It is mostly a long solo * for Otello with interjections from the Doge, Iago, Rodrigo and latterly the chorus.

There is some slightly reprehensible work in the woodwinds towards the end but as a stand alone entry it is perfectly fine.Ĩ: A chorus of Venetian noblemen praise Otello’s victory over the Turks to a good chorus *.ġ7: There is a march introducing Otello as he arrives before the Doge and then we have an interesting scene with four tenors.

Much of it is simply too happy given the subject matter of the opera. It actually sounds like another Rossini overture (possibly the same attached to a different opera knowing who we are talking about). (35 Minutes)Ġ: The overture *, after some vaguely seafaring music we have some standard bel canto orchestral work. Scene 1: A grand room in the Doge’s palace. Her father wants to marry her off to Rodrigo, who is nominally supported by Iago who is avenging himself on Otello by making him believe that Desdemona is unfaithful through an intercepted letter. Otello is secretly married to Desdemona, the daughter of his enemy.

The recording here is a live performance from 1988 with June Anderson as Desdemona, Chris Merritt as Otello, and Rockwell Blake as Rodrigo. Rossini’s opera is probably the antithesis of Verdi’s opera. This is not the opera by Verdi by any means! Unlike Verdi we never get to Cyprus much less entirely set in Cyprus but in Venice and Iago is not as important as Rodrigo here.

Verdi opera set in cypress