Nicolai The Merry Wives of Windsor

Otto Nicolai became one of the few "one-hit wonders" among classical composers. Although some of his operas had success during his lifetime, it is really only his final opera, The Merry Wives of Windsor, that has become a repertory item, and then for the most part only in German-speaking countries. This tuneful and lighthearted overture is probably the only Nicolai music that most people have heard. It was difficult at first to find a stage that was willing to mount the opera, but following the premiere at the Hofoper in Berlin on 9 March 1849 under the baton of the composer, it achieved great success and its popularity continues to this day.