Otello is a four-act opera by Giuseppe Verdi, set to a libretto by Arrigo Boito, and based off William Shakespeare's play Othello. It was Verdi's penultimate opera, one he wrote after Aida and which he came out of retirement to compose, and it had a successful premiere at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan on February 5th, 1887. It is also the second of Verdi's three Shakespeare operas, the others being Macbeth and Falstaff.
The opera follows Shakespeare's play quite closely. Otello, a Moorish general, arrives in Cyprus after a victorious battle against the Turks. Unbeknownst to him, he's acquired two enemies: his ensign Iago, for promoting Cassio to captain of the Venetian navy, and Roderigo, who hates Otello for marrying Desdemona, an Italian noblewoman whom he wanted to marry. Enflamed with jealousy, Iago plots to destroy Otello by turning him against his trusted friends and his beloved Desdemona, using whatever it takes to ensure that Otello is ruined.
As mentioned before, Verdi was about to retire after composing Aida in 1871, and it took his Milan publisher ten years to persuade him to write anything. The composition process was long and took several years, but it proved to be a resounding success. Today, the opera is performed quite frequently as a staple of the worldwide operatic repertoire.
The opera had been adapted to film numerous times, the most famous being Franco Zeffirelli's 1986 film
.
Verdi's opera provides examples of:
- Adapted Out: Brabantio, Desdemona’s father, and Bianca, Cassio’s lover, are both removed from the opera. So instead of Lodovico being a relative of Desdemona, he’s now an ambassador of the Venetian Republic.
- Almost Dead Guy: As in the play, despite having been strangled by Otello, Desdemona manages to sing her last words in which she forgives him before dying. However, unlike earlier operatic versions of this trope, she doesn't sing an aria and only manages a few lines in a very quiet voice.
- Ambiguously Brown: Otello, just like in Shakespeare’s play. Likewise, many white tenors have sung his role in blackface, which further complicates his race, though he’s mostly viewed as a black man in this adaptation. There’s also the fact that he’s been sung by quite a few black tenors recently.
- Bittersweet Ending: Iago’s evil plot and scheming is exposed by Emilia (who lives!), but Desdemona and Otello are both dead now.
- Bowdlerize: In the original play, Othello calls his wife a "whore." In the opera, this is changed to "cortigiana" (courtesan).
- BSoD Song: Otello's "Dio, mi potevi scagliar", which is the equivalent of the "Had it pleased heaven to try me with affliction" soliloquy.
- Card-Carrying Villain: Iago’s Act II aria, “Credo in un Dio crudel”, literally translates to “I believe in a cruel God”, where he sings that no human is born good-hearted.
- The Chessmaster: Iago, of course.
- Costume Porn: Traditional productions have some lovely◊ 16th-century◊ Italian◊ clothes◊ for every single character in the opera.
- Crowd Song: “Una vela” in Act I, and an epic one at that.
- Dramatic Thunder: During “Una vela”, there’s a storm raging as the Cypriots are anxiously awaiting Otello’s arrival in the harbour, praying that his ship doesn’t sink.
- Despair Event Horizon: Otello crosses this after he realizes that Desdemona was innocent, and commits suicide as a result.
- Disproportionate Retribution: Iago, furious that Otello gave his promotion to Cassio, vows to destroy Otello’s life, just like in Shakespeare’s play.
- Establishing Character Moment: Here, Iago's moment is when he prays that Otello dies at sea in Act I.
- Evil Plan: Iago’s plan to destroy Otello’s life, much like in Shakespeare’s play.
- Evil Sounds Deep: Iago is a baritone role, and he’s perhaps one of the most evilest characters in opera. Averted with Lodovico, a bass role.
- Fatal Flaw: Otello’s jealousy.
- Friend to All Children: Desdemona is shown to be one in Act II, when several children come to present her with gifts and wish her happiness.
- Gorgeous Period Dress: Traditional productions will always give Desdemona◊ some gorgeous◊ 16th-century◊ Italian gowns.
- Green-Eyed Monster: Like the play, jealousy is a major theme of the opera.
- The Ingenue: Desdemona has shades of this.
- Karma Houdini: After being exposed, Iago simply runs offstage after refusing to explain himself, and is not shown to be caught.
- Let's Duet:
- Otello and Desdemona’s Act I duet, “Gia nella notte densa s’estingue ogni clamor”.
- Otello and Iago's duet, "Si, pel ciel" at the end of Act II.
- Lyrical Dissonance: At the end of Act II, Otello and Iago's duet where they swear vengeance against Desdemona is set to rousing, triumphant music.
- Mistaken for Cheating: With disastrous results.
- Murder-Suicide: Otello realizes that Desdemona was innocent after murdering her. Wracked with guilt, Otello stabs himself in the hopes of joining her.
- My God, What Have I Done?: Otello and Emilia.
- Near-Villain Victory: Iago almost gets away with his plan, but thanks to Emilia, Cassio, and Montano, he doesn’t.
- Ode to Intoxication: “Inaffia l’ugola”, the drinking song that Iago sings in Act I.
- Ominous Pipe Organ: Verdi calls for an ominous sustained organ pedal to play under the opening scene (in theatres that have an organ, anyway), stopping only when the storm is over.
- Poor Communication Kills: Yet again, just like in the play.
- Scenery Porn: Elijah Moshinsky's production at the Met Opera has some very◊ lush◊ and beautiful◊ backdrops◊ for Cyprus.
- Signature Item Clue: The handkerchief is just as significant here as it is in the play.
- Spared by the Adaptation: While Emilia is killed in Shakespeare’s play, she lives in the opera and successfully exposes Iago’s manipulations.
- Star-Crossed Lovers: Otello and Desdemona.
- Tenor Boy: Cassio fits the bill more. Otello, meanwhile, is a dramatic tenor, and one of the most vocally and dramatically demanding roles for an operatic tenor, so he is much more manly than any other tenor role.
- Uncertain Doom: Iago is last seen running offstage after his plot is exposed, with Lodovico ordering men after him. Whether he gets away or is caught is left unclear.
- Villain Song: “Credo in un Dio crudel” is one of the defining villain arias in opera.
