Otello
Ξ February 16th, 2008 | → | ∇ Beyond Northeast, The Arts |
Thursday night, I was fortunate enough to receive tickets to the Los Angeles Opera’s dress rehearsal of Verdi’s Otello. To fully disclose my appreciation of the opera, I’m not a neophyte, but sophomoric might better describe my operatic knowledge. I’m looking for something I can sing in the shower or whistle on my way to work. While Otello doesn’t have the tunes that jump out you like other Verdi works (La Donna é Mobile and Coro di Zingari come to mind), it does contain intricate music, a compelling plot, and one amazing set. Adapted from Shakespeare’s eponymous play, Verdi’s penultimate opera traces the doomed relationship between the recent Moorish convert to Christianity, Othello, and his European wife, Desdemona. Besides the tragic love story, Otello also boasts one of Shakespeare’s most compelling villains in Iago.
Thursday’s performance was excellent with one exception: Chilean soprano Cristina Gallardo-Domás, performing as Desdemona, was “indisposed” meaning a director stood in for her and none of her pieces were sung. Nevertheless, Iago, played by American baritone Mark Delevan, stole the show with his captivating performance as the Venetian super-villain. Essentially, the night acted as an effective teaser that convinced me to return to hear the female lead. Otello begins tonight and continues with 7 performances through March 9th at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion. Oh…and there is at least one song I’ve been singing all week: “Beva con me!” Just don’t expect me to be direct it towards certain Chilean sopranos anytime soon.
http://www.losangelesopera.com/
One Response to ' Otello '
on February 19th, 2008 at 2:08 am
love the writing, good flow!!!