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

• Otello - tenor
• Desdemona - soprano
• Iago - baritone
• Lodovico - bass

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)

Sources

• The Complete Dictionary of Opera & Operetta, James Anderson, Wings Books, 1993.