British Universities Film & Video Council

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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)

Record Stats

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