Otello
Otello is an Italian opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi. The libretto is by Arrigo Boito, based on William Shakespeare's play Othello. It was first performed at La Scala in Milan on February 5, 1887. The work is widely regarded as one of the greatest of music-dramas. Famous interpreters of the role have included Mario Del Monaco, Jon Vickers and Placido Domingo.
Principal characters
Discography
- 1931-32: Nicola Fusati (Otello), Maria Carbone (Desdemona), Apollo Granforte (Iago), Corrado Zambelli (Lodovico); Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Carlo Sabajno - (Arkadia)
- 1947: Ramón Vinay (Otello), Herva Nelli (Desdemona), Giuseppe Valdengo (Iago), Nicola Moscona (Lodovico); NBC Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Arturo Toscanini - (RCA Victor)
- 1951: Ramón Vinay (Otello), Dragica Martinis (Desdemona), Paul Schöffler (Iago), Josef Greindl (Lodovico); Chor der Wiener Staatsoper, Wiener Philharmoniker, Wilhelm Furtwängler - (EMI Classics)
- 1954: Mario Del Monaco (Otello), Renata Tebaldi (Desdemona), Aldo Protti (Iago), Fernando Corena (Lodovico); Orchestra e Coro dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia, Alberto Erede - (Decca)
- 1960: Jon Vickers (Otello), Leonie Rysanek (Desdemona), Tito Gobbi (Iago), Ferruccio Mazzoli (Lodovico); Coro e Orchestra del Teatro dell'Opera di Roma, Tullio Serafin - (RCA Victor)
- 1961: Mario Del Monaco (Otello), Renata Tebaldi (Desdemona), Aldo Protti (Iago), Fernando Corena (Lodovico); Wiener Staatsoperchor, Wiener Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan - (Decca)
- 1968: James McCracken (Otello), Gwyneth Jones (Desdemona), Dietrich Fischer-Dieskau (Iago), Alfredo Giacomotti (Lodovico); Ambrosian Opera Chorus, New Philharmonia Orchestra, John Barbirolli - (EMI Classics)
- 1974: Jon Vickers (Otello), Mirella Freni (Desdemona), Peter Glossop (Iago), José van Dam (Lodovico); Chor der Deutschen Oper Berlin, Berliner Philharmoniker, Herbert von Karajan - (EMI Classics)
- 1978: Plácido Domingo (Otello), Renata Scotto (Desdemona), Sherrill Milnes (Iago), Paul Plishka (Lodovico); Ambrosian Opera Chorus, National Philharmonic Orchestra, James Levine - (RCA Victor)
- 1985: Plácido Domingo (Otello), Katia Ricciarelli (Desdemona), Justino Díaz (Iago), John Macurdy (Lodovico); Coro e Orchestra del Teatro alla Scala di Milano, Lorin Maazel - (EMI Classics)
- 1986: Neil Shicoff (Otello), Carol Neblett (Desdemona), Andreas Schmidt (Iago), Alexander Malta (Lodovico); Konzertvereinigung Wiener Staatsopernchor, Wiener Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado - (Deutsche Grammophon)
- 1991: Luciano Pavarotti (Otello), Kiri Te Kanawa (Desdemona), Leo Nucci (Iago), Dimitri Kavrakos (Lodovico); Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, Georg Solti - (Decca)
- 1993: Plácido Domingo (Otello), Cheryl Studer (Desdemona), Sergei Leiferkus (Iago), Ildebrando D'Arcangelo (Lodovico); Chœur et Orchestre de l'Opéra-Bastille, Myung-Whun Chung - (Deutsche Grammophon)
Otello Media
- GiuseppeVerdi.jpg
Picture of Giuseppe Verdi.
- Boito e Verdi.jpg
Boito and Verdi at Sant'Agata
- Francesco Tamagno as Otello 1887 - Sadie 1992 4p639.jpg
Francesco Tamagno as Otello in a costume designed by Alfred Edel for the original production
Desdemona (soprano), costume design for Otello act 4 (1887).
- Romilda Pantaleoni by Ganzini circa 1875.jpg
Romilda Pantaleoni, the first Desdemona
- Otello-act-1-set-1887-design-Giovanni Zuccarelli.jpeg
Otello, act 1. Teatro Costanzi Rome-1887; set design by Giovanni Zuccarelli
- Azrikan Otello.jpg
Arnold Azrikan as Otello
- Verdi-Otello-Act-3-1887-photo Carlo Ferrario.jpg
The Act 3 set at the 1887 premiere in Milan. Illustration by Ed. Ximenes after the original stage design by Carlo Ferrario.
- Otello-set design-act 4-Teatro Costanza 1887-Giovanni Zuccarell.jpeg
Otello: set design by Giovanni Zuccarelli for Act IV as staged at the Teatro Costanzi in Rome, 1887.
Sources
- The Complete Dictionary of Opera & Operetta, James Anderson, Wings Books, 1993.
