Falstaff
- Synopsis
- Elgar’s symphonic study is performed by the BBC Orchestra conducted by Sir Adrian Boult.
- Series
- Sunday Evening Concert
- Language
- English
- Country
- Great Britain
- Medium
- Radio
- Transmission details
- 16 Oct 1938 at 19:14 (Channel: BBC Regional Programme)
- Duration
- 46 mins
- Availability
- No archive copy known
Credits
- Music
- Edward Elgar
- Contributor
- Adrian Boult
Additional Details
- Production type
- Other
- Plays
- Henry IV Part 1; Henry IV Part 2; Merry Wives of Windsor, The
- Subjects
- Drama; Music
- Keywords
- Shakespeare, William (1564-1616)
Notes
- General
- Elgar had long admired Shakespeare’s plays and, when approached to write a piece for the 1913 Leeds Festival, chose to compose a symphonic portrayal of Falstaff. The character had been tackled before, most notably by Verdi in his opera, but Elgar considered the image of Falstaff as a bumbling buffoon to be too superficial. The complex orchestral piece seeks to give a greater psychological insight into Falstaff’s character. The symphonic study was first performed at Leeds Festival on 1 October 1913 with Elgar himself conducting.
- History
- Broadcast as part of the BBC ‘Sunday Evening Concert’ slot.
Production Company
- Name
BBC
- Notes
- The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
How to cite this record
Shakespeare, "Falstaff". https://learningonscreen.ac.uk/shakespeare/search/index.php/title/av37796 (Accessed 17 Nov 2024)