Opera - Otello

Giuseppe Verdi (1813-1901)

Otello 138:06
Dramma lirico in four acts
Libretto by Arrigo Boito after Shakespeare, English translation by Andrew Porter

COMPACT DISC ONE
Act I
Scene 1
1 'See, the sail there!' 4:22
Chorus, Montano, Cassio, Iago, Roderigo
2 'Oh rejoice now!' 2:17
Otello, Chorus
3 'Roderigo, speak up' 2:45
Iago, Roderigo
4 'Flame of rejoicing!' 2:23
Chorus
5 'Roderigo, drink up!' 1:36
Iago, Cassio, Chorus
6 Brindisi: 'Good comrades, brave and true' 3:47
Iago, Cassio, Chorus, Roderigo
7 'Captain Cassio, the guard awaits your orders' 1:15
Montano, Cassio, Iago, Chorus

Scene 2
8 'Your swords cast before me!' 3:07
Otello, Iago, Cassio, Montano

Scene 3
9 'Now in the silent darkness' 2:30
Otello, Desdemona
10 'Once when you told me of your life in exile' 7:33
Desdemona, Otello

Act II
Scene 1
11 'Don't give up hope, but trust in me' 2:42
Iago, Cassio

Scene 2
12 'Take it; take the path to your ruin' 0:32
13 Yes, I believe in a God who has created me' 4:25
14 'There she is . . . Cassio . . . your chance . . .' 1:23

Scene 3
15 'How distressing . . ' 2:52
16 'Beware, O my lord, beware of jealousy' 2:17
Iago, Otello
17 'At your glances, flame in our hearts' 4:01
Chorus, Desdemona, Otello, Iago

Scene 4
18 'I come from someone who has felt your anger' 2:22
Desdemona, Otello
19 'Grant me, oh grant me sweet words of pardon' 2:55
Desdemona, Otello, Iago, Emilia

Scene 5
20 'Desdemona guilty!' 1:41
21 'Now and forever farewell' 2:10
22 'By all creation! Can I believe in Desdemona?' 1:24
Otello, Iago
23 'Darkness had fallen, Cassio was sleeping . . .' 4:37
Iago, Otello
24 'See me swear, you heavens above me!' 3:01
Otelo, Iago
68:12

COMPACT DISC TWO
Act III
Scene 1
1 'I bring word that the watchman at the harbour' 2:54
Herald, Otello, Iago

Scene 2
2 'God give you joy, Otello' 3:12
3 'You are trying to tease me' 6:59
Desdemona, Otello

Scene 3
4 'God! Had it pleased you to try me with affliction' 4:22

Scene 4
'Ah! Damned for ever!'
Otello, Iago

Scene 5
5 'Come now; the hall's deserted' 3:52
Iago, Cassio, Otello
6 'This is a cobweb, men are flies' 1:56
Iago, Cassio

Scene 6
7 'How shall I take her life?' 1:14
Otello, Iago, Chorus

Scene 7
8 'Hail him! All hail him!' 3:43
Chorus, Lodovico, Otello, Desdemona, Emilia, Iago

Scene 8
9 'All hear me! The Doge . . .' 1:49
Otello, Roderigo, Iago, Cassio, Lodovico
10 'I lie here! Yes: I lie in the dust here . . .' 3:40
Desdemona, Emilia, Roderigo, Cassio, Lodovico, Chorus, Iago, Otello
11 'All in this day of glory rejoice' 1:56
Iago, Chorus, Otello, Lodovico, Desdemona

Scene 9
12 'But who can flee himself!' 1:53
Otello, Iago, Chorus

Act IV
Scene 1
13 'Did he seem calmer?' 4:56
14 '''The poor soul sat sighing beneath a willow . . .''' 7:05
Desdemona, Emilia

Scene 2
15 'Ave Maria, mother of mercy' 5:01
Desdemona

Scene 3
16 'Who's there? . . . Otello?' 6:23
Desdemona, Otello
17 'Calm and cold as the tomb' 2:00
Otello, Emilia, Desdemona

Scene 4
18 'Who's shouting! Oh God! Ah no!' 1:30
Emilia, Iago, Otello, Cassio, Montano, Lodovico
19 'Do not fear me' 5:17
Otello, Cassio, Chorus
69:54
Charles Craig tenor - Otello
Rosalind Plowright soprano - Desdemona
Neil Howlett baritone - Iago
Shelagh Squires mezzo-soprano - Emilia
Bonaventura Bottone tenor - Cassio
Stuart Kale tenor - Roderigo
Sean Rea bass - Lodovico
Malcolm Rivers baritone - Montano
Gordon Traynor baritone - Herald
English National Opera Chorus
English National Opera Orchestra
Mark Elder
Recorded in:
London Coliseum
6, 22, 25 & 28 January 1983
Producer(s)
John Fraser
Sound Engineer(s)
Stuart Eltham
Format: DDD
Bit Rate: 24 Bit Remaster