Luigi Alva Made Met Opera Debut in Zeffirelli’s Falstaff Production

Summary: Luigi Alva made his Met Opera debut in Zeffirelli’s Falstaff production, which also marked the Italian designer and director’s debut.

Italian designer, director and producer Franco Zeffirelli with the cast of his Met Opera debut production of Verdi’s Falstaff; Luigi Alva to Zeffirelli’s right and Leonard Bernstein (fourth to Zeffirelli’s right): Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli Onlus @fondazionefrancozeffirelli, via Facebook Aug. 29, 2019

Luigi Alva made his Met Opera debut in Zeffirelli’s Falstaff production, which, staged in the 1963-1964 season, also marked the Italian designer, director and producer’s debut at the opera house.

Peruvian operatic tenor Luigi Alva (born April 10, 1927) made his Metropolitan Opera debut March 6, 1964, as Fenton in the opera house’s 67th performance of Falstaff by 19th-century Italian opera composer Giuseppe Verdi (Oct. 10, 1813-Jan. 27, 1901). Alva shared his debut with the production’s director and designer, Italian designer, director and producer Franco Zeffirelli (Feb. 12, 1923-June 15, 2019), and with the production’s conductor, American composer, conductor and pianist Leonard Bernstein (Aug. 25, 1918-Oct. 14, 1990).

The new production received 15 performances in the 1963-1964 Met Opera season. Alva sang the role of the earnest, young suitor of wealthy merchant’s daughter Nannetta Ford in all performances.

Alva returned in the following season, 1964-1965, as Fenton for Falstaff’s first revival. He shared the role with American operatic tenor George Shirley (born April 18, 1934). Alva sang Fenton in the first six of the season’s eight performances.

The Metropolitan Opera staged the second revival in the next season, 1965-1966. George Shirley sang Fenton in the season’s first two performances. Alva appeared as Fenton in the last six of the season’s performances.

The third revival took place in the 1967-1968 season. Alva sang in seven of the season’s 10 performances. George Shirley appeared as Fenton in the seventh through ninth performances.

The fourth revival took place in the 1972-1972 season. Alva sang Fenton in all of the season’s nine performances.

Alva closed his five seasons as Fenton in the fourth revival. His last performance, on closing night, June 13, 1972, marked his last appearance as Fenton at the Metropolitan Opera.

After Alva’s last Fenton, the Metropolitan Opera staged six more revivals (1974-1975, 1985-1986, 1992-1993, 1995-1996, 2001-2002, 2005-2006) of Falstaff over the next 34 seasons. The opera house retired Zeffirelli’s production after the 2005-2006 season.

The last performance of Zeffirelli’s Falstaff took place Oct. 22, 2005. The final performance numbered as the production’s 109th and as the Metropolitan Opera’s 175th performance of Verdi’s Falstaff.

Luigi Alva appeared as Fenton in 43 of the Zeffirelli production’s 109 performances. Verdi’s Falstaff was the only one of Zeffirelli’s 11 Met Opera productions in which Alva performed.

Alva’s Met Opera career encompassed eight roles in eight operas. He performed in two operas by 19th-century Italian bel canto opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848), two operas by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791), two operas by 19th-century Italian composer Gioachino Rossini (Feb. 29, 1792-Nov. 13, 1868) and two Verdi operas.

Alva made his second Met Opera role debut in his Met Opera debut season, 1963-1964. He fit two performances as Don Ottavio in Mozart’s Don Giovanni in between the ninth and 12 performances of his debut role as Falstaff.

Alva made his third Met Opera role debut in the following season, 1964-1965. He sang Ernesto in Don Pasquale, his first Donizetti opera at Met Opera.

Alva’s fourth Met Opera role debut occurred in the next season, 1965-1966. He appeared as Count Almaviva in Il Barbiere di Siviglia, his first Rossini opera at the opera house.

Alva made his fifth Met Opera role debut two seasons later, in 1967-1968. He sang Prince Tamino in Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte.

Also in the 1967-1968 season, Alva marked his sixth role debut. He appeared as Alfredo in his second Verdi opera at the opera house, La Traviata.

In the 1971-1972 season, Alva made his seventh role debut at the Metropolitan Opera. He sang Nemorino in his second Donizetti opera at the Metropolitan Opera, L’Elisir d’Amore.

Alva’s eighth role debut at Met Opera occurred in the 1973-1974 season. He appeared as Lindoro in L’Italiana in Algeri, his second Rossini opera at the opera house.

Alva claimed his third role debut, as Donizetti’s Ernesto, for his last season at the Metropolitan Opera. His last performance at the opera house took place on Feb. 3, 1975, during the 1974-1975 season.

Luigi Alva was born in Paita in northwestern Peru. After a stint in the Peruvian Navy, he studied with Peruvian composer and music teacher Rosa Mercedes Ayarza de Morales (July 8, 1881-May 2, 1969) at the Conservatorio Nacional de Música in Peru’s central coastal capital of Lima. He Italianized his birth name of Luis Ernesto Alva y Talledo as Luigi Alva for his operatic career.

The takeaways for Luigi Alva’s Met Opera debut in Zeffirelli’s Falstaff production are that the Peruvian operatic tenor shared his debut with the production’s director and designer, Franco Zeffirelli, and conductor, Leonard Bernstein, and that Alva’s Met Opera career spanned almost 11 years and encompassed eight roles.

Franco Zeffirelli directed the 1963-1964 Met Opera season’s new production of Verdi’s Falstaff and also designed the production’s costumes and sets: Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli Onlus @fondazionefrancozeffirelli, via Facebook March 6, 2019

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Italian designer, director and producer Franco Zeffirelli with the cast of his Met Opera debut production of Verdi’s Falstaff; Luigi Alva to Zeffirelli’s right and Leonard Bernstein (fourth to Zeffirelli’s right): Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli Onlus @fondazionefrancozeffirelli, via Facebook Aug. 29, 2019, @ https://www.facebook.com/fondazionefrancozeffirelli/photos/a.521465231522293/924492051219607/

Franco Zeffirelli directed the 1963-1964 Met Opera season’s new production of Verdi’s Falstaff and also designed the production’s costumes and sets: Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli Onlus @fondazionefrancozeffirelli, via Facebook March 6, 2019, @ https://www.facebook.com/fondazionefrancozeffirelli/photos/a.521465231522293/826992214302925/

For further information:

“Debuts: Luigi Alva, Leonard Bernstein, Franco Zeffirelli.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 197440 New Production Falstaff {67} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/6/1964.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=197440

Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli Onlus @fondazionefrancozeffirelli. “New York, Metropolitan Opera House, 55 anni fa. Va in scena il Falstaff di Verdi. 'Il compito che avevo di fronte mi era graditissimo: Rudolf Bing aveva scelto Falstaff come ultimo allestimento al vecchio Metropolitan, prima che il teatro si trasferisse al Lincoln Center. A parte l’onore e il significato di questo invito, ero ansioso di poter finalmente lavorare a New York e con un direttore esaltante come Leonard Bernstein.' FZ Ogni ultimo sabato del mese, visite guidate a cura del personale del museo https://bit.ly/2Rjeqif.” Facebook. March 6, 2019.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/fondazionefrancozeffirelli/photos/a.521465231522293/826992214302925/

Fondazione Franco Zeffirelli Onlus @fondazionefrancozeffirelli. “Zeffirelli in America . . . in autunno con L’Archivio Mai Visto.” Facebook. Aug. 29, 2019.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/fondazionefrancozeffirelli/photos/a.521465231522293/924492051219607/

Kennedy, Michael; and Joyce Bourne. “Alva, Luigi.” The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music: 16. Fourth edition. Oxford, United Kingdom; New York NY: 1996, 2004.

“Luigi Alva: Last Performance.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 240420 Don Pasquale {79} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/3/1975.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=240420

Marriner, Derdriu. “Falstaff Is the March 16, 2019, Met Opera Saturday Matinee Broadcast.” Earth and Space News. Monday, March 11, 2019.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2019/03/falstaff-is-march-16-2019-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. “Franco Zeffirelli Made His Met Opera Debut in Staging Verdi’s Falstaff.” Earth and Space News. Monday, June 1, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/06/franco-zeffirelli-made-his-met-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Only Two of 11 Zeffirelli Productions Are Still Revived at Met Opera." Earth and Space News. Monday, May 25, 2020.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2020/05/only-two-of-11-zeffirelli-productions.html

“New Production: Falstaff.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 197440 New Production Falstaff {67} Metropolitan Opera House: 03/6/1964.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=197440