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Discover OtelloAuthor: Jonas Kaufmann, Antonio Pappano, Thomas Voigt
Let tenor Jonas Kaufmann, conductor Antonio Pappano and journalist Thomas Voigt take you on a journey of discovery into the heart of one of Verdis greatest and most thrilling operas Otello. Through personal insights and anecdotes, the trio explore, one act at a time, what it is like to perform and record Verdis masterpiece based on the Shakespearean tragedy.What is it like for the tenor to stand in the wings, awaiting his triumphant yet utmost demanding entrance scene, while the storm music rages on stage? How do you keep the spontaneity and truthfulness of a live performance, when you record the opera in a studio setting? Why does Otellos wife Desdemona keep inadvertently inciting his jealousy leading to tragic consequences? Marvel at the beauty and power of Verdis music as Jonas explains how he believes the listener comes away with compassion for the ill-fated Otello at the end of the Opera. Ever since Jonas Kaufmann sung the secondary tenor role of Cassio in his American debut in 2001, he had dreamed of one day singing the Mount Everest of tenor roles. Finally that day came in June 2017 when he performed his first Otello at the Royal Opera House London with Antonio Pappano conducting. Two years later in the summer of 2019 they joined forces again to record the legendary role with the Orchestra e Coro dellAccademia Nazionale de Santa Cecilia in Rome. The studio recording of Otello is available on Sony Classical https://jonaskaufmann.lnk.to/Otello .Antonio Pappano appears by kind permission of Warner Classics Language: en Genres: Music, Music Commentary, Music Interviews Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it Trailer: |
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Discover Otello - Act IV
Episode 4
Tuesday, 7 July, 2020
This week - Act IV The final tragic act, where Otello murders his innocent wife before Iago’s malicious plot is revealed and Otello commits suicide. In this episode the theme of darkness and light in the music is explored and Jonas Kaufmann speaks about Verdi’s mastery of the final scenes which can even elicit empathy for the broken Otello. Unfamiliar with the story in Act 4? Desdemona says her prayers and prepares for bed. Soon Otello enters and wakes her with a kiss then announces he will kill her due to her infidelity. Frightened and distraught Desdemona again affirms her innocence but a furious Otello strangles his wife without mercy. Her maid Emilia appears with news that Cassio has killed Roderigo and soon Iago’s evil conspiracy is revealed. Otello, stunned, realizes the grievous mistake he has made. Broken, he stabs himself with a dagger and dies with a final kiss for Desdemona. The studio recording of Otello - with Jonas Kaufmann and Antonio Pappano (appearing by kind permission of Warner Classics) conducting the Orchestra e Coro dell’Accademia Nazionale de Santa Cecilia - is available on Sony Classical Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
