Music / opera

Otello


Reviews (22)


Classics today

2007

By

By

Robert Levine (musikanmelder)

2007

"I approached this with the knowledge that the world not only does not need another recording of Verdi's Otello - there already are a surprising number of superb performances - but that the world certainly doesn't need another one starring Placido Domingo. I turned out to be wrong: this one is aces".


The guardian

d. 11. June 2020

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By

Erica Jeal

d. 11. June 2020

"[Kaufmann] alternates between a taut, intense tone of anger and certainty and a less tightly focused, more burnished voice full of doubt ... [Lombardi's] light and fresh-sounding soprano plays up the young bride's innocence beautifully ... [Iago] sounds properly dangerous as sung by Carlos Álvarez ... Pappano's pacing wrings all the drama out of the music ... This Otello may be Kaufmann's showcase, but it's Pappano who really makes it sing".


MusicWeb international

2013 October

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By

Simon Thompson (musikanmelder)

2013 October

"I can't think of anyone singing the role today who does so as compellingly and powerfully as does Antonenko. He has heroic power and Italianate phrasing that put him up there with many of the finest ... Stoyanova strikes the ear as rather too strident on her first entrance, but she mellows to give a very moving account of the love duet".


Presto classical

d. 1. July 2020

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By

Katherine Cooper

d. 1. July 2020

"Editor's choices - June 2020: It's not Kaufmann's Lion of Venice which is the main draw here (though he sounds more fully inside the role than he did three years ago at Covent Garden and is supremely moving in his death-throes, I'm still not convinced it's a natural fit): you'll want to hear this for Pappano's propulsive account of the score with his Roman orchestra, the crackling energy of the opening storm barely abating over the course of the next three hours. Newcomer Federica Lombardi is a luminous Desdemona, and Álvarez exudes motiveless malignity as Iago".


Jyllands-posten

d. 21. Sep. 2007

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By

John Christiansen

d. 21. Sep. 2007

"Verdis Otello med Domingo er udgivet i flere versioner. En af de bedste kommer nu live fra Wien 1987 med Anna Tomowa-Sintow som en storstemmet Desdemona og Renato Bruson som en stærk Jago".


BBC music magazine

2010 December

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By

Michael Tanner (musikanmelder)

2010 December

"The two male leads are superb: Simon O'Neill is the most complete Otello since Domingo, and some of his grandest passages are deeply stirring. Gerald Finley's debut as Iago is also a great reading ... But unfortunately Anne Schwanewils is a feeble Desdemona".


BBC music magazine

2013 Christmas

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By

George Hall (musikanmelder)

2013 Christmas

"Tip-top precision from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra players. They reach a level of pristine excellence that any opera house orchestra - no matter how eminent - would struggle to equal ... [Stoyanova's] lyric tone sounds convincingly Italianate, while her musicality pays dividends in the Willow Song".


Diapason

2014 fevrier

By

By

Didier van Moere

2014 fevrier


Fono Forum

2020 August

By

By

Johannes Schmitz

2020 August

"CDs des Monats: Schon beim Auftritts-"Esultate" springt der Funke der Emotion über, am Rande des Überdrehens. Keine Frage: Jonas Kaufmann hat den Otello in der Stimme. Und es ist besonders beeindruckend, dass in jedem Ton, den er singt, mehr liegt als dieses "Haben" ... Kein Ausbruch ist vokaler Selbstzweck, die phänomenale Bandbreite von Dynamik und Klangfarben ist ein Erlebnis, die Treue zum Notentext beeindruckend ... Er hat in Antonio Pappano einen Dirigenten vor sich, der ebenfalls die Fähigkeit besitzt, mit ausgefeilten Details einen grossen Spannungsbogen zu gestalten ... Dieser Otello ist ein Muss".


BBC music magazine

2020 July

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By

Alexandra Wilson (musikanmelder)

2020 July

"Pappano's interpretation of Verdi's penultimate opera makes for an exhilarating ride. This is a conductor in his element, coaxing a performance of thrilling dynamism from the Orchestra dell'Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia ... Álvarez is a magisterial Iago ... Lombardi is a Desdemona with a voice of astonishing purity and technical control ... Kaufmann is at his best when really required to act, in moments of anger or torment ... Stars sparkle aplenty here but it is not the most anticipated one that shines the brightest".


Diapason

2020 juillet-août

By

By

Emmanuel Dupuy

2020 juillet-août


The gramophone

2010 November

By

By

John Steane

2010 November

"Vurdering: Editor's choice" - "Gerald Finley gives a masterly account of the part ... Anne Schwanewilms is well cast ... The LSO, producing on its own label, has much to be proud of. Its chorus is exceptionally precise and expressive, the playing is alert and sensitive to drama and text".


International record review

2010 November

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By

Mark Pullinger

2010 November

"In spite of the lack of Italianate voices, O'Neill's heroic singing and Davis's unexpectedly fiery conducting still make this a satisfying account of Verdi's miraculous score".


The gramophone

2007 November

By

By

John Steane

2007 November

"Vurdering: G (Gramophone recommends)" - "The great opera is greatly performed ... The recording action makes stage action seem remarkably vivid while keeping a satisfying balance between the various forces, soloists, chorus and orchestra".


International record review

2013 November

By

By

Mark Pullinger

2013 November

"The orchestral sound is splendid particularly the incisive brass, who blaze brightly ... Orchestra Hall offers a superb acoustic ... For an audio souvenir of Antonenko's Otello and for its brilliant orchestral playing, this is a welcome issue".


The gramophone

2013 December

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By

David Patrick Stearns

2013 December

"Muti's has all elements held in balance. This orchestra is certainly capable of the pile-driver brass ... In Muti's hands Otello remains and opera, not a concerto for orchestra ... Muti's treatment of the Act 3 prelude has such a sureness of dramatic purpose, it's genius at a Toscaninian level ...The orchestra play like a participatory character in the drama".


Berlingske tidende

d. 6. June 2001

By

d. 6. June 2001


The gramophone

2020 July

By

By

Hugo Shirley

2020 July

"It's a forceful, visceral reading of the score that packs an irresistible punch, but which could do more to capture the refined lyricism and stately grandeur that are also such essential parts of the work ... [Kaufmann] bares his dramatic teeth impressively and to powerful effect; he is nobly moving in the final scene. But the characterisation is also held back by the fact that, although he has all the notes and plenty of power, the voice itself sounds short on juice ... Kaufmann's many fans needn't hesitate ... A solid, impressive achievement but not a recording that's likely to replace anyone's existing top choices in this great work".


Klassisk

2020, nr. 57

By

2020, nr. 57

"Nutidens største Verdi-dirigent og hans varmblodede italienske orkester er aktuel med en ny optagelse af komponistens Shakespearianske mesterværk "Otello" ... Men det er ikke chefdirigent Pappano, der er på coveret. Her finder man tenoren Jonas Kaufmann ... Lad dig ikke narre ... Der er mere i denne optagelse end Kaufmann. Når det kommer til stykket, så er Jagos rolle mindst lige så vigtig for operaens plot. Carlo Alvarez synger skurkepartiet og Federica Lombardi er Desdemona".


Jyllands-posten

d. 25. May 1999

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d. 25. May 1999


Operabladet Ascolta

(1999) 18. årgang nr. 1

By

(1999) 18. årgang nr. 1



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