This is a discography of
Giuseppe Verdi's penultimate opera, ''
Otello''. It was first performed at
La Scala, Milan, on 5 February 1887.
''Otello'' has been recorded complete on disc and film a number of times since World War II, but most music-guide reviewers contend that
a recording made of a 1947 NBC radio broadcast of the opera conducted by
Arturo Toscanini and featuring singers
Herva Nelli
Herva Nelli (January 9, 1909May 31, 1994) was an Italian-American operatic soprano.
Biography
Named after the French socialist Gustave Hervé, she was born in Florence, where she attended a convent school. At the age of ten, however, she and her ...
,
Ramón Vinay
Ramón Vinay (August 31, 1911 – January 4, 1996) was a famous Chilean operatic tenor with a powerful, dramatic voice. He is probably best remembered for his appearances in the title role of Giuseppe Verdi's tragic opera '' Otello''.
Biography
...
and
Giuseppe Valdengo
Giuseppe Valdengo (May 24, 1914, Turin – October 3, 2007, Aosta) was an Italian operatic baritone. ''Opera News'' said that, "Although his timbre lacked the innate beauty of some of his baritone contemporaries, Valdengo's performances were i ...
, is musically the best of these versions.
[Unk: "I still rank the Toscanini ''Otello'' with the famous Scala ''Tosca'' recording under De Sabata, as one of the finest opera recordings ever made — not of course comparable technically with the modern stereophonic achievements — but possessing a ..." in ''Opera'' (London), Vol. 20, 1969. p. 1080] RCA Victor has issued the Toscanini recording several times on commercial LPs and on CD in digitally remastered form. In addition, performances of ''Otello'' were captured live as early as the 1920s (at the
Royal Opera House
The Royal Opera House (ROH) is an opera house and major performing arts venue in Covent Garden, central London. The large building is often referred to as simply Covent Garden, after a previous use of the site. It is the home of The Royal Ope ...
, Covent Garden, London) and the 1930s (at the Metropolitan Opera, New York City, the latter via the
Metropolitan Opera radio broadcasts). They, too, are available on CD reissues. A wide variety of stage performances dating from the 1950s to the present day are also to be had on CD or on DVD.
Audio and video recordings
Extracts
Individual arias, duets and scenes from ''Otello'' have been committed to disc by many celebrated tenors, baritones and sopranos since acceptable audio technology was first developed in the early 20th century. The best of these recorded extracts have been reissued on CD and make for fascinating comparative listening. Recordings made in the early 1900s by the creators of the roles of Otello and Iago, namely
Francesco Tamagno
Francesco Tamagno (28 December 1850 – 31 August 1905) was an Italian operatic tenor who sang with enormous success throughout Europe and America.Warrack, John and West, Ewan (1992), ''The Oxford Dictionary of Opera'', 782 pages, On 5 February ...
and
Victor Maurel
Victor Maurel (17 June 184822 October 1923) was a French operatic baritone who enjoyed an international reputation as a great singing actor.
Biography
Maurel was born in Marseille. Educated in music and stagecraft at the Paris Conservatory, ...
, are among those now available in digital formats.
References
External links
Detailed ''Otello'' discography– operadis-opera-discography.org.uk
{{Portal bar, Opera
Opera discographies
Operas by Giuseppe Verdi