Welcome students and teachers to opera online! I hope everyone enjoyed their summer!The Opera Company of Philadelphia has a fabulous season ahead this year beginning with the highly theatrical opera, Verdi's Otello.
We will begin by looking at the composer behind the music Giuseppe Verdi.
Website of the week
To find out more about this opera, including links to cast member webpages, photos from rehearsals, a downloadable podcast about the opera, the official Giuseppe Verdi webpage, a full piano-vocal score, and more, visit the Sounds of Learning page on Otello here.
YouTube Clip of the Week
Zeffirelli's movie Otello was released in 1986 and starred Plácido Domingo as Otello, Katia Ricciarelli as Desdemona and Justino Díaz as Iago.
This is the opening scene "Una Vela... Esultate!" The crowd prays for Otello's safe return in the midst of the storm. Otello, the general from Venice who has been stationed in Cyrpus as governor, triumphantly returns. He has just vanquished the Turks at sea and has safely arrived on shore in Cyprus, to the delight and relief of all.
Next we'll take a look at Iago's "Brindisi" or drinking song. He rouses the crowd and manipulates Cassio into getting drunk and staring a fight with Roderigo. Listen to the orchestra as it sounds like a bubbling, gurgling witch's brew.
We're very lucky to have a video of Mark Delavan, who will sing Iago in our production of Otello, singing this excerpt. He's the very tall man dressed in black with the goatee.
The last clip is the famous love duet for Otello and Desdemona that ends Act I. We'll see Placido Domingo and New Zealand soprano Dame Kiri Te Kanawa as the lovers in a production from the Royal Opera House Covent Garden in London.
Don't forget to invite your friends to sign up to receive these alerts by emailing their name, school, and age to us at outreach@operaphila.org.
Until next week…
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