About the Verdi's opera "Otello."
A)
1)
Verdi's opera "Otello" is based on Shakespeare's play "Otello".
Otello is a Moorish (sometimes African or Arab, but in any case Muslim) former mercenary. Still, at the beginning of the play, he has converted to Christianity and holds the position of general of the Duchy of Venice [Republic of Venice in the opera]. He has risen to the top.
2)
The situation becomes tragic when Otello appoints a Florentine called Cassio as his lieutenant and secretly marries Desdemona, the daughter of a Venetian nobleman. This is because Iago, Otello's standard bearer, hates Cassio for being promoted over his commendable work and plots to destroy the Otellos and Cassio.
3)
Just then, news arrives that a Turkish fleet is attacking the island of Cyprus, then a colony of Venice, and the Duke of Venice entrusts Otello with the command of defeating the Turkish army.
Meanwhile, furious at Desdemona's secret marriage, Desdemona's father appeals to the Duke to punish Otello severely.
4)
However, the original play's first act, wholly omitted in the opera Otello, begins with Otello's ship arriving in Cyprus during a storm. Everything that happened in Venice is skilfully told during what happens next.
B)
5)
When I think about the relationship between theatre and opera or comparing the two, certain scenes and words always come to mind. This is Mozart's line from a scene (Act 1, Scene 4) of "Amadeus" written by British playwright Peter Schaefer, where Mozart and Salieri are the main characters.
6)
"If it were a play, would you be able to get four characters to shout simultaneously? When one character finishes speaking, the next would say, and so on, so they would have to say in order, but that would be the way to go in an opera. You can do it!"
"Everyone can open their mouths and sing simultaneously, and the audience can hear them! Isn't that a fantastic technique?"
7)
"(To Salieri) Isn't that our job, as composers? Isn't it our job to unite the hearts of this man, that man, this woman, and that woman?
8)
If you take the piece to the other side, I think this "technique" is opera's strength. As you can see in the line I quoted, in opera, you can express the thoughts of many characters at once, or even several scenes of a play, in a single song.
9)
This power is vividly used at the end of the second act of "Otello" when Desdemona drops the handkerchief and ends up in Iago's hands (in "Otello", the scene takes place in the third act, scene 3).
It is a quartet of Desdemona, Otello, Iago and Iago's wife Emilia, which begins with Desdemona singing: "If I have disobeyed thee without knowing it, and sinned against thee."
C)
10)
As the handkerchief passes from hand to hand, the tragedy of love and jealousy unfolds rapidly, and the psychology of each of the four people overlaps, while at the same time, the contrast between the two couples' ways of being and their consciousness stands out.
11)
It is said that Verdi became familiar with Shakespeare at an early age when he translated it into Italian and that his reverence for the work continued throughout his life.
Therefore, in adapting Shakespeare to opera, he must have felt that it was "my job" to take advantage of the strengths of opera that he had just mentioned. If you think back to Verdi's Shakespeare works in this light, there are countless examples of this.
12)
So, the scenes and lines that would take time and effort to express in a play are so wonderfully incorporated into a dense song, but there is one more thing I would like to say about Shakespeare. How to use "monologue".
Even in a play, a monologue can be said to be an aria figuratively, but in an opera, it is an aria. Especially in the case of Macbeth, which is almost faithful to the original play, most monologues are sung as arias, including the scene where Lady Macbeth reads a letter from her husband.
13)
I have heard that Verdi also intended to make an opera of King Lear. In the scene where Lear, having abdicated the throne, is mistreated by his two older sisters and daughters, Goneril and Regan (reducing the number of servants, etc.), the feelings of the three people collide, and it becomes a multi-layered trio.
It makes my blood boil to think about Lear's monologue in the storm scene, which begins with "Blow, the wind!" It must have been a powerful and magnificent aria.
About the opera “Otello” (Verdi)
http://www.nikikai.net/enjoy/vol280_03.html
Add info No1)
OTELLO Verdi – Poznań Opera
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE90WPKl5aw
Victorious in battle, admired by his men, loved by his wife - fate seems to smile on Otello. Happy moments, however, pass imperceptibly when the hero's mind begins to be gripped by suspicion, and jealousy seeps into the heart. And doubts lead to destruction.
Otello and Falstaff are thought by many to be at the pinnacle of Italian opera. These Shakespearean masterpieces, the last two operas ever written by Giuseppe Verdi, are the fruit of a remarkable collaboration between the composer and his friend Arrigo Boito, the librettist almost 30 years his junior. Boito was influenced by translations of Shakespeare (by François-Victor Hugo, for example) and emphasises Otello's stormy passion, barely allowing him to keep up appearances. Desdemona is a saintly idealisation, and Iago is a cynical villain on a diabolical scale. The essence of Verdi's genius throughout his life lay in the wedding of poetry and song in balanced lyrical forms; what is different in these later collaborations with Boito is that these forms are not confined to arias and ensembles but blossom wherever poetry and the spirit of the drama suggests. Live from Poznan on the opening night of a new production, OperaVision brings you this grand opera presented here by another distinguished artistic pairing: director David Pountney and conductor Jacek Kaspszyk. High drama and passionate music take us into the darker corners of the human mind.
Add info No2)
"Otello" Summary and Commentary (Verdi)
https://tsvocalschool.com/classic/otello/
Verdi's opera Otello was his last work and was first performed in 1887.
Arrigo Boito wrote the libretto. Boito also wrote the libretto for Verdi's last opera, Falstaff.
Boito is known not only as an opera librettist but also as the composer of the opera Mefistofele.
Verdi, who was already retired, was not active as an opera composer, and it was some time before he began to compose in earnest.
Verdi and Boito corresponded for over five years and are said to have exchanged 45 letters.
The premiere at La Scala was a great event, and Tosti, famous as a composer of Italian songs, was in the audience.
Francesco Tamagno, who sang the leading role of Otello, established himself as a first-rate singer at this premiere and opera houses worldwide wanted to cast him in the role of Otello.
A "simple synopsis" for those who don't have the time
[Acts 1-3]
Iago is unhappy with Otello's decision to make Cassio his lieutenant (instead of himself) and hates Otello.
However, Otello does not know that "Iago hates him" and trusts him.
Otello: Governor of Venetian Cyprus
Iago: Otello's standard bearer
Cassio: Otello's lieutenant
Iago tricks Cassio into firing his lieutenant.
He then sends Cassio to Desdemona (Otello's wife) to make Otello think they are having an affair.
[Act 4]
Otello, mad with jealousy, strangles his wife.
But not all revenge works.
Iago's ruse is discovered, and he is captured.
The opera ends with Otello, in despair, taking his own life with a dagger.
Add info No3)
Otello
https://opera-synopsis.sakura.ne.jp/otello.html
Opera dates
[Composition]
Giuseppe Verdi (1880-86)
[First performance]
1887 Milan, Teatro alla Scala
[Writer]
Arrigo Boito
Original Work
William Shakespeare's play "Otello
[Running time]
Act 1 30 minutes
Act 2 35 minutes
Act 3: 30 minutes
Act 4: 35 minutes Total: Approximately 2 hours 10 minutes
Synopsis
[Time and place]
Late 15th century, Cyprus
Characters
Otello (T): General of the Republic of Venice
Desdemona (S): Otello's wife
Iago (Br): Standard bearer of Otello
Cassio (T): Otello's deputy
Emilia (F): Desdemona's maid, Iago's wife
Lodovico (Bs): Ambassador from Venice
[Act 1]
The time is the end of the 15th century. The setting is the island of Cyprus in the eastern Mediterranean. At that time, Cyprus was part of the Republic of Venice. One of the generals of the Republic of Venice, Otello, a black (Moor) from Africa, defeats the Turkish fleet that invades the waters near Cyprus and becomes governor of Cyprus.
They celebrate their victory on the island of Cyprus, but Iago, Otello's standard bearer, hates Otello for promoting his rival Cassio to the position of lieutenant. So Iago forces his lieutenant Cassio to drink alcohol at a banquet and causes a fight. General Otello, who hastens to the scene, sees Cassio's disgrace and dismisses his lieutenant.
[Act 2]
Cassio is depressed after being dismissed as his lieutenant, so Iago suggests that he ask Otello's wife, Desdemona, a beautiful daughter of a Venetian nobleman, to intercede on his behalf. Meanwhile, Iago tells Otello that the relationship between his wife and Cassio is suspicious.
When Desdemona asks Otello to reinstate Cassio, he becomes irritated and suspicious of Cassio's wife.
[Act 3]
Iago also forcibly takes Desdemona's handkerchief from his wife Emilia, Desdemona's maid, and leaves it with Cassio. He then shows Otello that Cassio is holding the handkerchief. Otello is convinced of his wife's betrayal and decides to kill her.
[Act 4]
Desdemona's bedroom, late at night. She prays and lies down, frightened by an ominous feeling. Otello appears, refuses to listen to her pleas and strangles her. The maid, Emilia, rushes in and tells Otello that Iago stole the handkerchief and that it was all his plan. Otello, desperate to see his wife dead, stabs her in the chest with a dagger and dies lying next to her.
Explanation (points)
[1] Drama based on Shakespeare's original work
"Otello" is the 25th of Verdi's 26 operas, written when he was 74. Verdi took his time composing it. Shakespeare wrote the original work, and the combination of that great Writer's plays and Verdi's talent in his mature years made it one of the greatest works in the history of opera.
[2] Dramatic tenor
The role of Otello, derived from the title, is a dramatic tenor role that requires the most dramatic expression of all tenors. It is a challenging role that only a handful of the best tenors can sing to the full. A long time ago, tenors like Mario del Monaco and, until recently, Plácido Domingo were good at this role. Nowadays, Jose Cura is famous as the "Otello singer".
[3] Desdemona's song
Desdemona, the tragic heroine who was murdered before her suspicions were cleared, has a fantastic song. At the end of the first act, there is an infinitely beautiful "Love Duet" with Otello, and in the third act, there are two famous arias, "Song of the Willows" and "Ave Maria". If you go to see the performance, be prepared to hear the famous singing of the Prima Donna.
Add info No4)
Otello - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Otello
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%AA%E3%83%86%E3%83%AD_(%E3%83%B4%E3%82%A7%E3%83%AB%E3%83%87%E3%82%A3)
Roles:
Otello, a Moorish general tenor
Desdemona, his wife soprano
Iago, Otello's ensign baritone
Emilia, wife of Iago and maid of Desdemona, mezzo-soprano
Cassio, Otello's captain tenor
Roderigo, a gentleman of Venice tenor
Lodovico, ambassador of the Venetian Republic, bass
Montano, former Governor of Cyprus, bass
A herald bass
Remarks:
Of all the characters, Verdi was first drawn to the villain, Iago. Until 1882, he often referred to the opera he composed as Iago. Another reason he was reluctant to call it "Otello" was because Rossini had already published a work of the same name (in 1816). Verdi deeply respected Rossini as his great senior in opera composition.
Add info No5)
Characters, detailed synopsis, and impressions of Shakespeare's "Othello"
https://bungakublog.com/shakespeare-othello-top
https://bungakublog.com/shakespeare-othello-arasuji
Othello is a five-act play written by Shakespeare around 1602.
William Shakespeare was born in 1564 in a town in central England and grew up in a wealthy family. He is said to have married a woman eight years his senior at 18, but there are no records of his early life. It seems there are times when it is unclear where and what activities were carried out. He moved to London in his twenties and began his career as a playwright, and by the time he was 30, he had written about England with works such as "Romeo and Juliet", "A Midsummer Night's Dream" and "The Merchant of Venice". It is well-known that he became a famous playwright.
Shakespeare, who eventually became a writer for the Chamberlain's company, was required to write works that would satisfy even the educated people of the court, and he began to leave behind many tragic works that depict the inner conflicts of people. Masu. "Othello" is one of the works written during this period, and it is recorded that it was first performed no later than 1604. The story is about Othello, a Moorish soldier in Venice, who falls for the deception of Iago, the standard-bearer, suspects his wife's unfaithfulness and is ruined, one of the four great tragedies along with Hamlet, Macbeth and King Lear. It is one of my works.
Add info No6)
Othello (1995)
This is the fourth film version of "Othello", one of Shakespeare's four great tragedies. Unlike his previous works, which focused on Iago's intrigues, the director took on the challenge of interpreting the story as centred on the young general Othello's passionate love for Desdemona; he has a background in theatre, and this is his first feature-length film. The up-and-coming Oliver Parker. He has wanted to make a film of Othello ever since he played Iago in the 1989 production, which he also directed.
It was starring Laurence Fishburne, the first black man to play Othello in a film, and Kenneth Branagh as Iago, who played the role of "The Great Hamlet".
Isn't Othello the main character in "Othello"? Reading the malice of his subordinate Iago from Verdi's opera and paintings
https://ontomo-mag.com/article/column/shakespeare6-othello/
Was Iago a "green-eyed monster"? [Othello]
https://hdkz417.hatenablog.com/entry/2018/09/16/212929
//Postscript//
Is Iago really a villain and Desdemona a saint? I'd like to talk about it.
I feel so sorry for Iago. I wanted to be a manager but could never become one when I was young.
I worked longer than anyone else, attended more meetings, and lived for our customers. However, my boss appointed a man who is my junior as his manager, not me.
Looking back, I don't think I could lead, I didn't have the persuasive power, and I didn't have the charm to make people feel comfortable and want to work for me.
In a sense, my boss may have been aware of my mental weakness and was protecting me.
But at the time, I felt it was unfair and unequal.
Didn't Iago just want to be recognised? He didn't kill anyone.
Also, for example, suppose there is a beautiful person who has everything in her hands.
She is beautiful, intelligent, highly educated, has a kind husband and children, owns a house and a car, and travels abroad yearly.
However, as is often the case, she is indifferent to other people's feelings.
She doesn't think she's saying anything wrong; she hurts people.
She seems kind and considers herself a saint, but she always speaks her mind and doesn't listen to what others have to say.
Is she and Desdemona saints?
Shouldn't a person who has everything be more humble than anyone else?
I added as follows:
Jealousy and doubt may be something that cannot be stopped once you have doubts.
Situations that give rise to jealousy may not be the cause of a happy relationship.
In a happy marriage, no one will object.
However, if someone disapproves of a marriage, even if the two people getting married are satisfied, problems may arise later.
Like his daughter, the father may not be interested in other people.
If a young man were to come to his family's home and tell them tales of heroism, he must have imagined that his daughter might fall in love with him.
However, his father thought he could not marry his daughter because he was a Moor.
And after his daughter said she would marry despite his objections, his father prophesied to his son-in-law, "That woman will betray you."
I don't think those words and actions are meant to pray for his daughter's happiness.
I thought again about whether Desdemona was an innocent woman.
Considering her historical background, however, I think she was not just an innocent woman.
Her attitude to her father was still terrible. And finally, he died because of her.
She is also too insensitive to Othello, making just demands and hiding inconvenient things. She unknowingly incites Othello's jealousy towards her, and she ends up being killed by him.
And I thought of Iago again.
Wasn't he just a lonely man who wanted to be accepted?
His wife, whom he didn't love, was taken in by Othello, a Moor.
He did a good job but was disappointed that Cassio took a better position than he did.
Who understood Iago?
Maybe it was just us as the audience.
We don't have to force ourselves to get ahead, to become rich or famous.
We can live fully and happily by living naturally and having as many people as possible understand us.
