OTELLO Verdi – Poznań Opera

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. Desdomona is a saintly idealisation and Iago 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 great opera presented here in the hands of another distinguished artistic pairing; director David Pountney and conductor Jacek Kaspszyk. High drama and passionate music taking us into the darker corners of the human mind. Full performance streamed LIVE on OperaVision on 25 November 2023 at 19:00 CET and available until 25 May 2024 at 12:00 CET: CAST Otello Gwyn Hughes John Jago Dario Solari Desdemona Iwona Sobotka Emilia Gosha Kowalinska Casio Piotr Kalina Lodovico Rafał Korpik Roderigo Piotr Friebe Montano Damian Konieczek Herold / Herald Michał Korzeniowski Orchestra Poznań Opera Orchestra Chorus Poznań Opera Chorus Music Giuseppe Verdi Text Arrigo Boito Conductor Jacek Kaspszyk Director David Pountney Sets Raimund Bauer Costume Marie-Jeanne Lecca Lighting Fabrice Kebour Choreography Ran Arthur Braun Video Projections Karolina fender Noińska Assistant Conductor Zofia Kiniorska Andrei Yakushau Assistant Director Barbara Poll Dominika Babiarz Bartłomiej Szczeszek Chorus Master Mariusz Otto Children Chorus Master Michał Sergiusz Mierzejewski OperaVision is a freeview opera streaming platform, supported by the European Union’s Creative Europe programme. Watch live streams as the performances themselves unfold in the opera house. Enjoy a variety of shows - including opera, operetta, musical theatre, dance, ballet and concerts. Opera connaisseur or curious newcomer, there is something for everyone on OperaVision. WEBSITE: FACEBOOK: TWITTER: INSTAGRAM: TIKTOK: @operavision