It was once suggested that Verdi's opera should be named after its villain, Iago, but Verdi insisted on the title Otello.
Compositional Technique
Librettist Arrigo Boito cut the first act of Shakespeare's play, setting the opera's dramatic opening with Otello's arrival in Cyprus.
Historical Context
Shakespeare's play Otello was based on a story from Giambattista Giraldi Cintio's Hecatommithi, published in Venice in 1566.
Performer Biography
The Oviedo Filarmonía, founded in 1999, includes former members of the renowned Moscow Virtuosi.
Composition History
The idea for Verdi's Otello came from Giulio Ricordi, who discussed it with Verdi and librettist Arrigo Boito.
Composition History
Giuseppe Verdi, at 73 years old, completed his opera Otello in 1886, based on Shakespeare's drama.
Composer's Artistic Vision
Verdi had great respect for Shakespeare, having previously created an opera Macbeth in 1847 and later returning to Shakespeare for his last opera, Falstaff.
