Otello
also Othello
opera · dramma lirico in quattro atti
Composer Giuseppe Verdi
Librettist Arrigo Boito
Synopsis
Otello, a Moor and general of the Venetian army, lands in Cyprus as its governor after a victory over the Turkish fleet. His ensign Jago, who hates him for promoting Cassio in his place, sets out to destroy them both, using Roderigo, a Venetian gentleman in love with Otello's wife Desdemona.
Versions
Key facts
- Premiere
- 5 February 1887, Teatro alla Scala, Milan
- Acts
- 4
- Language
- Italian (it)
- Setting
- A port city on the island of Cyprus, at the end of the fifteenth century.
What's different
The original, first given at La Scala and conducted by Franco Faccio.
Dramatis personae
| Role | Voice | Created by |
|---|---|---|
| Otello A Moor, general of the Venetian army. | tenor | Francesco Tamagno |
| Jago Otello's ensign. | baritone | Victor Maurel |
| Cassio A captain under Otello. | tenor | Giovanni Paroli |
| Roderigo A Venetian gentleman. | tenor | Vincenzo Fornari |
| Lodovico Ambassador of the Venetian Republic. | bass | Francesco Navarrini |
| Montano Otello's predecessor as governor of Cyprus. | bass | Napoleone Limonta |
| Un araldo A herald. | bass | Angelo Lagomarsino |
| Desdemona Otello's wife. | soprano | Romilda Pantaleoni |
| Emilia Jago's wife. | mezzo-soprano | Ginevra Petrovich |
Key facts
- Premiere
- 12 October 1894, Salle Garnier, Monte Carlo
- Acts
- 4
- Language
- French (fr)
- Setting
- A port city on the island of Cyprus, at the end of the fifteenth century.
What's different
Othello, in a French translation by Boito and Camille du Locle, given by the Paris Opéra with Verdi present. Following French convention he added a short ballet to the third act, before the Venetian ambassadors enter, and shortened the large concertato that ends the act. The ballet is rarely performed as part of the opera.
Translator Arrigo Boito, Camille du Locle
Dramatis personae
| Role | Voice | Created by |
|---|---|---|
| Othello A Moor, general of the Venetian army. | tenor | Albert Saléza |
| Iago Otello's ensign. | baritone | Victor Maurel |
| Cassio A captain under Otello. | tenor | Albert Vaguet |
| Rodrigue A Venetian gentleman. | tenor | Pierre-Marie Laurent |
| Ludovic Ambassador of the Venetian Republic. | bass | Léon Gresse |
| Montano Otello's predecessor as governor of Cyprus. | bass | Charles Douaillier |
| Un héraut A herald. | bass | François Cancelier |
| Desdémone Otello's wife. | soprano | Rose Caron |
| Émilie Jago's wife. | mezzo-soprano | Meyriane Héglon |
Source
Written from
- Budden, J. (1981) The operas of Verdi. Volume 3: From Don Carlos to Falstaff. New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 293-413.
- Wikipedia (2026) Otello. (Accessed: 28 September 2026). The English article.
- Boito, A. (1887) Otello: dramma lirico in quattro atti. Milan: G. Ricordi. (Accessed: 28 September 2026).
- Libretti d'opera (n.d.) Otello. (Accessed: 28 September 2026).
- Casaglia, G. (n.d.) '5 Febbraio 1887', in L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia. (Accessed: 28 September 2026).
- Casaglia, G. (n.d.) '12 Ottobre 1894', in L'Almanacco di Gherardo Casaglia. (Accessed: 28 September 2026).
- Wikipedia (2026) Otello (Verdi). (Accessed: 28 September 2026). The Italian article.