Falstaff is yet another in the series of the composer's masterpieces based on Shakespeare's literary material.  Its content rests on the comedy The Merry Wives of Windsor and the scenes from the play about the reign of Henry IV.   By combining the two dramatic works, librettist Arrigo Boita managed to outshine the basic farce Shakespeare wrote in haste at the behest of Queen Elizabeth I. Despite the initial doubts that Verdi (then eighty years old) was incapable of composing a successful comic opera, Falstaff was received enthusiastically at its premiere on 9 February 1893 at Teatro alla Scala in Milan. The composer also considered the opera his most exceptional work; as such, it remains a part of the regular repertoire in opera houses worldwide.