very popular at the time. On the romantic side are the love scenes between Anna and Fenton, the ghost and elf music and, naturally, the moonrise. The opera buffa element comes into play with the figure of Falstaff, the husbands, and both of the suitors spurned by Anna. Noted arias "Horch, die Lerche singt im Hain" ("Hark! The lark sings in the grove") (Fenton) "Als Büblein klein an der Mutter Brust" ("As a little rascal on my mother's breast") (Falstaff) "Nun eilt herbei" ("Now hurry here") (Frau Fluth) "Wie freu' ich mich" ("How pleased I am") (Falstaff and Herr Fluth) Instrumentation The opera is scored for two flutes (second doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, tenor drum, triangle, harp, strings, plus offstage harp and offstage bell in G. Adaptations A 1950 East German film adaptation The Merry Wives of Windsor directed by Georg Wildhagen A 1965 Austrian–British film adaptation The Merry Wives of Windsor directed by Georg Tressler Recordings Capriccio 60094: Franz Hawlata, Dietrich Henschel, Heinz Zednik, Juliane Banse, Regina Klepper; Landesjugendchor NRW; WDR Rundfunkorchester Köln; Helmuth Froschauer, conductor Deutsche Grammophon 2740 159: Edith Mathis, Hanna Schwarz, Kurt Moll, Bernd Weikl, Siegfried Vogel, Peter Schreier, Claude Dormoy; Chorus of the Staatsoper; Berlin Staatskapelle; Bernhard Klee, conductor, 1976 Decca D86D 3: Helen Donath, Karl Ridderbusch, Wolfgang Brendel, Lilian Sukis; Bavarian Radio Chorus; Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra; Rafael Kubelík, conductor EMI 29 0940 3: Gottlob Frick, Ernst Gutstein, Kieth Engen, Fritz Wunderlich, Edith Mathis; Chorus and orchestra of the Bavarian State Opera; Robert Heger, conductor Preiser PR90208, Cantus Classics, Aura LRC 1118, Wilhelm Strienz, Georg Hann, Ludwig Windisch, Walter Ludwig, Lore Hoffmann, Irma Beilke, Marie Luise Schilp, Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, Choir of the Städtische Oper Berlin, Artur Rother, conductor, 1943. References Further reading Otto Nicolai, Die lustigen Weiber von Windsor: komisch-phantastische Oper in drei Akten. Full score. Leipzig: C. F. Peters, n.d. External links Libretto at opera-guide.ch Discography at operone.de Opera in a Nutshell, music samples (MIDI) 1849 operas Opera world premieres at the Berlin State Opera German-language operas Operas Operas by Otto Nicolai Singspiele Operas based on The Merry Wives of Windsor Operas adapted into films