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Otello

Giuseppe Verdi's opera Otello is composed of four acts based on Shakespeare's play Othello. Arrigo Boito wrote the Italian libretto. It was Verdi's second-to-last opera. It was first performed on February 5, 1887, at the Teatro Alla Scala in Milan.

After Aida's success in 1871, the composer didn't want to write anything else, so he retired. It took his publisher in Milan, Giulio Ricordi, the next ten years to get Verdi to change Simon Boccanegra, which he wrote in 1857, by bringing Boito as a librettist. After that, it was hard to get Verdi to see Boito's finished libretto for Otello in July/August 1881. However, Verdi never revealed the book's outcome, and it took a long time to write the first drafts and make changes to them throughout the years.

The composition started in 1884, five years after the first drafts of the libretto. Most of the work was done by the end of 1885. When it was finally performed, it was a huge hit, and Otello was soon put on in major theaters across Europe and the United States.

The Story

Verdi's opera Otello tells the story of Otello, the governor of Cyprus and a Venetian general, and Desdemona, a happy couple who get caught up in an evil plan made by Iago. Iago is Otello's slighted ensign, who missed out on a promotion. Iago plans to make Otello believe that Desdemona is cheating on him with Cassio, the soldier who just got an upgrade. Otello is a story about love, revenge, and betrayal. It ends with Iago being successful, Desdemona being killed, and Otello killing himself.

History of Performance

Rumors started to spread as people in Italy heard Verdi was writing another opera. At the same time, many of Europe's best conductors, singers, and opera house managers wanted to be a part of Otello's first performance, even though Faccio had already been chosen as the first performance's conductor and La Scala, Milan as the venue. The two main male characters had also been selected: Francesco Tamagno, the best dramatic tenor in Italy, would sing Otello, and the famous French singing actor Victor Maurel would play the bad guy Iago in baritone. The soprano part of Desdemona was given to Romilda Pantaleoni, a well-known singer and actress. After the opera was finished, the first performance was planned in complete secrecy, and Verdi kept the right to cancel the performance until the last minute.