Otello

Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901)

DESCRIPTION

Carlos Kleiber returns to one of his most celebrated operas, Otello, and delivers a performance that defies stylistic expectations—both in terms of Verdi tradition and his own previous interpretations. This performance is a powerful reminder that the life Kleiber breathed into his work was never a set of repeatable interpretive choices, but something spontaneous, deeply felt, and alive in the moment. His reading here is fresh, dramatic, and full of tension, shaped with a precision that never feels calculated.

Kleiber is supported by a superb cast. Carlo Cossutta brings a burly yet lyrical tenor to the title role, singing with strength and surprising tenderness. Julia Varady is an ethereal Desdemona, her tone pure and radiant, with the ability to shift into vocal overdrive when the drama demands it. Piero Cappuccilli delivers a complex and chilling Iago, sung with equal parts venom and beauty.

CAST

Otello – CARLO COSSUTTA
Desdemona – JULIA VARADY
Iago – PIERO CAPPUCCILLI
Cassio – BENITO MARESEA
Rodrigo – NORBERT ORTH
Emilia – GUDRUN WEWEZOW
Lodovico – NIKOLAUS HILLEBRAND
Montano – HANS WILBRINK
Un Araldo – HERMANN SAPELL

DETAILS

Location: München
Date: October 31, 1977
Conductor: Carlos Kleiber
Catalogue Number: OD 12220-2
Label: Opera Depot
Number of Discs: 2
In Stereo