Verdi and Shakespeare
Donald Macleod introduces highlights from two Shakespearean operas: Verdi's finest tragic opera, and his only comedy, based on Shakespeare's absurd fictional character Falstaf.
After Aida was performed in 1871, there was a gap of sixteen years before Verdi's penultimate opera found its way to the stage. He'd been lured back by the temptation of a new Shakespearean work - Otello. Donald Macleod introduces highlights from the work regarded by many as Verdi's finest tragic opera, and he takes a look at Verdi's final contribution to the stage, based on Shakespeare's comic fictional character - Falstaff.
Otello (extracts)
Otello ..... Placido Domingo (tenor)
Desdemona ..... Cheryl Studer (soprano)
Iago ..... Sergei Leiferkus (baritone)
Orchestra and Chorus of Bastille Opera
Conductor, Myung-Whun Chung
Falstaff (extracts)
Falstaff ..... Bryn Terfel (baritone)
Bardolph ..... Anthony Mee (tenor)
Pistol ..... Anatoli Kotscherga (bass)
Mistress Quickly ..... Larissa Diadkova (mezzo)
Alice Ford ..... Adrianne Pieczonka (soprano)
Meg Page ..... Stella Doufexis (contralto)
Nanetta ..... Dorothea Röschmann (soprano)
Ford ..... Thomas Hampson (baritone)
Dr Caius ..... Enrico Facini (tenor)
Berlin Radio Choir
Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
Conductor, Claudio Abbado.
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Music Played
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Giuseppe Verdi
Otello Act I (T4) 'Fuoco di gioia!' [chorus]
Conductor: Myung-Whun CHUNG Conductor: Placido DOMINGO Performer: Cheryl STUDER - Soprano (Desdemona) Performer: Denyce GRAVES - Mezzo-soprano (Emilia) Performer: Giacomo PRESTIA - Baritone (Montano) Performer: Ildebrando d' ARCANGELO - Bass (Lodovico) Performer: Michael SCHADE - Tenor (Roderigo) Performer: Ramon VARGAS - Tenor (Cassio) Performer: Sergei LEIFERKUS - Baritone (Iago) Performer: Bastille Opera Orchestra
- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
- 439-8052.
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Giuseppe Verdi
Otello: Act I love duet: 'Gia nella note densa'
Conductor: Myung-Whun CHUNG Conductor: Placido DOMINGO Performer: Cheryl STUDER - Soprano (Desdemona) Performer: Bastille Opera Orchestra
- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
- 439-8052.
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Giuseppe Verdi
Otello: Act II from 'Desdemona rea!' to end of act
Conductor: Myung-Whun CHUNG Performer: Placido DOMINGO - Tenor (Otello) Performer: Sergei LEIFERKUS - Baritone (Iago) Performer: Bastille Opera Orchestra
- DGG.
- 4398052-.
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Giuseppe Verdi
Falstaff Act I Part 1: 'Ma e tempo d'assottigliar l'ingegno' to end of Part 1
Conductor: Claudio ABBADO Performer: Anatoly KOTCHERGA - Bass (Pistol) Performer: Anthony MEE - Tenor (Bardolph) Performer: Bryn TERFEL - Baritone (Falstaff) Performer: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra
- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
- 471-194-2.
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Giuseppe Verdi
Falstaff: Act III Part2 from 'Alto l'à' to end of act
Conductor: Claudio ABBADO Performer: Adrianne PIECZONKA - Soprano (Alice Ford) Performer: Anatoly KOTCHERGA - Bass (Pistol) Performer: Anthony MEE - Tenor (Bardolph) Performer: Bryn TERFEL - Baritone (Falstaff) Performer: Dorothea ROSCHMANN - Soprano (Nanetta) Performer: Enrico FACINI - Tenor (Dr Caius) Performer: Larissa DIADKOVA - Mezzo-soprano (Mistress Quickly) Performer: Stella DOUFEXIS - Contralto (Meg Page) Performer: Thomas HAMPSON - Baritone (Ford) Performer: Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra Performer: Berlin Radio Chamber Choir
- DEUTSCHE GRAMMOPHON.
- 471-194-2.
Broadcasts
- Fri 6 Apr 201212:00BBC Radio 3
- Fri 6 Apr 201218:30BBC Radio 3
- Fri 9 Sep 201612:00BBC Radio 3
- Fri 9 Sep 201618:30BBC Radio 3
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