VIDEO: Get A First Look At OTELLO at The Met

By: Sep. 04, 2018
OPERA - NEW YORK CITY
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BroadwayWorld has a first look at OTELLO, on stage at The Met December 14th through January 10th 2019. Check out the first look below!

Conducting sensation Gustavo Dudamel makes his Met debut leading Verdi's towering Shakespearean masterpiece, in the first revival of Bartlett Sher's gripping 2015 production. The cast includes dynamic tenor Stuart Skelton in the title role, star soprano Sonya Yoncheva as the devoted but doomed Desdemona, and outstanding baritone Željko Lu?i? as the treacherous Iago.

Often cited as Italian opera's greatest tragedy, Otello is a miraculous union of music and drama-a masterpiece as profound philosophically as it is thrilling theatrically. Shakespeare's tale of an outsider, a great hero who can't control his jealousy, was carefully molded by the librettist Arrigo Boito into a taut and powerful libretto. All three lead roles are demanding-making the opera a challenge to produce-but the role of Otello in particular requires an astounding natural instrument capable of both powerful and delicate sounds, superb musical intelligence, and impressive acting abilities.

In an extraordinary career spanning six decades in the theater, Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901) composed 28 operas, at least half of which are at the core of today's repertoire. His role in Italy's cultural and political development has made him an icon in his native country. Librettist Arrigo Boito (1842-1918) was also a composer (his opera Mefistofele, based on Goethe's Faust, premiered in 1868), as well as a journalist and critic.

The score of Otello is remarkable for its overall intensity and dramatic insight rather than the memorable solo numbers that made Verdi's earlier works so popular. There are glorious arias in this opera, but equally important are the shorter vocal solos that cover considerable dramatic territory: The tenor's opening "Esultate!" in Act I is just a few measures long but reveals many facets of his character. Throughout the score, the orchestra plays a diverse role unprecedented in Italian opera, depicting a great range of color-from the power of nature in the storm scene in Act I to a tender night of love to the opera's chilling final scene.

For tickets and more visit https://www.metopera.org/season/2018-19-season/otello/



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