The bicentenary of the birth of Michael William Balfe in Dublin in 1808 is being celebrated with concert performances of two of his operas. But while The Bohemian Girl is well known to Irish audiences, Balfe's setting of Falstaff, which has not been performed for over a century, is a completely unknown quantity.

Thought to be based on Cervantes' novel La Gitanilla, The Bohemian Girl is a romantic tale about the daughter of an Austrian nobleman who is kidnapped by gypsies. At the RDS on Sunday, an all-star Irish cast will include Ailish Tynan (soprano), Robin Tritschler (tenor), Fiona Murphy, John Molloy, Damian Smith and Paul McNamara. The RDS Opera Orchestra and Our Lady's Choral Society will be conducted by Proinnsias O Duinn. The performance takes place at 3.30pm. There will also be an exhibition about Balfe's life and work in the foyer of the RDS on the afternoon of the performance.

Meanwhile, Opera Ireland has just announced its intention to mount a performance of Falstaff on Thursday, September 25th, at the National Concert Hall, as well as making the first-ever commercially available recording of the work for release by Lyric FM in December. Balfe's setting of the Shakespeare play was a huge success on its premiere in 1838, but has since vanished into the mists of musical history.

The Opera Ireland production will feature the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the National Chamber Choir, with Sam McElroy as Ford, Majella Cullagh as Mrs Ford; the cast also features Marcel Vanaud, Tara Erraught and Edel O'Brien.