A Bayerische Staatsoper production starring Gregory Kunde, Carlos Álvarez and Krassimira Stoyanova
When Verdi shut himself in to write an opera based on Shakespeare's Othello, he originally intended to call it Iago because Otello was the title of another opera by Rossini which was still hugely popular. Verdi was so fascinated by the compulsively manipulating Iago – whose diabolical boldness destroys the jealous Moor and his wife – that he gave him some of the finest dramatic and musical passages in the opera.
The famous words that mark the victorious Otello's first appearance – one of the greatest entrances in the history of opera – lead directly into Iago's perfectly laid plan, into the lies and ploys that will cause the downfall of the insanely jealous Otello and the death of Desdèmona.
Iago, having identified Otello's weak spot, builds his scheme around it and the splendid, upstanding warrior of Act I slowly degenerates into the man who commits suicide when he becomes aware of his own his moral decadence. Otello is no longer Otello. The poignancy of his tragedy lies hidden in the innermost depths of self-doubt.
Amélie Niermeyer's production shows the inner and outer struggle that inhabits in Shakespeare's play, but also puts the figure of Desdemona in the center. In some way, she underlines feminicide and misogyny with the glasses of realism, expressionism and the crudeness of modern theater.
Otello
DRAMMA LIRICO IN FOUR ACTS
Libretto by Arrigo Boito after the play by William Shakespeare.
World premiere: 5/02/1887 at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan.
First Barcelona performance: 19/11/1890 at the Gran Teatre del Liceu.
Last Liceu performance: 07/02/2016.
Total number of Liceu performances: 165.
- Approximate running time 3h 10m
Artistic profile
- Conductor
- Gustavo Dudamel
- Stage director
- Amélie Niermeyer
- Set design
- Christian Schmidt
- Costumes
- Annelies Vanlaere
- Lighting design
- Olaf Winter
- Video
- Philipp Batereau
- Production
- Bayerische Staatsoper (Munich)
- Symphony Orchestra and Chorus of the Liceu Opera Barcelona
- Director of the Chorus
- Conxita Garcia
Cast
Otello | Gregory Kunde | 27th,30th March and 6th,9th,12th,14th April |
---|---|---|
Jorge de León | 28th,31th March and 7th,10th,13th April | |
Jago | Carlos Álvarez | 27th,30th March and 6th,9th,12th,14th April |
Željko Lucic | 28th,31th March and 7th,10th,13th April | |
Cassio | Airam Hernández | |
Roderigo | Francisco Vas | |
Lodovico | Felipe Bou | |
Montano | Fernando Latorre | |
Desdemona | Krassimira Stoyanova | 27th,30th March and 6th,9th,12th,14th April |
Eleonora Buratto | 28th,31th March and 7th,10th,13th April | |
Emilia | Mireia Pintó |
Information of Interest
Sessió informativa
Cada dia 45 minuts abans de la funció, tindrà lloc a la mateixa sala principal una sessió informativa prèvia sobre l'òpera que veurem.
Cronologia liceista
Consulta AQUÍ la relació històrica de funcions d'Otello de Verdi al Gran Teatre del Liceu.
Retransmissió
Segueix l'òpera en directe a Catalunya Música el dissabte 27 de març a les 19h i a Radio Clásica (també UER) el 6 d'abril a les 19h.