Falstaff by Verdi, Sat 13 Apr 2002, From (2002/2002), Directed by Franco Zeffirelli, Conductor James Levine, Metropolitan Opera House, New York City, United States

This great comedy demands a magnificent cast and a superb conductor, who can bring out all the sparkling colors of Verdi’s last score, while allowing the singers to project the nuances of their characters. James Levine not only meets the challenge, he also conveys his affection for this unique masterpiece. Bryn Terfel is Shakespeare’s fat knight, determined to woo both Alice Ford (Marina Mescheriakova) and Meg Page (Susanne Mentzer) even though they are both already married. But he’s no match for the scheming Stephanie Blythe (Dame Quickly). With Dwayne Croft as the outraged Ford.