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Otello (Rossini)
Encyclopedia
Otello is an opera
in three acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto
by Francesco Maria Berio di Salsi, based on Shakespeare
's play
Othello
.
However, the opera deviates heavily from Shakespeare's original, not only in that it takes place in Venice
and not on Cyprus, but also in that the whole dramatic conflict develops in a different manner. The role of Iago
is reduced to some degree, and it is much less diabolical than in the original or in Verdi's Otello
of 1887.
Rossini's Otello is an important milestone in the development of opera as musical drama. It provided Giuseppe Verdi with a benchmark for his own adaptations of Shakespeare. A recent Opera Rara CD of the opera includes an alternative happy ending, a common practice with drama and opera at that period of the 19th Century.
in Naples
on 4 December 1816. It was given its UK premiere on 16 May 1822 at the King's Theatre
in London and its American premiere at the Park Theatre in New York on 7 February 1826.
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based the Canzone from the Années de Pèlerinage
supplement Venezia e Napoli on the gondolier's song "Nessun Maggior Dolore" from this opera.
Opera
Opera is an art form in which singers and musicians perform a dramatic work combining text and musical score, usually in a theatrical setting. Opera incorporates many of the elements of spoken theatre, such as acting, scenery, and costumes and sometimes includes dance...
in three acts by Gioachino Rossini to an Italian libretto
Libretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
by Francesco Maria Berio di Salsi, based on Shakespeare
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's play
Play (theatre)
A play is a form of literature written by a playwright, usually consisting of scripted dialogue between characters, intended for theatrical performance rather than just reading. There are rare dramatists, notably George Bernard Shaw, who have had little preference whether their plays were performed...
Othello
Othello
The Tragedy of Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio, a disciple of Boccaccio, first published in 1565...
.
However, the opera deviates heavily from Shakespeare's original, not only in that it takes place in Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
and not on Cyprus, but also in that the whole dramatic conflict develops in a different manner. The role of Iago
Iago
Iago is a fictional character in Shakespeare's Othello . The character's source is traced to Giovanni Battista Giraldi Cinthio's tale "Un Capitano Moro" in Gli Hecatommithi . There, the character is simply "the ensign". Iago is a soldier and Othello's ancient . He is the husband of Emilia,...
is reduced to some degree, and it is much less diabolical than in the original or in Verdi's Otello
Otello
Otello is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play Othello. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, and was first performed at the Teatro alla Scala, Milan, on February 5, 1887....
of 1887.
Rossini's Otello is an important milestone in the development of opera as musical drama. It provided Giuseppe Verdi with a benchmark for his own adaptations of Shakespeare. A recent Opera Rara CD of the opera includes an alternative happy ending, a common practice with drama and opera at that period of the 19th Century.
Performance history
The first performance took place at the Teatro del FondoTeatro del Fondo
The Teatro del Fondo is a theatre in Naples, now known as the Teatro Mercadante. Together with the Teatro San Carlo, it was originally one of the two royal opera houses of the 18th and 19th-century city....
in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
on 4 December 1816. It was given its UK premiere on 16 May 1822 at the King's Theatre
His Majesty's Theatre
His Majesty's Theatre in Aberdeen is the largest theatre in north-east Scotland, seating more than 1400. The theatre is sited on Rosemount Viaduct, opposite the city's Union Terrace Gardens. It was designed by Frank Matcham and opened in 1906...
in London and its American premiere at the Park Theatre in New York on 7 February 1826.
Roles
| Role | Voice type | Premiere Cast, 4 December 1816 (Conductor: - ) |
|---|---|---|
| Otello | tenor Tenor The tenor is a type of male singing voice and is the highest male voice within the modal register. The typical tenor voice lies between C3, the C one octave below middle C, to the A above middle C in choral music, and up to high C in solo work. The low extreme for tenors is roughly B2... |
Andrea Nozzari Andrea Nozzari Andrea Nozzari was an Italian tenor.Nozzari was born in Vertova and studied in Bergamo and Rome. He is notable for the principal roles written for him by Gioachino Rossini and mostly premiered in Domenico Barbaia's theatres in Naples... |
| Desdemona | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Isabella Colbran Isabella Colbran Isabella Colbran was a Spanish opera singer, who was known in her native country as Isabel Colbrandt. Many sources note her as a dramatic coloratura soprano but, some believe that she was a mezzo-soprano with a high extension, a soprano sfogato... |
| Rodrigo | tenor | Giovanni David Giovanni David Giovanni David was an Italian tenor particularly known for his roles in Rossini operas.... |
| Jago | tenor | Giuseppe Ciccimarra Giuseppe Ciccimarra Giuseppe Ciccimarra was an Italian tenor, closely associated with Rossini roles.-Career:Ciccimarra was born in Altamura... |
| Emilia | mezzo-soprano Mezzo-soprano A mezzo-soprano is a type of classical female singing voice whose range lies between the soprano and the contralto singing voices, usually extending from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above... |
Maria Manzi |
| Elmiro | bass | Michele Benedetti Michele Benedetti Michele Benedetti was an Italian bass particularly associated with Rossini roles.-Career:... |
| The Doge of Venice | tenor | Gaetano Chizzola |
| Lucio | tenor | Nicola Mollo |
| A gondolier | tenor | Nicola Mollo |
Related Works
Franz LisztFranz Liszt
Franz Liszt ; ), was a 19th-century Hungarian composer, pianist, conductor, and teacher.Liszt became renowned in Europe during the nineteenth century for his virtuosic skill as a pianist. He was said by his contemporaries to have been the most technically advanced pianist of his age...
based the Canzone from the Années de Pèlerinage
Années de Pèlerinage
Années de pèlerinage is a set of three suites by Franz Liszt for solo piano. Liszt's complete musical style is evident in this masterwork, which ranges from virtuosic fireworks to sincerely moving emotional statements. His musical maturity can be seen evolving through his experience and travel...
supplement Venezia e Napoli on the gondolier's song "Nessun Maggior Dolore" from this opera.
Recordings
| Year | Cast: Otello, Desdemona, Iago, Rodrigo |
Conductor, Opera House and Orchestra |
Label |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1978 | José Carreras José Carreras Josep Maria Carreras i Coll , better known as José Carreras , is a Spanish Catalan tenor particularly known for his performances in the operas of Verdi and Puccini... , Frederica Von Stade Frederica von Stade Frederica von Stade is an American mezzo-soprano. Born in Somerville, New Jersey, she acquired the nickname "Flicka" in her childhood. Von Stade attended the Mannes College of Music in New York City. She made her debut with the Metropolitan Opera in 1970 and in 1971 appeared as Cherubino in The... , Gianfranco Pastine, Salvatore Fisichella Salvatore Fisichella Salvatore Fisichella is an Italian operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in bel canto operas, especially those of Rossini, Donizetti, and Bellini... |
Jesus Lopez Cobos, Ambrosian Opera Chorus, Philharmonia Orchestra Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke... |
Audio CD: Philips Philips Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. , more commonly known as Philips, is a multinational Dutch electronics company.... Cat: 432 456-2 |
| 1988 | Chris Merritt Chris Merritt Chris Merritt is an opera singer. He studied piano, singing, dance and drama at Oklahoma City University where he made his first stage appearance in Jacques Offenbach's Les contes d'Hoffmann in a university production. At age 21, he was accepted into the summer season Apprentice Program for... , June Anderson, Ezio Di Cesare, Rockwell Blake Rockwell Blake Rockwell Blake is an American operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in Rossini operas. He was the first winner of the Richard Tucker Award.-Biography:... |
John Pritchard, Orchestra and Chorus of RAI Torino (Video recording of a performance in the Rossini Opera Festival Rossini Opera Festival The Rossini Opera Festival is an opera festival held in August of each year in Pesaro, Italy, the birthplace of the opera composer Gioachino Rossini.... , Pesaro, August) |
DVD: Encore DVD 2223 |
| 1999 | Bruce Ford, Elizabeth Futral Elizabeth Futral Elizabeth Futral is an American coloratura soprano who has won acclaim throughout the United States as well as in Europe, South America, and Japan.... , Juan José Lopera, William Matteuzzi |
David Parry David Parry (conductor) David Parry is an English conductor who is particularly known for his work within the field of opera. Described as "a man of the theatre with whom directors love to work; he is good with singers; he knows the British opera world like the back of his hand... , Philharmonia Orchestra Philharmonia Orchestra The Philharmonia Orchestra is one of the leading orchestras in Great Britain, based in London. Since 1995, it has been based in the Royal Festival Hall. In Britain it is also the resident orchestra at De Montfort Hall, Leicester and the Corn Exchange, Bedford, as well as The Anvil, Basingstoke... and the Geoffrey Mitchell Choir |
Audio CD: Opera Rara Cat: ORC 18 |
| 2000 | Bruce Ford, Mariella Devia Mariella Devia Mariella Devia is an Italian soprano, well known for performing many roles in the bel canto repertoire.Born in Chiusavecchia, Devia trained at the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia in Rome with Iolanda Magnoni... , Octavio Arévalo, Juan Diego Flórez Juan Diego Flórez Juan Diego Flórez is a Peruvian operatic tenor, particularly known for his roles in bel canto operas. On June 4, 2007, he received his country's highest decoration, the Gran Cruz de la Orden del Sol del Perú.... |
Gianluigi Gelmetti, Orchestra and Chorus of the Royal Opera House Royal Opera House The Royal Opera House is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply "Covent Garden", after a previous use of the site of the opera house's original construction in 1732. It is the home of The Royal Opera, The... , Covent Garden (Recording of a performance in the Royal Opera House, February) |
Audio CD: Premiere Opera Ltd. Cat: CDNO 548-3; House of Opera |
External links
- Othello: a tragic opera in two acts, as performed at the New York Theatre by Francesco Maria Berio, Gioacchino Rossini, Francesco Berio di Salsa, William Shakespeare; Contributors: Edward M Murden, Daniel Fanshaw; (published by E.M. Murden, no. 4 Chambers-Street, for the New-York Theatre. D. Fanshaw, printer., 1826)
- Othello: a tragic opera in two acts as performed by the Garcia Troupe in New York in 1826, and the Italian Company of the Chestnut Street Theatre in 1833 by Gioacchino Rossini, Francesco Berio di Salsa, Francesco Maria Berio, William Shakespeare (published by Neal, 1833)