Though the operatic production in this release constitutes a version of Giuseppe Verdi's three-act commedia lirica Falstaff (1893), it isn't a stage production per se; rather, it was filmed on studio sets for German television in 1963. It stars Otto Edelmann as Shakespeare's famous corpulent knight, Sir John Falstaff, Hans Günter Grimm as Ford, Richard van Vrooman as Fenton and Erich Klaus as Dr. Cajus. The Wiener Symphoniker and Wiener Staatsoper lend added symphonic accompaniment, under the baton of Nello Santi; Annemarie Köhler designed the costumes; Max Bignens created the sets; and Hellmuth Matiasek directs for the stage. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi