Otello was a warlord of the island of Cyprus, under the direction of the Doge of Venice. Otello is portrayed here by Issachah Savage, who will be offering a vocal class in Austin on Nov 13 (see below). His authoritative tenor voice is ideally suited to the role. This gets showcased several times, notable in the angst-riven aria after the tragic breakup between him and his wife Desdemona. It is at the beginning of Act 3, and is done with great intensity and pathos.
The long-suffering Desdemona is sung with heartbreaking sincerity by soprano Marina Costa-Jackson. Her nemesis, Iago, is given just the right degree of chilling depravity by baritone Michael Chioldi. They are superbly supported by Derek Taylor (tenor), Elise Quagliata (mezzo-soprano), Evan Boyer (bass), Chris Carr (tenor), Matthew Arnold (bass) and Austin Siebert (baritone). It is not surprising the industry publication Opera Wire chose this performance as one of the top 5 opera events in America this month.
This is not a fully staged opera, however. The singers are disappointingly dressed in black, the men in suits or tuxedos. Considering the lack of a stage set (the Austin Opera Orchestra and Chorus is on stage) ditching the wardrobe as well seemed a step too far. I know some people did not stay for the final two acts, but overall it was nearly a full house at the Long Center and applause was justifiably sustained at the conclusion of this gripping performance.
We have moved on four centuries from the play Othello, but its relevance is still strong. Otello the man is shown to be full of false bravado, with a mind easily swayed into believing conspiracy theories whispered into his ear by a close advisor (a “primeval slime” by his own admission). In the fate of Desdemona we can see the fate of a free press, unfairly accused by the leader of being the enemy. Otello holds up a mirror for us to look at in 2018.
For more about local opera productions, visit www.austinopera.org