Rossini: Otello

First, why did Rossini give the three principal male parts to tenors? Jago should absolutely be sung by a baritone, as he is in Verdi's greater opera. Edgardo Rocha can't deliver the villainy the text calls for, although he's a good singer. Second, why the poor costumes for the singers? john Osborn's uniform looks like it came from an army surplus store (which army?). Thankfully, there is Cecilia Bartoli who is in splendid form. She almost makes me forget this is an inferior work. La Scintilla--love that name--give fine orchestral support.

Both Rossini's and Verdi's operas based on one of Shakespeare's best plays are well worth the watch and listen. Am far more familiar with Verdi's, and also prefer it for it being more concise and dramatic narratively and the characterisation being more complex.

Rossini's version is different, being lighter musically, less heavy (though there is still a darkness) narratively and more accessible although bearing scant resemblance to the play and Verdi's opera, so it is very easy to see why there will be those connecting with it more. Do think that Otello is underdeveloped though, whereas he is a very complex character in Verdi's. For anybody who loves Rossini, and wants to hear something different to his most popular and frequently performed operas 'Il Barbiere Di Siviglia' and 'La Cenerentola', his 'Otello' is very much a must. And it is a shame that it isn't performed more, but it's not hard to see why due to the difficulty of finding not one, but three, tenors capable of filling the roles of Otello, Rodrigo (who has the best and most difficult music) and Iago.

This production is interesting for being the first, and only, production available of Rossini's 'Otello' on DVD, but despite being superb and near-flawless musically the opera did deserve a better overall production than this, as it is unappealing visually and the staging more often than not frustrates (flaws that significantly bring the production down).

Starting with what is good about the production, and when it's good it bowls one over, the orchestral playing is ravishing in tone, texturally light and dark, stylish, dramatically alive and filled with nuanced pathos. The chorus sing beautifully and oddly enough have some of the best-realised direction of the entire production, after seeing productions recently where the chorus are practically neglected this was a welcome difference. The conducting is sympathetic and alert to the drama and performers. Technical values on the DVD are top notch all round.

Cecilia Bartoli and Javier Camarena are the standouts of the performances. Bartoli sounds absolutely sublime, especially in the "Willow Song", and while she has always been an engaging actress her facial expressions often suggested somebody who tried too hard in mannerisms. Here she is very restrained and gives a fiery yet poignant characterisation, you feel sympathy for Desdemona but she has enough spunk and fire to not make her passive or too much woe-is-me. Camarena dramatically is ardent and charming, while also singing with effortless ring and faultless flexibility.

John Osborn is a bit stiff at first, largely to do with the character himself rather than him, but becomes more at ease and interesting later on as the characterisation darkens in his jealousy, though even when he gets more comfortable he is the least convincing in the acting stakes. He sounds wonderful, as does the gleaming but characterful and menacing Iago of Edgardo Rocha (who also relishes the role with glee, if there is a preference though, as much as this sounds like vocal stereotyping, Iago sounds more of a villain as a baritone). Peter Kalman successfully makes one truly hate his loathsome character of Elmiro, while Liliana Nikiteanu's Emilia is excellent.

On the other hand, the production is not appealing at all visually. The sets are sparse, colourless and indiscernible, and even worse are the costumes which look cheap and not only do not enhance or fit with the drama or music but instead distracts and jars badly in a production where time and place is nigh-on impossible to make out.

It is the staging that fares least. It has its moments, the chorus are well directed and the most cohesive and interesting it gets is a good deal of Act 1 and the "Willow Song". The end of Act 1 is constantly at odds with the text and it is often ambiguous as to where remarks and reactions of the characters are directed against, while much of Act 2 especially towards the end is just absurd and incoherent.

All in all, interesting but very uneven production where the strengths are obvious but the flaws are every bit as glaring and bring the production down significantly. 5/10 Bethany Cox