Verdi: Otello

The story

In the 16th century, in Cyprus, at the port of Famagusta, General Otello arrives with his ship after defeating the Turkish navy in the Mediterranean and securing Venetian rule over Cyprus, but jealousy, conspiracy and revenge lead to tragedy. ‘Otello’ is an opera in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi, with a libretto by Arrigo Boito based on William Shakespeare’s ‘Othello, the Moor of Venice’, and premiered on 5 February 1887 at La Scala in Milan. Taken from the ‘Tutto Verdi’ box set of 27 Verdi operas. Recorded live at the Salzburg Festival, 5–10 August 2008.

Cast & crew

Aleksandrs AntonenkoOtello

Marina PoplavskayaDesdemona

Carlos ÁlvarezJago

Barbara Di CastriEmilia

Stephen CostelloCassio

Antonello Ceron

Antonello CeronRoderigo

Mikhail PetrenkoLodovico

Simone del SavioMontano

Andrea PortaUn araldo