Verdi's Otello Ben Heppner sang Otello on the opening night of Chicago Lyric Opera's 2001-2002 season. "For someone who sings big repertoire, [Otello is] something you want to get to eventually," Heppner said, as quoted in Opera News of September 2001. "I'm in my mid-forties, and I figured now was a good time. I began slowly, [first] with a concert in Munich with James Levine, and [now] onstage in Chicago. I'm coaching the role with James Johnson, and I'm still finding my way through it. One of the things that concern me is . . . the anger and the accusations and the hysteria. I don't want to give away too much too soon. I think it can be dangerous." A plot synopsis of Verdi's Otello can be found at the site of the Metropolitan Opera. Otello on DVD Herbert von Karajan, Mario del Monaco, Renata Tebaldi & Wiener Philharmoniker - Verdi: Otello (USA)   Recommended recordings Chicago Sun-Times October 19, 2001, review of Kallen Esperian as Desdemona AP Entertainment Review, September 23, 2001, of Chicago Otello with Ben Heppner and Renee Fleming Glyndebourne's Otello was reviewed favorably in The Times of July 23, 2001. A performance of Otello by the Kirov at the Royal Opera House, London, was reviewed in the Independent of July 19, 2001. Buy From Art.com Review of concert performance--Boston--June 4, 2000 OTELLO. Opera. Music composed by Giuseppe Verdi. Libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on the play by William Shakespeare. Concert performance at Jordan Hall, Boston, June 4, 2000, at 3 p.m, under auspices of Chorus Pro Musica and Concert Opera Boston. Conductor: Jeffrey Rink. Chorus Pro Musica. The New England Conservatory Children's Choir. Cast: Allan Glassman (Otello), Robert Honeysucker (Iago), Maria Ferrante (Desdemona), Mark Evans (Cassio), Susan Forrester (Emilia), Yegishe Manucharyan (Roderigo), Frits Kamp (Lodovico), Moises Ribeiro (Montano), and David Godkin (un Araldo). Tenor Allan Glassman sang his first Otello in a concert performance in Jordan Hall, Boston, on the afternoon of Sunday June 4, 2000, under the auspices of Boston's Chorus Pro Musica and Concert Opera Boston. Mr. Glassman has sung leading roles at, among other places, both the Metropolitan Opera and the New York City Opera. I especially enjoyed his performaqnce in Hindemith's Mathis der Maler at the City Opera. His Otello is well worth hearing. From his first "esultate," it was evident that his voice is well suited to the role, both musically and dramatically. Although this was a concert performance, he always appeared to be in character. His interpretation was quite intense, and he had a riveting stage presence in addition to his attractive voice. He is vocally up to the demands of the role, and he would be quite a respectable Otello anywhere in the world. (Next year he will sing the role in staged performances in Bogot�, Colombia.) He was very good at depicting the character's deterioration, and was also convincing as the ardent lover in his first-act duet with Desdemona. As Desdemona, Maria Ferrante was an endearing ingenue. She is quite good-looking and has a pretty voice that is certainly loud enough. At a few moments in the first three acts, she seemed to lack complete control of her voice, veering slightly in the direction of screechinesss. She was at her best in the last act, singing a moving "Salce, salce," and "Ave Maria." According to the program notes, she will be studying with Elly Ameling. Miss Ferrante is a singer of potential, who still has things to learn. I wish her well. Robert Honeysucker as Iago was dramatically the weak link in the cast. He appears to be a genial person who cannot convincingly act the part of an evil character. He is better suited to role such as Ford in Falstaff or Giorgio Germont in La Traviata" Although the sound of his voice is quite pleasant, and his musicianship is laudable, he often did not enunciate the text very clearly or effectively. His credo was just a song, not a chilling moment. Boito ccrafted such an excellent libretto from Shakespeare's play that much is lost in Otello when the text is unclear. Honeysucker is local favorite, and was much appreciated by the audience. The other roles were well sung. Especially noteworthy were Mark Evans, who sang quite clearly as Cassio, and Frits Kamp as Ludovico, a tall man with a sonorous voice, quite clear and effective. Susan Forrester, a young and attractive Emilia, was quite good in the last act when she revealed Iago's treachery. The Chorus Pro Musica produced a pleasant sound and were suitably enthusiastic at times, but need to pay more attention to enunciation of the text. In "Beva con me" for example, the "v" and the "n" were almost inaudible. There were times when one would have been hard put to guess which language, if any, the chorus was singing. Many consonants were inaudible; at times it seemed as if the chorus were singing only vowels. The New England Conservatory Children's Choir performed commendably from positions in the aisles of the balcony. The members of the orchestra played superbly, and were well conducted by Jeffrey Rink, who was also very attentive to the singers. At a few times one might have wished that the orchestra was not so loud in this concert erformance with the singers sharing the (built out a few rows) stage with the singers. I was glad that the opera had been performed in four acts with three intermissions, since one could fully appreciate each act. The audience, roughly two thirds of the capacity of Jordan Hall, applauded enthusiastically at the end. I look forward to Chorus Pro Musica's performance of Verdi's Macbeth next June. To Index Page Otello items at Giuseppe Verdi aStore Un Ballo in Maschera page

Otello: Libretto in English and Italian: (English National Opera Guide Series #7) Barnes & Noble DVD CD Otello, Del Monaco, Tucci, Gobbi, Opera d'Oro, buy.com Otello, Vickers, Rysanek, Gobbi, Serafin, RCA Victor, buy.com Verdi: Otello / Karajan, Vickers, Freni, Glossop, et al. ArkivMusic.com