It was verdis penultimate opera, and was first performed at the teatro alla scala, milan, on 5 february 1887 with the composers reluctance to write anything new after the success of aida in 1871 and his retreat into retirement, it took his. But because singing a sentence takes about three times longer than saying it, a little book, when set to music, becomes a full evening in the theater in pop music, the writer of the lyrics is often forgotten. Read the libretto, translated to english, of the italian opera otello by giaochino rossini on. Boito also began a king lear libretto, but the aging verdi was unable to take up the project. Verdi came to dominate the italian opera scene after the era of vincenzo bellini, gaetano donizetti, and gioachino. Otello, a moorish general tenor desdemona, his wife soprano iago, otello s ensign baritone emilia, wife of iago and maid of desdemona mezzosoprano cassio, otello s captain tenor. Boito took over shakespeares plot and formed a compact libretto which drew the. Other otello libretti italian english german french. Based on william shakespeares play othello, the opera was verdis nexttolast and brought the composer to the peak of his dramatic.
None of his other operas is as compelling or has such dramatic force, right up to the murderous finale. One was the voluntary expatriation to northern italy of a german, simon mayr, who, like many other. Otello verdis monumental retelling of shakespeares masterpiece. Id6230281 pdfmachine by broadgun software a great pdf writer. A bed, a priedieu, a table, a mirror and some chairs. The two men worked in theater conditions with many similarities.
Otello sforza con uninflessione del braccio, ma senza scomporsi, desdemona ad escire. Libretto main page, atto primo, atto secondo, atto terzo, atto quarto. Otello, which was premiered in 1887, marked a significant evolutionary development in italian opera and is. Rossini is most often written about in relation to donizetti and bellini, other composers of the bel canto. The score of otello is remarkable for its overall intensity and dramatic. Following the performances at the easter festival in badenbaden, the berliner philharmoniker present their interpretation of this dark, expressive score to the berlin public together with a cast of. Otello, moro, generale dellarmata veneta primo tenore jago, alfiere primo baritono cassio, capo di squadra tenore roderigo, gentiluomo veneziano tenore lodovico, ambasciatore della repubblica veneta basso montano, predecessore d otello nel governo dellisola di cipro basso. Otello arrigo boito giuseppe verdi libretti dopera italiani.
An undated ricordi edition of otello in the present writer s possession plate no. A libretto is the text the words which are set to music to make an opera. Cast of characters in order of vocal appearance montano, bass, otello s predecessor as governor cassio, tenor, a captain iago, baritone, otello s ensign roderigo, tenor, a venetian gentleman. Otello music by giuseppe verdi libretto by arrigo boito. Otello verdi otello o, 500 personaggi otello, moro, generale dellarmata veneta tenore jago, alfiere baritono cassio, capo. Free download ebooks pdf lucia di lammermoor opera journeys libretto series. Otello a prolific and quick composer, rossini wrote three or four operas a year during the peak of his career. His publisher, giulio ricordi, suggested he use the writer and composer arrigo boito as his librettist. The remarkable musical achievements of the classical viennese style during the late 18th and early 19th centuries threatened to leave italy, operas native home, out of the operatic mainstream.
Herman broder, a polish jewish writer and intellectual, is lost in an anxious daydream until his wife. As with falstaff, verdis final opera on which they would subsequently collaborate, they turned to shakespeare for inspiration. Otello by giuseppe verdi the opera guide and synopsis opera. Libretto by francesco berio di salsa based on shakespeares play othello 160405 first performed at the teatro del fondo, naples, on 4 december 1816. Otello s ensign, confers with roderigo, who is in love with desdemona, who recently married otello. Otello is an opera in four acts by giuseppe verdi to an italian libretto by arrigo boito, based on shakespeares play othello. Emilia, wife of iago and maid of desdemona mezzosoprano. The person who writes the libretto is called a librettist. Write the script of the show and act it out for the class. Libretto simple english wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
As i said at the start, there is something appealing about the effort made here, and at half the price of the philips and a quarter of the opera rara, this could be worthwhile. Verdis supreme achievement in this work may be the title role, a pinnacle of. The first libretto shows ciccimarra as jago, but its creation often is credited to manuel garcia. The writer russ mcdonald observes that a letter from boito to verdi touches on the musical techniques used in the opera. The term libretto is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as the mass, requiem and sacred cantata, or the story line of a ballet libretto pronounced.
Otello verdi otello o giuseppe verdi otello dramma lirico in quattro atti 23. The 75yearold giuseppe verdi once again reached a new artistic level with otello. Verdis shakespearean masterpiece otello returns to the. He was born near busseto to a provincial family of moderate means, and developed a musical education with the help of a local patron.
Indicates stage directions indicates repeated words or phrases indicates words spoken in an aside indented actions or words are occuring at the same time. That alone makes his first recorded otello recommendable. A libretto can also be the words for an oratorio, cantata, mass or a musical. The present editor has received all those corrections which undoubt. Although he had claimed to have retired after aida in 1871, he couldnt resist the opportunity to set a text by his favourite poet, shakespeare. Placido domingo first sang verdis otello in germany in 1975. Verdi had retired from opera following the premiere of aida in 1871 but was eventually persuaded by his publisher to work with the librettist arrigo boito. Letto, inginocchiatoio, tavolo, specchio, sedie una lampada arde appesa davanti allimmagine della madonna che sta al disopra dellinginocchiatoio. Opera in four acts on a libretto by arrigo boito, taken from the tragedy othello by. Act four act one the action takes place in cyprus, at the end of the fifteenth century. Sit down with a pen and some paper we think writing will be more effective than typing, and make a list of fundamental beliefs. No libretto is included, but a trackbytrack synopsis is clear. It was verdis penultimate opera, and was first performed at the teatro alla scala, milan, on 5 february 1887.
Opera opera italy in the first half of the 19th century. It doesnt help that the craft of writing a successful libretto can seem something of a black art, in fact agreeing on what constitutes a successful libretto is difficult enough. Otello libretto englishitalian opera by giuseppe verdi. Between the ages of 2330 he composed 20 operas, including his most famous opera, the barber of seville, composed in a few weeks. Libretto means little book in italian, and thats precisely what it is.
With the composers reluctance to write anything new after the success of. The writer and composer arrigo boito carefully molded shakespeares tale of an outsider, a great hero who cant control his jealousy, into a taut and powerful libretto. Cast of characters in order of vocal appearance montano, bass, otello s predecessor as governor cassio, tenor, a captain iago, baritone, otello s ensign roderigo, tenor, a venetian gentleman otello, tenor, a general in the venetian army desdemona, soprano, wife of otello emilia, mezzosoprano, iagos wife and desdemonas attendant herald, baritone. He set new standards for both comic and serious opera before retiring from largescale composition while still in his thirties, at the height of his popularity. Otello 1887 italian libretto german translation spanish translation falstaff 1893 italian libretto german translation spanish translation vivaldi, antonio.
Shakespeare begins writing a series, or cycle, of sonnets. Otello dramma lirico in quattro atti libretto di arrigo boito musica di giuseppe verdi. In that year and 1979 as well his voice was at its absolute most beautiful like flowing, dark chocolate. Libretto by arrigo boito based on the play othello by william shakespeare first performed february 5, 1887 at. I completely forgot that i was singing, the music and the words just took over. After verdis death in milan in 1901, boito returned to intermittent work on a second opera of his own composition he. Gioachino antonio rossini 29 february 1792 november 1868 was an italian composer who gained fame for his 39 operas, although he also wrote many songs, some chamber music and piano pieces, and some sacred music. Otello datemi ancor leburnea mano, vo fare ammenda. Rossinis overlooked otello giving some respect to the othello story in its first operatic version written some 70 years before verdis far more famous work. James levine, giuseppe verdi, james levine, national. Otello music by giuseppe verdi libretto by arrigo boito study guide to the opera. Otello libretto germanitalian opera by giuseppe verdi.
727 1296 1236 1014 807 883 1616 827 604 1572 318 470 472 693 755 336 243 1356 423 923 1405 1554 1259 1087 1452 255 1007 291 338 501 98 1104 348 143 8 336 1442 149 240 886