Operatic comedies have never enjoyed the success of the tragedies and melodramas that are so familiar. Yes, Rossini's Barber of Seville and a handful of Donizetti comic operas hold the stage fairly well, Mozart's extremely well. And there are three comic operas that are among the finest of all works for the lyric stage: Mozart's Le Nozze di Figaro, Strauss's Der Rosenkavalier and Verdi's Falstaff. Though it's difficult to imagine three more different operas, they do have one thing in common: They are not merely funny. Each has a generous sense of humanity

Figaro is performed regularly, even by amateur companies. Rosenkavalier requires a huge orchestra and a large cast and singers of uncommon power and refinement. Still, its sensuous and beautiful tunes make Rosenkavalier a favourite with audiences where there is a company capable of mounting it.

Falstaff is Verdi's last and most perfect opera. The composer of Rigoletto, La Traviata, Aida and Otello was a very old man by the time he wrote it. He was wealthy and already counted among the immortals of music. For what may have been the first time, he wrote exactly what he wanted with no consideration of what the public expected from him. The result was a work of incomparable beauty and subtlety, but one that has never been particularly popular and is seldom produced except in major operatic centres.

Without going too deeply into the reasons for this, it is interesting to note that Falstaff is the only opera in which Verdi didn't make use of discreet numbers like arias or trios. Indeed, he seems to have been having fun here and there in the score where a character settles into what seems to be the beginning of an aria, only to have it interrupted and never resumed after just a few measures.

There are three or four DVD recordings of Falstaff. On the basis of their casts, conductors and directors, they are probably all pretty good. This version, based on the 1980 Salzburg Festival production is the only one I've seen, however, and it's hard to imagine that the others could be much better.

Giuseppe Taddei is a rewarding Sir John Falstaff. Though he was in his 60s at the time, his singing has all the power and focus anyone could ask and his portrayal of the old ass is an utter delight.

The other principals, for the most part, prove worthy colleagues. Only Raina Kabaivanska disappoints. Her Slavic wobble doesn't suit the role of Mrs. Ford very well. Christa Ludwig, on the other hand, is terrific as Mrs.Quickly. The many fine qualities of her singing provide ideal support for her feisty characterization.

For sheer vocal beauty, no one outdoes Janet Perry as Nannetta. She is espcially pleasing in some of the complex ensembles during which her exquisite sound enobles the whole enterprise.

Conductor Herbert von Karajan is in a relaxed mode, for him at least. There is an overall glow to the music and the geniality of Verdi's score is wonderfully developed. Karajan was also responsible for the fluid stage direction which always seems apt but seldom calls attention to itself. The other production values, particularly the set design, are of the high quality and appeal one would expect from the Salzburg Festival.

This is exactly the kind of enterprise that makes opera on video worthwhile.