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Characters Meet the Composer and the Librettist Otello Synopsis by Jill Leahy Setting: Cyprus, late 15 th century of the Opera Giuseppe Fortunino Francesco Verdi
(1813–1901), born in a small village in the ACT I Cypriots watch anxiously from the shore as a fierce province of Parma in northern Italy, was 20 storm batters the Venetian fleet sent to defend their island Otello [oh-TELL-oh] tenor when he moved to Milan to continue his from the invading Turks. The Moor Otello, a Venetian A Moor, general of the Venetian studies. In 1839 his first opera, Oberto, general and governor of Cyprus, lands safely and army, who is passionately in love Conte di San Bonifacio , was modestly announces the destruction of the Turkish fleet. Iago, with and jealous of his wife. successful. His next work, a comic opera, Otello’s ensign, confers with Roderigo, who is in love with known variously as Un Giorno di Regno and Desdemona, who recently married Otello. Iago reveals his Desdemona Il Finto Stanislao , was written during the time hatred for Otello, who promoted Cassio over him. [dez-DAY-moh-nah] soprano when his wife and two children died in the course of two Celebrating victory, Iago sets out to get Cassio drunk Otello’s Venetian wife, an months. The opera was a failure and Verdi vowed to stop (Inaffia l'ugola ). As Cassio grows tipsy, Iago provokes a innocent victim of Iago’s evil plot. composing operas. La Scala’s impresario, Bartolomeo Merelli, fight between Roderigo and Cassio. Montano, the former convinced him to write Nabucco , which made Verdi famous. governor, tries to separate them, but Cassio attacks him as Iago [YAH-goh] baritone well. Otello appears and is furious about their behavior. An ensign in Otello’s army, who During the next decade, Verdi did nothing but compose. Some When Desdemona is disturbed by the commotion, he takes carries out his evil plan to ensure scholars believe that Macbeth, written in 1847, is “the most away Cassio’s recent promotion and commands everyone the destruction of both Otello and original and important opera that Verdi wrote.” With it, Verdi to leave. He is alone with Desdemona ( Già nella notte Cassio. broke a basic convention in 19th-century Italian opera by densa s'estingue ogni clamor ). [KAH-see-oh] tenor writing an opera without a love story. Other scholars and critics Special issue of the periodical Illustrazione Italiana , Cassio Intermission dedicated to the premiere of Otello by Giuseppe Verdi, 1887. Otello’s Venetian captain, an consider Otello, which premiered in Milan in 1887, to be Verdi's honest young soldier who has no greatest tragic opera, “containing some of his most beautiful, ACT II Iago advises Cassio to present his case to Desdemona, saying that her influence on Otello idea of the passions swirling expressive music and some of his richest characterizations.” will get him reinstated. Once alone, Iago declares his belief that a cruel God created man wicked around him. Verdi's last opera, Falstaff, based on Shakespeare's Merry and that life has no meaning ( Credo in un Dio crudel ). When Otello enters, Iago casually remarks Wives of Windsor and Henry IV, Part 1 , was an international about Desdemona’s fidelity and when she approaches and brings up the question of Cassio’s Emilia success and one of the canon’s most notable comic operas. demotion, Otello is angered, complaining of a headache. She offers a handkerchief to cool his [eh-MEEL-yah] mezzo-soprano forehead, but he throws it to the ground. Her attendant Emilia, who is Iago’s wife, picks it up but Iago’s wife and Desdemona’s Verdi loved the works of Shakespeare and seemed to feel an Iago seizes it from her. Alone with Otello, Iago invents a story of seeing Desdemona’s handkerchief maid, who is torn between loyalty affinity for the Bard even though he could neither read nor in Cassio’s hand. Exploding with rage and jealousy, Otello swears vengeance, and Iago joins in the to her evil husband and her speak English. As the writer Garry Wills wrote: “The two men oath (Sì, pel ciel marmoreo giuro ). mistress. worked in theater conditions with many similarities. Both were Intermission supplying performances on a heavy schedule, to audiences ACT III A herald informs Otello of the imminent arrival of Venetian ambassadors. Desdemona Lodovico [loh-doh-VEE-koh] bass with a voracious appetite for what they wrote.” So while there enters, and Otello speaks calmly until she revives the subject of Cassio. When Otello demands the An ambassador of the Venetian are hundreds of operas made from Shakespeare’s plays, only handkerchief he gave her, she again pleads for Cassio. Unable to control his fury, Otello accuses Republic. the three that Verdi composed are still considered to be her of infidelity. He hides as Iago returns with Cassio. Iago flashes the handkerchief he stole and masterpieces today—Macbeth, Otello , and Falstaff. leads the conversation with Cassio so that Otello overhears only fragments, and assumes they are Montano [mohn-TAHN-oh] bass talking about Desdemona. Lodovico arrives, telling Otello he has been recalled to Venice and that Otello’s predecessor as Governor Arrigo Boito (aka Enrico Giuseppe Cassio is to govern Cyprus. Losing control, Otello pushes his wife to the floor, and clears the room. of Cyprus. Giovanni Boito ) (1842–1918) was an Italian As he collapses in a seizure, Iago gloats over him. poet and musical composer born in Padua. Roderigo [roh-deh-REE-goh] tenor He came from a talented and cultured family: A Venetian gentleman. his father was an artist, his mother was a ACT IV Emilia helps Desdemona prepare for bed. Frightened, Desdemona sings of a maiden Polish countess, and his brother was an forsaken by her lover ( Willow Song: Piangea cantando nell’erma landa ), and then says an Un Araldo [oon ah-RAHL-do] bass architect, engineer, and art historian. Boito emotional goodnight to Emilia and recites her prayers ( Ave Maria ). As soon as she has fallen A herald. studied music at the Milan Conservatory but asleep, Otello enters and wakes Desdemona with a kiss. When Otello starts talking about killing was already showing signs that he loved her, she protests her innocence, but Otello strangles her. Emilia knocks with news that Cassio has G literature more than music. Boito wrote of his career and killed Roderigo. Shocked to find the dying Desdemona, she summons help. Iago’s plot is finally relationship with Verdi: “The voluntary servitude I consecrated revealed and Otello realizes what he has done. After reflecting on his past glory, he pulls out a Venetian soldiers and sailors to that just, most noble, and truly great man is the act of my life dagger and stabs himself, dying with a final kiss for his wife. Cypriot townsfolk and children Courtesy of Opera News that gives me the most satisfaction.”