This
Saturday marks the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s passing. In
honor of this great playwright, Clef Notes is highlighting several of his works
that have been set to music over the years. This week, let’s look at the tragic
tale of Othello.
Following
the premiere of Aida in 1871,
Giuseppe Verdi decided to retire. Upon finishing his setting of the Requiem
mass in 1874, he hoped to use his fortune to spend his remaining years relaxing
and enjoying life. His publisher, Giulio Ricordi, had different plans. After
several years of persuasion, he convinced the composer to take up composition
again and to join forces with librettist Arrigo Boito in an opera on his
beloved Shakespeare’s Othello. The
collaboration was a success and resulted in a powerful opera with demanding leads
and a strong orchestral role.
Verdi’s
Otello (1887) tells the tragic tale
of how Othello’s jealousy drives him to murder his wife and then take his own
life. The vocal lines are challenging, the villain Iago, for instance, having
to change his musical style to match whomever he associates with in order to deceive
and carry out his evil plot. For a full synopsis of Otello, you can read here.
Below,
you can enjoy the famous “Willow Song” and “Ave Maria” sung by Renee Fleming as
the innocent Desdemona.
Next
time, join me as we look at another famous setting of Othello by Antonin Dvorak.
