A1 - Opera Assignment

Falstaff written by Giuseppe Verdi is a comedic opera based on the Shakespearian play The Merry Wives of Windsor. It stars the knight, Falstaff, in his failed attempts to woo two married women and con them out of their husband’s money. Although the opera is a delightfully upbeat tale with a jovial ending, it was not received nearly as well as Verdi’s other works. Due to being written during the end of his career, many of his fans and critics alike said that the opera did not contain as strong musical pieces as his earlier works. Verdi was also known mostly for his dramatic operas, and was seen incapable of writing something comedic. Although he more than proved he was capable of doing so, Falstaff was quickly forgotten after it’s first few showings, and was not fully respected until it was brought back years later with updated music and singers.

  Although this opera did not have much effect on the scene of operas as a whole, I feel as though it is an enjoyable experience nonetheless. It at least showed me in particular that operas could be more than just dramatic death scenes with bombastic overtures. The lighthearted nature of the opera also did a good job at adapting Shakespeare’s past idea of the character Falstaff. I also discovered that, although operas are several hours in length, they are shorter than traditional plays given that all their dialogue is portrayed through song. This meant that Verdi had to adapt the character of Falstaff and his story, while also cutting out pieces that Shakespeare had established in his own plays. Even though the story itself is rather simple, it fits well on the stage, and is an easy plotline to follow despite the language barrier. It also showed the stark differences between traditional stage plays and operas, which seem rather similar on a surface level. Certain elements from the same story work better or worse depending on the medium, so it was important for the respective writers to know the limitations of their craft.

The staging in the version I watched of Falstaff wasn’t all that spectacular. There were no grand effects or major light shows that accompanied the performance. However, there were smaller aspects of the misa en scene that were important as well. The main cast were all dressed in very bright colors throughout the opera, and all the props they were surrounded by where bright as well. This gave off an extra jovial undertone to the performance that was very stunning to watch in action. During the ending scenes where the women are pretending to be faery in the dense forest, the lighting is more sinister and freighting to portray his fear. When Alice’s husband thinks that she is really cheating on him, he’s backlit with somber grays to heighten his sadness and rising anger. Subtle changes in the lighting, costumes, and set pieces help set the tone of what is going on just as much as the actual performance does.

The most obvious use of misa en scene was the blocking of the actors. There are rarely any scenes in Falstaff where there’s only a single character on the stage at any given moment, unless they are seen in a state of distress. Other than that, the stage is loaded with an ensemble cast of singing men and women. The main women characters are usually in a group together, and they tend do run back and forth on stage while plotting against Falstaff. During the scene where Falstaff is hiding during the meeting with Alice, the stage is flooded with over a dozen people all looking for him. With every extra character added, the excitement bubbles, and the general feeling stays boisterous and loud. When the scene comes to a head with Anne being found behind the curtain, the extras all become quiet and step back, allowing the audience to hone on in the important aspects. Also, while the characters are all singing their lines, they tend to speak with their movements or hands in the process. With a full cast of characters that are very clearly having fun with their roles, it’s hard as an audience member to not have fun with them.

Traditional technology is not used very much in the performance, although there are smaller aspects that can be seen. The aforementioned lighting is an important technological aspect, as well as the acoustics of the singers and the quality of the music backing them. Along with that, the limitations of the stage work as a form of technology in itself. Set pieces are used and reused several times in the play to different effects, while the larger and more impressive pieces are saved for the larger scenes. The most grandiose scene by far is the last one, with a stage full of dark trees and the lighting serving as the faint moon peering between them. The actors themselves also become a piece of the technology. Every performer rushes out on stage in a myriad of bright fabrics and flowing scarves to give off the feeling of a powerful spiritual force. It works as well, if not better than a moving stage would in that scene.

Another interesting use of technology goes back to the midpoint in the play. Falstaff is hiding in a large hamper to escape Alice’s husband, which is pushed across stage by the ensemble cast. When the hamper is pushed out of the window, there’s a moment where an image of splashing water is projected onto the back of the stage. It’s also clear that there was some kind of alcove behind the certain where the actor and prop could safely fall without harm. It’s a small thing that only lasts for approximately half a minute, but I feel as thought it heightened the general experience of that scene. It momentarily tricks the audience into thinking there’s a sheer drop behind the stage, and makes you feel almost a bit sorry for Falstaff’s situation.

In attempting to recreate this story into the twenty-first century, and more specifically into a video game, I feel as thought the most obvious choice would be to make a dating simulation. The game could star the player looking through the eyes of Falstaff, and going through a text-based adventure where he tries to woo both women at once. He could also attempt to woo the two other supporting women as well, only to fail in similar ways. When confronted by Alice’s husband, the player would be presented options on how to react – either head on or through hiding. The choices made would dictate the story, and depending on how the player chooses to act in Falstaff’s scenario, it could wind up better or worse. Although it would seem like Falstaff is doing well through the eyes of the player, once the women reveal their plans to trick him, it would pull the wall over both the eyes of the character and the one controlling him on the other side. That way, when the story ends on the note of “life is a jest”, it would be a jest for more than simply the fictional characters.

I’m disheartened to learn that this opera performed poorly on release, because I personally enjoyed it quite a bit. As both a fan of Shakespeare’s works and of comedy in general, it generally entertained me through the whole performance. I don’t think there were any melodies in particular that stood out all that much, but the opera worked as a whole, which is what really matters. I’m glad that people at least enjoy this more in hindsight, and that it’s finally getting the type of recognition it deserves.

Citations

Kerman, Joseph, and Dyneley Hussey. “Giuseppe Verdi.” Encyclopædia Britannica,

Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 23 Jan. 2019, www.britannica.com/biography/Giuseppe-Verdi#ref57045.