Falstaff

After the huge success of Otello the Scala ordered a new - possibly a comic - opera from Giuseppe Verdi.
"I've been looking for a good comic opera libretto for 40 years" - Verdi replied.
Boito, Verdi's librettist handed over the draft of Falstaff to the master in the Summer of 1889. Verdi read Shakespeare's The Merry Wives of Windsor and Henry the 4th and said: "This Falstaff or Merry Wives that was only a dream 2 days ago starts to come to life. But when? How? Have you thought of my age? It would be to risky to undertake this job. What if weariness wins and I will not be able to finish the composition?"

Boito managed to convince Verdi that Falstaff is bound to become a masterpiece.