RAMBLES ON VERDI'S OTHELLO IN DENMARK

 #OthElokuu
Translated from the Danish by Yours Truly              

From Politikkens operafører, by Mogens Wenzel Andreasen:

Otello

Opera in four acts.
Lyrics: Arrigo Boito after Shakespeare
Dramatis personae:

• Othello, supreme commander of the military (tenor)
• Cassio, captain / kaptajn (tenor)
• Iago, ensign / fenrik (baritone)
• Roderigo (tenor)
• Ludovico, envoy of the Republic (bass)
• The former governor of Cyprus (bass)
• Desdemona, Othello's wife (soprano)
• Emilia, Iago's wife (mezzosoprano)

Setting: Late 1400s century, on Cyprus
Ur-première: La Scala, Milan, 5th of February 1887; Det Kongelige Teater, Copenhagen, 20th of April 1898, translated by Salomon Levysohn, reviewed by Johannes Fønss (1940).
PLOT SUMMARY
Act One. On the square before the castle, a restless crowd has gathered to look out towards the sea, where a ship struggles against a violent storm. It is in the evening. The crowd all bend their knees for the sake of Othello, who can be found on board. Iago and Roderigo follow with the crowd the dramatic development, that ends with great relief, as the ship makes it to port with a broken mast. Othello lands with his entourage and tells of his victory against the Turks. He then heads towards the castle, followed by the exultant crowd. The storm has calmed, and celebration bonfires are lit. But Iago is on the go with his intrigues. He hates Cassio, as much as he hates Othello, because Othello has overlooked him and promoted Cassio to be his closest officer. Therefore, Iago tries to raise Roderigo up against both of them. He has had wine brought, drinks toasts with Cassio, and gets him drunk. Roderigo's laughter makes Cassio flare up even more, and, when the former governor tries to intervene, he gets caught in the crossfire. Cassio draws steel, and the former governor has to defend himself. Meanwhile, Iago is provoking the spectators, and in the end, Othello arrives and demotes Cassio, to much rejoicing for Iago. Desdemona has also been summoned by the noise and comes out to meet her husband, who, in the meantime, has the uprising quelled. Othello and Desdemona are left alone, en tête-à-tête, and sing a love duet.
Act Two. Iago and Cassio have a conversation in a hall of the castle, and the former advises the latter to persuade Desdemona to intercede for his sake before Othello. Cassio leaves, and Iago sings his Creed, in which he confesses that he believes in evil. Desdemona is seen through a window in the garden, in the company of Emilia, and Cassio approaches them. The ladies approach him with friendliness, and when Othello soon passes by, Iago draws his attention towards what is occurring in the garden. He succeeds in awakening Othello's jealousy. But, even if Othello has now begun to have suspicions about his wife, he requires ocular proof. When the sailors, with women and children, praise Desdemona, Othello forgets for a moment his suspicion, but it flares up again when she comes and intercedes for Cassio. He sends her away, with the excuse of a headache. She wants to help him by tying her handkerchief around his head, but he throws it away. Emilia gathers the cloth, but Iago snatches it from her. Desdemona is surprised by her husband's detached attitude, but she cannot reach or find contact with him. He shoves her away in a rage. Othello surrenders to his feelings; now he wants to forget everything that has until now been his great joy. Iago consoles him with hypocritical words, and Othello, furious, lunges at him and demands ocular proof. Iago is completely remorseless. He can give no proof, but he tries with a lie. He claims to have heard Cassio talk in his sleep about Desdemona, and he tells of a handkerchief, that he says he recognises as Desdemona's, but that he has seen in Cassio's hands. Othello is out of himself with fury, for he recognises the handkerchief from its description: it was his first gift to Desdemona. Now, he is feeling that his suspicions are confirmed, and Iago supports him in this view of the situation.
Act Three. Iago has planned a conversation with Cassio, for Othello to eavesdrop on them. At the end of the conversation, he calls out to Cassio: "Don't let them know it... / I must leave. That silken tissue..." As Desdemona enters, Othello receives her with caustic irony. He complains about a headache and asks her for her handkerchief. He appears threatening towards her, and she sheds tears, for she does not recognise her husband at all as such. Othello stands alone, devastated by his own suspicions. Iago and Cassio approach, and Othello conceals himself to eavesdrop upon their conversation. Iago intends to carry out this conversation in such a way that Othello might believe that Desdemona is unfaithful with Cassio. He also sees the handkerchief in the young officer's hands, and does not know that it is Iago who has given it to him. Othello loses his sanity. "How should I end her life?!" he asks Iago, who replies: "I'd suffocate her / upon the very marriage bed she has tainted." In his gratitude towards Iago's ostensible sincerity, Othello promotes him to captain.
Ludovico, a dignitary, visits Othello, who receives him with Desdemona and their entourage. The dignitary brings orders from the ruler that Othello should return to the capital, leaving Cassio as his successor. Othello loses his sanity. He tosses Desdemona onto the ground. She and the entourage flee in fright and in despair, and Iago is left en tête-à-tête with Othello, who collapses due to powerlessness and exhaustion. Outside, a rejoicing chorus is heard singing praises of Othello, the "Lion victorious." "Lo and behold!" says Iago, sarcastic, as he points at the unconscious Othello.
Act Four. Emilia undoes Desdemona's head for the night in the latter's bedchamber. Desdemona sings the song of the weeping willow ("The poor soul sat sighing.") She feels oppressed by visions of her death in a near future and takes her leave of Emilia. Desdemona sings her "Ave Maria", her Hail Mary, where she expresses her anxiety about the future. As soon as she has fallen asleep, Othello enters. He stands still for a long time contemplating her, before he wakes her up with a kiss. Her pleas, when she finds it clear what he wants, are in vain. His final decision is not to be changed, and he suffocates her. Emilia enters and utters a piercing scream, which summons Ludovico, Cassio, and Iago to the site. The intrigue is revealed, and Iago takes to flight. Othello wants to run a sword through him, but lets it fall and sinks in despair upon Desdemona's lifeless form. Before anyone can prevent it, he stabs a dagger into his own chest.
CHARACTERISTICS
Arrigo Boito, who was a composer himself and is still remembered for his Mephistopheles, and, to some degree, his unfinished Nerone (Nero), has with his libretto after Shakespeare's tragedy created a magnum opus of an opera libretto. The music shows how much the mastery of Verdi had increased in his senior years. It is still Italian opera, with radiant melodic features, but the opera is composed through, and shows at some points, that Verdi knew Wagner's works quite well. The first scene, in the harbour, is seething with dramatism and ecstatic in its intensity, that rises in Iago's drinking song:
(Drink, Lieutenant...)
In stark contrast to this stands Othello's and Desdemona's love motif:
(Please kiss me!)
Iago's monologue, his Creed, is likewise of demonic intensity, as well as his remarks to Othello:
(The dark, green-eyed serpent, cold as ice, monstrous...)
Of great melodic beauty are Desdemona's willow song and subsequent Hail Mary:
(The poor soul sat sighing...)
In the final scene, Othello's entrance is led by a motif that depicts his thoughts of revenge and murder:
(Enter Othello through the door, stage right. After shutting the door, he places his sword on the dressing table and stands for a while before the candelabra on the nightstand table, doubting whether he shall quench the flames or not.)

DISCOGRAPHY

• Tebaldi, del Monaco, Protti, Vienna Philh., conducted by Karajan. DECCA
• Vickers, Rysanek, Gobbi, Andreolli, Opera of Rome, conducted by Serafin. ECA
• Domingo, Scotto, Milnes, National Philh., conducted by Levine. RCA
• Domingo, Studer, Leiferkus, Vargas, Opéra Bastille (Paris), conducted by Chung. Deutsche Grammophon
• Vinay, Nelli, Valdengo, Assandri, NBC Choir and Orchestra, conducted by Toscanini. RCA
• Vinay, Martinis, Schöffler, Dermota, Vienna Philh., conducted by Furtwängler. EMI
• Vickers, Freni, Glossop, Berlin Philh., conducted by Karajan. EMI
• Domingo, Ricciarelli, Díaz, La Scala, conducted by Maazel. EMI

¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨¨
From Lottes OPERAbog, by Lotte Heise (she uses"fændrik" for Iago and "løjtnant" for Cassio, which Politikens omits in the summary and misspells in the dramatis personae! Also, she is a Lemony narrator, a definite plus!):

RENDING 
Evil

Othello

by GIUSEPPE VERDI

Othello is yet another one of Verdi's fantastic operas which are deeply tragic and end in a DREADful way, so naturally it fits into the category "Rending Evil." ('Ædende ond'.)
It is his second last opera, and the music is really on top. Here there is nothing trivial about the music, which is refined and generally laden with grandeur - without becoming bombastic.
The plot is awesome. Wicked man puts the maximal amount of flies in the ointment to rise to power. Dark-skinned man, skilful warrior and commander, is married to white, beautiful female of good family. He suffers constantly from inferiority complex, and, even though she loves him to endless heights, love is not enough! :( 

ACT ONE

Othello is not only the supreme commander of the military, he is also the province governor of Cyprus and actually unmeasurably popular - in spite of his dark skin. Right now, he is on his way home from a great battle, which he has won against the Turks. Both the Cypriots and the fortress garrison are gathered in the harbour, where they are all very worried about the storm that may lead the flagship to wreck.
Othello, fortunately, makes it safely to port, and is hailed as the hero he is. But there is one who neither wishes him safe and sound at home, nor praised by the people. Iago, who is an ensign, hates Othello and desires his downfall, maybe especially because Othello has named Cassio to the rank of lieutenant, and not Iago himself.
He is a master of intrigue, and, in the course of the following acts, you will see how fast traps can spring around one's ankles - without one having any influence upon it.
In the first round, Iago's concern is to make Cassio drunk. Thereafter, he uses Roderigo, a nobleman in love with Othello's more-than-beautiful wife Desdemona, as the lynchpin for the first part of the intrigue. Roderigo thinks that it would be fun to challenge Cassio to a duel, and, since Cassio is drunk and bereft of his judgement, he falls instantly into the trap. When the officer on duty interposes himself between the two fighters, he is wounded in the arm by Cassio. Othello arrives, disarms the two fighting bantam roosters, and demotes Cassio. Like that. The first part of Iago's sinister plan is a success.
The act ends with a wonderful scene between Desdemona and Othello, where he once more fears because of their unequal alliance. He is dark-skinned and not of noble, fine descent, while she is first and foremost lily-white, and of the finest noble blood - and thus he is worried - something that one can all too well understand.
Desdemona loves Othello until death and reassures him in a fantastic duet on how much she loves him - and he falls into peace again!

ACT TWO

In the second act, Iago resumes his twisted plans. First, he meets an "oh-how-weary-I-am-of-this" Cassio, who has both a physical and especially a moral hangover over the "mess he has made."
Iago "advises" him rottenly to ask Desdemona for help. Really grimly done, for Othello happens to be very jealous and has an evil eye for the pretty lieutenant! Right when Desdemona is - very conveniently for the plot - about to take a walk in the garden, out storms Cassio to talk to her. Iago sings then the so renowned aria about his life, which centers on power and control - and preferently with human sacrifices! Immediately afterwards, Othello enters, and Iago, that snake in the grass, triggers Othello's violent jealousy, which never is as far away as an alcoholic from his glass! Iago tells him in fact, in a very subtle way, that there is surely something between Desdemona and Cassio! Now, to add insult to injury, the unwitting Desdemona enters and pleads for mercy upon poor Cassio, who after all was only drunk. Othello, whom Iago has filled to the breaking point with lies, flips completely out, believing that there is something between Desdemona and Cassio. She does not understand anything, and tries to explain, but he is furious and sends her away. She goes, brokenhearted, her own way.
Iago's wife Emilia, who is Desdemona's handmaid, is the only one who sees Iago snatch Desdemona's handkerchief, but, since she is completely within his power, she must keep as silent as the grave. As soon as Iago is left once more en tête-à-tête with Othello, he fills the general with made-up stories about Desdemona's and Cassio's "relationship."
Othello, who is now completely guided by his jealousy, breaks down, and Iago, who loves to kick those who are lying down, tells the crushed Othello that he, Iago, has seen Cassio hugging Desdemona's handkerchief! Othello behaves like a wounded bull and swears for revenge! Iago smiles, elated, and is completely at ease with himself!

ACT THREE

Now the tempo rises in "Iago's Wicked Feast!"
First, a desperate Othello asks his beloved, kind-hearted, and innocent wife about her relationship to Cassio. Since her conscience is as white as newly-fallen snow, she refutes his accusations, and once more, furious, he sends her away.
Afterwards, Iago very calculatingly asks Cassio about his relationship with the scrumptious courtesan Bianca. Cassio lets all his praises of the beauty out, yet without mentioning her by name - for they both know whom they are talking about! At the same time, Iago has sneakily contrived that Othello is able to eavesdrop on the conversation, and of course he believes that it is Desdemona of whom it is spoken, for he is so super-paranoid!
Unattainably wicked and smart, this move of Iago's. And things turn out worse. Iago has, in fact, laid Desdemona's handkerchief, which he snatched before, in Cassio's quarters. When Othello sees the handkerchief of his beloved in Cassio's hated hands, he completely loses his reason, and, filled with uncontrolled jealousy, he decides to kill his faithful and endearing Desdemona.
Now comes a visit from the capital, the envoy Ludovico, who deprives Othello of his powerful position and, in his stead, appoints Cassio as governor.
This makes Othello break down completely, and even though there are hundreds of people present, he calls Desdemona a faithless strumpet, and shoves her down to the ground, then faints and collapses himself by her side!
Iago enjoys the powerful results of his intrigues and rejoices over the broken Othello!

ACT FOUR

Iago's downtrodden wife, the handmaid Emilia, helps the unfortunate Desdemona to prepare herself for the night. Desdemona sings a mournful song of her childhood, then says a prayer for all those who have been and are innocently accused!
She is, it comes as no surprise, sure that death is lurking nearby. And she does not have to wait for long, before a completely hysterical Othello comes into the bedchamber and reveals that her "beloved" Cassio is already dead, and that now it is her turn! Panic-stricken, she swears that she is innocent, but he is completely out of her reach, and suffocates his one great love.
Emilia enters the bedchamber and tells, shuddering, that Roderigo, who was to kill Cassio, has been killed himself. When she discovers that Desdemona had been suffocated, she screams for help, full of fright, and Cassio, Ludovico, and Iago come in haste.
Othello confesses unhappily that he has suffocated his beloved wife.
Emilia, who now finds it clear that it is her gruesome husband who lies behind all of it, reveals that it was Iago who stole the handkerchief. Iago tries at first to threaten her into silence, but he must realise that the game is over and he has lost it, and he escapes.
Ludovico now explains that Roderigo, before his death, also contrived to reveal Iago's betrayal towards the unwitting Othello. When the grotesque and dreadful connections between the circumstances are revealed to Othello, he stabs himself with his own dagger and kisses, as he dies, his beloved Desdemona's lips.



You will be entranced, if you listen to:

ACT ONE

See that sail there! It's a galley! (chorus of Cypriots)

Young man, wet your whistle! Quaff even quicker! (Iago, Cassio, Roderigo, chorus)

Down with all those rapiers! (Othello, Iago, Cassio, Roderigo, chorus)

ACT TWO

I believe in a cruel God (Iago)

If I unwittingly have sinned, my dear, against you (Desdemona, Othello, Iago, Emilia)

Keep calm, my lord (Iago, Othello)

I swear by the marble heavens (Othello, Iago)

ACT THREE

In seeing you so fierce now (Desdemona, Othello)

The Leader and the Council send their regards (Ludovico, Othello, Desdemona, among others)

Away all!! (Othello + everyone)

ACT FOUR

Ave Maria, gratia plena (Desdemona)

My lady, have you said your evening prayers? (Othello, Desdemona)