About

Otello

World Premiere:  Teatro alla Scala - Milan

February 5, 1887 

WBO Premiere:  Feb 14, 1969

Pictured: Interior view of the teatro alla Scala in Milan

Verdi all but retired after the success of his Aida in 1871. It took his publisher, Giulio Ricordi, his good friend the conductor Franco Faccio, the composer and librettist Arrigo Boito and his wife Giuseppina a decade to convince him to take on Otello.  Chief among the factors contributing to his decision was his predilection for Shakespeare's works and the quality of Boito's proposed libretto.

Otello is a work of extraordinary dramatic power, and beauty. From the ravishingly sensuous love duet at the end of the first act, to the darkness of Otello's soliloquy as he descends into a murderous madness of jealousy, this score presents the legendary opera composer at his very best, surpassing the depth and breadth of his previous works and exploring new territory as if presaging Falstaff, the work that was to close his operatic composing career. As with Macbeth, Verdi manages to imbue Otello with an intensity that goes even beyond the original Shakespeare.

The story takes place in the late 16th Century in Cyprus, where Otello rules on behalf of the Venetian Republic. His lieutenant, Iago is secretly seething at having been passed up by Otello for the rank of Captain, which has gone to Cassio. He wants to ruin Otello. He first goads Cassio into a fight, which costs Cassio a demotion. Then he contrives a story of adultery involving Otello's devoted young wife, Desdemona, and Cassio. As Desdemona innocently intercedes on Cassio's behalf, she deepens Otello's suspicions. Iago gets his hands on a handkerchief belonging to Desdemona and, claiming to have found it in Cassio's room, convinces Otello that she is unfaithful. Otello ends up murdering Desdemona, only to find out from Iago's wife, Emilia, that the whole thing was Iago's fabrication. Grief stricken, Otello stabs himself and dies next to his beloved Desdemona.

José Luis Moscovich - Conductor

Richard Harrell - Stage Director

Peter Crompton - Set Designer

Callie Floor - Costume Designer

Danielle Ferguson - Lighting Designer

David Gillam - Makeup and Wig Designer

Shirley Benson - Props Designer

Giselle Lee - Sound Designer

Pictured: set design by Peter Crompton

for the 2008 production of Der Fliegende Holländer

Otello - John Kun Park

Desdemona - Julia Behbudov

Iago - Robert Balonek

Cassio - Tom Mulder

Ludovico - Isaiah Musik-Ayala

Emilia - Laure de Marcellus

Roderigo - Carmello Tringali

Montano - James Cowing

Chorus

Dee Baily, Mark Baushke, Didier Benoit, Joanne Bogart, Richard Bogart, Yvonne Casillas, JoAnn Close, Cassidy Fink*, Inna Gitman, Michael Good, Barry Hayes, Lynne Haynes-Tucker, Sofia Kenny*, Jeffrey Lampert, Nina McBride, Stephen Miller*, Joanne Newman, Christopher Nichols, Lindarae Polaha, Philip Schwarz, Ashley Shannon, Jessica Shannon, David Simon, Miles Spielberg, Jo Taubert, Terra Terwilliger, Carmello Tringali, Timothy Tsang, Kim Van Tran

Orchestra

Kristina Anderson (concertmaster),

Violin I · Emily Chiet, Virginia Smedberg, Toshiya Nishi

Violin II · Lisa Zadek, Frida Pukhachevsky, Judy Kmetko, Julian R. Brown 

Viola · Rebecca Gemmer, Thomas Elliot, Donny Lobree

Cello · Jamet Witharm, Catarina Ferreira, Thomas Shoebotham

Bass · Christy Crews

Flute · Michelle Caimoto - Vivian Boudreau

Oboe · Meave Cox

Clarinet - Stephen Zielinski

Bassoon · Amy Duxbury

Horn · Cathleen Torres, Diane Ryan

Trumpet · Richard Leder

Timpani · Don Baker

Percussion · Norman Peck

~

Orchestra Librarian · Virginia Smedberg

Orchestra Manager · Christy Crews

* First appearance with West Bay Opera