Conductor to flit between Rossini’s Otello and Verdi’s
OperaOper Frankfurt has asked Sesto Quatrini to take charge of both Otellos in the coming weeks – Rossini’s on May 17, 19, 26, 31 and June 8, 15 ; and Verdi’s on June 22, 30 and July 4, 7, 10, 12.
Quatrini says: ‘It will be enthralling to take on the challenge of two such disparate scores, with such diverse musical languages and approaches to vocality, and two very different librettos, partly because they originated from different literary sources (Othello, ou le More de Venise by Jean-François Ducis for Rossini, and Shakespeare’s tragedy of the same name for Verdi). Basically, two operas which recount the same immortal, tragic events, but do so with different tempos, words, music, styles, theatrical and musical devices, methods, perspectives, even characters.’
The Georgian soprano Nino Machaidze will sing in both operas.
I don’t know we have 4 great Rossini tenors for “Otello”.
Having said that, I am of the opinion that Rossini’s Act 4 is superior to Verdi’s. z
It is like to compare apples with pears…both tasty but completely different species…
you obviously do not know Rossini. The Otello act 4 is structurally and musically similar to to Verdi’s act 4. IMO Rossini’s music is superior to Verdi’s in act 4.
I agree with the sentiment eventhough Verdi’s opera is in four acts while Rossini’s is in three. The last part of Rossini’s Otello is quite marvellous.
A really fine conductor. I greatly enjoyed his un giorno di Regno in Martina Franca a number of years ago pre covid- excellent, great for singers and knew the score like the back of his hand.