Carnegie Hall, N.Y.; January 17, 2007
Rossini’s Otello had its premiere in Naples in 1816 and has the honor of being the first opera in which a character dies on stage (considered a no-no for the genteel audiences of the time). The libretto, an “adaptation” of Shakespeare’s play, is simply awful: Desdemona is about to marry Rodrigo (an amalgam of Rodrigo and Cassio as we know them) when Otello, to whom she is secretly married, interrupts the wedding and challenges Rodrigo to a duel. He is exiled for this behavior. Iago has intercepted a love note from Desdemona to Otello but makes Otello think that it was meant for Rodrigo. Otello stabs Desdemona and everything ends unhappily. Most interesting is the vocal scoring – Iago, Rodrigo and Otello are all high tenors, their roles requiring plenty of coloratura and wild flights. The first two acts are exciting and entertaining with plenty for lovers of bel canto to enjoy – an aria each for Otello and Rodrigo, a pair of fine duets and good ensembles. But it is in the opera’s last act that Rossini’s dramatic inspiration seems to have clicked in and we get thrilling, highly dramatic music as well. The opera was a great success at its premiere and soon was heard all over Italy, in Vienna (1819) England (1822) and New York (1826). Indeed, it was popular until Verdi’s masterpiece of the same name, based more closely on Shakespeare, with a libretto worthy of Verdi’s music, was premiered in February of 1887, at which point Rossini’s opera dropped quickly from the repertoire.
If cast properly, Rossini’s version can still pack quite a wallop. Eve Queler wisely cast her performance at Carnegie Hall from tenorial strength. Stepping in for an indisposed Ramon Vargas at OONY’s performance in the title role was Texan tenor Bruce Ford, who has made somewhat of a specialty of the part and who is not heard nearly often enough in New York. The voice is somewhat less supple than in previous years and he occasionally fudges some coloratura, but his sound is still heroic and he makes much of the text, rising to true dramatic heights in the final scene. More stunning was tenor Robert McPherson as Iago. Perhaps the characterization was not as vivid as Ford’s Otello, but McPherson has a remarkable sound and technique – the coloratura is spotless, high Cs and Ds effortless, and the tone bright and resonant. The third tenor was Kenneth Tarver as Rodrigo. His lyric, shiny sound easily encompassed the roles outrageously florid music. Oh yes – a fourth tenor, Gaston Rivero, sang the small roles of the Doge and a Gondolier handsomely.
The Desdemona was the Romanian mezzo Ruxandra Donose, the possessor of an apealing, good-sized lyric voice with the technique for Rossini’s ornate music. This character barely comes to life until the final act, when Rossini gives her a lovely Willow Song and prayer; in the first two acts she’s mostly part of ensembles. Ms Donose’s singing could hardly be faulted; her refusal to vary her tone or sing softly, however, can be. A bit more personality might have helped as well. The exciting, big-voiced mezzo Maria Zifchak almost overwhelmed Emilia’s music; bass Daniel Mobbs impressed as Elmiro, Desdemona’s father.
Ms Queler led a performance that gathered steam as it went along, paying close attention to the needs of her singers. The opera was performed almost complete – only a rather tedious Desdemona-Emilia scene in the second act was cut. At its best, this tenor festival thrilled; yet again, New Yorkers must be grateful to OONY for offering up a rarity, well-served.
Robert Levine
