The Merry Wives Of Windsor

About

This 1957 staging formed part of the annual John Lewis Partnership opera programme, run by the John Lewis Partnership Music Society and presented in collaboration with the Chelsea Opera Group (COG). The singers and staging were provided by the John Lewis Partnership, with the orchestra supplied by COG. The opera was conducted by Colin Davis and staged by Anthony Besch. Typical of the period and the amateur partnership context, the presentation was concert-style or minimally staged. Performances took place over four successive evenings in April 1957 in the restaurant of the Peter Jones department store at Sloane Square, where the John Lewis Operas were held until 1960. Nicolai’s The Merry Wives of Windsor was an unusual choice in England at the time, reflecting the series’ reputation for rare repertoire.