Verdi's Otello
War Memorial Opera HouseFriday, Nov. 13, 2009Better than: Most professional athletes' returns from retirement
Local opera fans may not realize it, but they owe a debt of gratitude to Giulio Ricordi and Arrigo Boito. Without the machinations of these two -- a music publisher, and a composer and librettist -- Giuseppe Verdi may well have ended his career as a composer of operas after 1871's
Aida, and consequently his
Otello never would have premiered 16 years later. And, of course, we would not have the chance to enjoy the excellent production currently being staged by the
San Francisco Opera, which capably handles nearly every aspect of what is often considered Verdi's greatest and most complex work.
Otello the opera is, obviously, based on
Othello the Shakespeare play, and it was in part the opportunity to work with such compelling dramatic material that coaxed Verdi out of his self-imposed early retirement. Though librettist Boito considerably condensed the play, doing away with all of the first act and cutting out several characters and other scenes, what remains is hardly lacking in action -- the essence of the tale of the titular Moorish warrior; his faithful yet unfairly accused wife, Desdemona; and Iago, the congenitally evil presence who schemes to ruin the pair.
