by Giuseppe Verdi
seen by live streaming from Covent Garden on 28 June 2017
Keith Warner directs Jonas Kaufmann as Otello, Maria Agresta as Desdemona and Marco Vratogna as Iago in a new production of Otello with Antonio Pappano conducting. This is Kaufmann's debut in the taxing role of the Moorish general in the Venetian state whose initial love for his wife Desdemona is poisoned by the ambitious and vengeful Iago, to the point where he smothers her.
The three leads gave strong musical performances, the contrasting characterisations of wifely innocence in the soprano, almost demonic vitriol in the bass, and descent from heroism to jealous rage in the tenor all persuasively handled. Kaufmann in particular charts the degeneration of Otello's character with great dramatic power, whereas acting skills are less in demand for the other two, whose personalities are necessarily less subject to change and development.
