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Major differences between Pittsburgh Opera lo/Postcard- Shakespeare’s Othello and Verdi’s Otello Education thanks our generous supporters: Verdi g by Jill Leahy American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. Othello Shakespeare (1603) Verdi Otello (1887) Bayer USA Foundation Opera-'otello'.html The Frick Fund of the Buhl Shakespeare based his The librettist Arrigo Boito Foundation Othello play on a short story, knew and loved the works of The Jack Buncher Foundation poster. as a sale is, for Un Capitano Moro Shakespeare and this is Dominion Foundation ("A Moorish Captain"), by apparent in his libretto. Eat ‘n Park Hospitality Group, Inc. Otello Giraldo Cinthio, published in Though fitting the play to the ESB Bank www.1st-art-gallery.com/(after)-Balestrieri,-Lionel 1565. Shakespeare modified needs of the opera, he elements from the original to stayed true to the story. His First Commonwealth suit the theater, around 1603- libretto is considered a mas- Financial Corporation 1604. terpiece in its own right, The Grable Foundation along with Verdi’s music. The Hearst Foundation Depicting-Giuseppe-Verdi-(1813-1901)-Composing-The- Visit this website: Visit this Hefren-Tillotson, Inc. depictin Balestrieri, Lionello after postcard, This opera the composing Play in 5 acts Opera in 4 acts Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield He Opera Vancouver at Tim Matheson by Photo Production “loved not wisely, but too well . .” The Huntington National Bank Otello Othello , Shakespeare Intermediate Unit #1, Pennsylvania Begins in Venice, moves to Begins and ends in Cyprus. By all accounts, Giuseppe Verdi loved Shakespeare. Although the Cyprus. Storm in Act II. Opens with the storm. Department of Education composer couldn’t read English, with the help of his wife, he read many Levin Furniture Arrigo Boito Libretto by Music by Giuseppe Verdi translations of Shakespeare’s plays and had strong opinions about which Characters: Characters: Martha Mack Lewis Foundation translations did justice to what he felt were Shakespeare’s dramatic ideals. People’s Natural Gas Othello Otello Reed Smith LLP After the success of his opera Macbeth (1847), Verdi composed 12 more Desdemona Desdemona The Techs - MetalTech operas, until in 1871, when he completed Aida , he thought he had finished Iago Iago Triangle Tech Group his career. But his publisher, Ricordi, and his wife, Giuseppina, insisted that Michael Cassio Cassio United States Steel Corporation Rossini’s Otello had done a disservice to Shakespeare, and they finally Emilia Emilia convinced Verdi to compose his own Roderigo Roderigo opera based on the play. Once Instead of Otello being an Lodovico Lodovico A WORLD RECORD: convinced, Verdi began working on ideas Italian opera written in the style Montano Montano After Plácido Domingo performed for what he referred to as his opera Jago . of Shakespeare, Othello is a play written by Shakespeare in Bianca , Cassio's lover Herald the title role in Verdi's Otello in Vienna on July 30, 1991, the While Verdi himself pared down the play the style of an Italian opera . Brabantio , Gratiano's brother Macbeth to opera size, he was fortunate Duke of Venice , or "Doge" audience clapped for one hour George Bernard Shaw Gratiano , Brabantio's brother and 20 minutes (and 101 curtain to have a recognized poet and composer, Clown calls), setting a new world record Arrigo Boito, as the librettist for the work for the longest applause ever. that Verdi eventually conceded should be Officers, Gentlemen, Soldiers and sailors from called Otello . While Shakespeare’s Messenger, Herald, Sailor, Venice and the people of Othello has over 3,500 lines, Boito was Attendants, Musicians, etc. Cyprus. For more information on able to reduce it to a mere 800 lines, and Pittsburgh Opera's education still create what is considered a Desdemona’s handkerchief Desdemona’s handkerchief programs, please contact: “masterpiece of operatic literature.” Despite eliminating the entire first act of plays a major role plays a major role Marilyn Michalka Egan, Ph.D. Director of Education the play, most scholars agree that all the Desdemona sings a song Desdemona sings the [email protected] essentials remain. With Verdi’s musical about a willow “Willow Song,” and her 412-281-0912 ext 242 genius and Boito’s skilled writing and prayer, “Ave Maria” editing, the world was given an Pittsburgh Opera 2425 Liberty Avenue unforgettable opera, which, at its debut at Othello suffocates Otello smothers Pittsburgh, PA 15222 Study Guide to the Opera La Scala on February 5, 1887, earned Desdemona Desdemona the composer 20 curtain calls. www.pittsburghopera.org by Jill Leahy 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, Iago advises Cassio to present his case to Desdemona, saying that her influence on Otello ACT II 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.

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