It is our great pleasure to introduce to you a grand new opera by Giuseppe Verdi: Otello. Verdi's interpretation of Shakespeare's famous play brings yet another high quality opera to our stages. For those of you unfortunately not familiar with the famous story, we have included for your benefit a small synopsis:

Othello, a Moor who has just eloped with the fair Desdemona when the play opens, leaves Venice to command the Venetian armies against the Turks on the island of Cyprus, accompanied by his new wife and his lieutenant, Cassio. When they arrive, they find that the weather has destroyed the Turkish fleet. Iago, a standard bearer, repeatedly tries to undo Cassio, finally succeeding when he plants Desdemona's handkerchief on Cassio, managing to convince Othello that his wife has been unfaithful with the lieutenant. Othello kills Desdemona out of jealousy, before Iago's wife eventually reveals that Desdemona's affair was but an invention of Iago's. Iago immediately kills his wife also, and Othello then commits suicide in grief. At the end, Iago is taken off to be executed.

The opera Otello is a performance in four acts by Giuseppe Verdi to an Italian libretto by Arrigo Boito, based on Shakespeare's play Othello. First performance: Teatro alla Scala, Milan, February 5, 1887. We will keep you informed of scheduled performances at Covent Garden or other nearby venues.