of helping Falstaff escape from the chaos. Meanwhile, Fenton (played by tenor SHI Yijie) is also unmannerly driven away by Ford amid chaos, thereby adding to the ebb and flow of their emotional connections. Throughout the compact storyline, many people, such as panicked Falstaff, angry and hot-tempered Ford, scheming Meg Page, are vividly expressed.

With the ups and downs of the plots, the music is also well-arranged. Many solos and choruses intertwine, but always maintaining a relaxed atmosphere. Singers' sophisticated performance had endowed everybody with plenty of expectations for the final presentation of opera Falstaff on stage.

From NCPA, photo by Ling Feng.