Premiere / First ever performance in Frankfurt OTELLO Dramma per musica in three acts by Gioachino Rossini Libretto by Francesco Maria Berio after Jean François Ducis and Giovanni Carlo Cosenza, based on William Shakespeare
Sung in Italian with German and English surtitles
Conductor: Sesto Quatrini Director: Damiano Michieletto Rehearsed by: Marcin Lakomicki Set Designer: Paolo Fantin Costume Designer: Carla Teti Lighting Designer: Alessandro Carletti
Chorus Master: Tilman Michael
Otello: Enea Scala Desdemona: Karolina Makuła Jago: Theo Lebow Rodrigo: Jack Swanson Elmiro Barberigo: Thomas Faulkner Emilia: Kelsey Lauritano Doge: Hans-Jürgen Lazar
Lucio / A Gondolier: Michael Petruccelli
Oper Frankfurt's Chorus; Frankfurter Opern- und Museumsorchester
A production acquired from the Theater an der Wien, first performed February 19th 2016
With generous support from the Frankfurt Patronatsverein – Sektion Oper
The World Premiere of Otello by Gioachino Rossini (1792-1868) took place on December 4th 1816 at the Teatro del Fondo in Naples – neither the originally envisaged theatre nor date. The libretto was written by Francesco Maria Berios, based on Jean François Ducis and Giovanni Carlo Cosenza's adaptation of Shakespeare's tragedy. A great success, it was performed all over Europe until Verdi's masterpiece inspired by the same play was first heard in 1887. The 2019/20 season of the Opera House on Willy-Brandt-Platz begins with Otello a series of three Rossini operas, which have never been performed in Frankfurt before.
The Venetian commander Otello's victorious return from Cyprus is eagerly awaited. He is African and secretly engaged to Elmiro's daughter Desdemona. But Rodrigo, the Doge's son, also has his eye on her. Elmiro, who is hostile towards Otello too, promises Rodrigo his daughter's hand in marriage. Otello appears during the ceremony and makes his engagement to Desdemona known, whereupon she refuses to marry Rodrigo. Jago decides to prevent Desdemona and Otello's wedding: his intrigue succeeds in kindling Otello's jealousy. This results in the avenging commander stabbing his beloved to death. When Jago's machinations come to light, Otello bemoans his crime and ends his life.
The production is conducted by Sesto Quatrini, Artistic Director of the Lithuanian National Theatre for Opera and Ballet in Vilnius. This Italian musician, working in Frankfurt for the first time, recently conducted Offenbach's Coscoletto at the Festival della Valle d’Itria and leads Donizetti's L’elisir d’amore at the Erl Festival in Tirol later this season. This production, directed by Venetian born Damiano Michieletto and first seen in Vienna in 2016, has been acquired by Frankfurt. After the premiere at the Theater an der Wien the Kurier wrote: „Damiano Michieletto carried off a wonderfully vivid, convincing success.“ Last season this internationally sought-after director enjoyed a triumph here with Franz Schreker's Der ferne Klang / The Distant Sound and his Handel's Alcina recently opened at the Salzburg Whitsun Festival. Plans include Donizetti's Don Pasquale at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden London. The cast for this Otello in Frankfurt is new: The Italian tenor Enea Scala is making his house debut in the title role. He sang Pirro in Rossini's Ermione at the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples. His American colleague Jack Swanson (Rodrigo) is also appearing at the theatre on Willy-Brandt-Platz for the first time. He sings Almaviva in Rossini's Il barbiere di Siviglia at Santa Fe Opera next summer. The other roles, led by Karolina Makuła (Desdemona), Theo Lebow (Jago) and Thomas Faulkner (Elmiro Barberigo), are being performed by Members of Oper Frankfurt's Ensemble and Opera Studio.
Premiere / First ever performance in Frankfurt: Sunday September 8th 2019, at 18.00hrs in the Opera House
Further performances: September 12th, 21st, 29th (18.00hrs), October 3rd (18.00hrs), 12th, 20th (15.30hrs; with free child minding for those aged between 3 and 9) 2019
Unless otherwise stated, all performances begin at 19.30hrs
Tickets cost: € 15 to € 165 (with a 12.5% pre-booking fee when not purchased direct from the theatre)
Tickets can be obtained from the usual outlets, by telephone +49 (0)69 – 212 49 49 4 or online www.oper-frankfurt.de.
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