Otello by Giuseppe Verdi will come to Teatro Colon in August. Performances will run August 14-25.
Giuseppe Verdi’s (1813–1901) admiration for the works of Shakespeare was no coincidence in the composition of Otello. Standing apart even chronologically from his other operatic creations, this work represents a profound structural transformation in the service of drama. Clear evidence of the creative genius and evocative power of the “Swan of Busseto.”
At the end of the fifteenth century, on the island of Cyprus, the victorious general Otello returns after defeating the Turks and is received as a hero. However, the celebration conceals the ambition and resentment of Iago, his ensign, who, driven by his grudge, sets in motion a ruthless plan to destroy him. By manipulating Cassio, appointed captain by Otello, and sowing doubts about the fidelity of Desdemona, the wife of “the moor of Venice”, Iago feeds an increasingly devastating jealousy.
An innocent handkerchief, turned into false proof of adultery, precipitates the downfall of the noble warrior, incapable of distinguishing the truth behind such a ruse. While Desdemona tries to defend her innocence, the deception leads Otello toward an irreversible tragedy: the murder of his own wife. Too late the veil of falsehood is lifted, and Otello, distraught, takes the dagger into his own hands, the one that would bring an end to his life.
