A purchaser's review:

"There are several great recordings of this wonderful opera. In order to be a great recording, I think the following criteria must be met - more or less in the order shown: (1), above average audio; (2), a great conductor and a great actor/singer for the eponymous lead; (3), excellent actor/singers for (Master) Ford and Quickly; (4) elegant and youthful sounding singers for Fenton and Nannetta; (5), an above average orchestra. The remaining singers should not be sub-par, but can be variable without having too serious an impact - if the first five criteria are met.

I believe that there are at least three recordings that meet these requirements: Serafin Verdi: Falstaff--2 Historic Performances, v. Karajan Verdi: Falstaff and this recording. Each of these recordings has one or two irritating flaws; but their many virtues still allow for great pleasure, and, considered together, they offer a wonderful complementary vision of the ideal. It is hard not to include either of the two recordings conducted by Toscanini, whose conducting of Verdi normally establishes the standard for greatness; however, the sound of the 1937 Salzburg performance is just too dismal to allow enjoyment, and the casting of the routiniers Valdengo and Guarerra as Falstaff and Ford, along with dry sounding audio, and a relatively stiff and humorless approach by the Maestro in the 1950 broadcast, significantly reduce the impact of the work. If you are a fan of Toscanini, allow me to make amends by bringing to your attention a two disc set of Toscanini's rehearsals Toscanini Conducts Verdi's Falstaff for the broadcast - which offers the only recorded version (that I know of) of one of the volcanic Maestro's eruptions (occasioned by Guarerra addressing him as "Signore" rather than the more usual honorific "Maestro" during a discussion they were having).

This recording is of a live performance from La Scala in either 1951 or 1952 (see footnote below), and the audio quality is nowhere near modern standards. On a scale of 10, I would give it a five or six - listenable but murky, but better than the other recordings of the performance that I have heard.

One of the stars of this performance is Mariano Stabile (April 12, 1888 - Jan. 11,1968), who had been coached for the role by both Toscanini and Giuseppe De Luca for the reopening of La Scala in 1921 and made it one of his signature roles - singing it nearly 1,200 times in his long career. As Alan Blythe archly suggests: If "la donna e mobile" then "Falstaff e Stabile". Although he was either 63 or 64 when this performance was recorded (since his voice had never been either large in volume or rich in texture) his portrayal (which was based more or characterization than vocalization) was not impacted severely by the effects of aging. His first serious teacher, Antonio Cotogni, had advised him to sing mainly lyrical roles, straying into the more dramatic roles only when interpretation was more important than vocalizing. To hear Stabile in this recording, even in mediocre sound, and at the end of his career, is revelatory. His subtle inflections and intonations add an entire new level of understanding of not only the fat knight's fatuous vanity and total amorality, but also the melancholy fragility of a proud man who once was the boon companion of Prince Hal and is now an old and impecunious bar-fly (or its Tudor equivalent). Harold Rosenthal stated that "To have heard Stabile simply speak the text would have been enough..." I heartily concur!

Stabile is very ably partnered and supported by de Vittorio de Sabata (April 10, 1892 - December 11, 1967). Whereas most conductors have followed Toscanini's precedents almost note for note in shaping and pacing, de Sabata had some individual ideas regarding balance and emphasis - which give his performance a fresh and very lyrical quality lacking in both v. Karajan's and Toscanini's recordings. I have seldom heard a La Scala orchestra play with such precision and vitality. If only the sound were better!

Paolo Silveri (December 28, 1913 - July 3, 2001) has a generous voice (somewhat limited in range and color) and sings very well. Cloe Elmo (April 10, 1912 - May 24, 1962) turns in her usual fine performance as Quickly - very similar to her earlier portrayals on the Toscanini and Serafin recordings, and performances with Reiner at the Met (1949).

Cesare Valletti (December 18, 1922 - May 13, 2000) evidently profited from his lessons with Tito Schipa. His Fenton is youthful and ardent with an elegant, soaring line.

Alda Noni (April 13, 1916) is not much remembered today, but was a highly regarded soprano for soubrette roles in the `40's and early 50's. Her voice had a slightly hard and wiry characteristic, which worsened over time - especially in the higher register; but she sounds quite lovely here (except in the high notes of Act III).

Renata Tebaldi (February 1, 1922 - December 19, 2004) does an expectedly beautiful job singing Mistress Ford, managing to instill considerable character in her role and even executing a creditable trill.

The Cajus of Mariano Caruso (no relation or vocal similarity), the Bardolfo of Giuseppe Nessi, and the Pistol (who was Silvio Maionica in 1951 and Italo Tajo in 1952) are all very good.

A truly great performance in mediocre sound; I wouldn't care to be without it - but you should make your own choice on how important sound quality is to you."