Verdi: Otello

I'm no special fan of things past, rather proposing that each age has its special conductors, singers, orchestras and that idolising per se performances of 30, 50 or more years ago may turn you away from your own surroundings and set you to unnecessarily living in a past that will not return, leading you to ignore very important events going on in your surroundings. There are exceptions, of course, and one of them is this 45 year old film (yes, film, not video tape and there lies its main problem, read below).Let me begin by stating that this is an Otello practically impossible to reassemble today because you'd lack its main feature, which is none other than its supreme italianità. Del Monaco was THE Otello of his generation (and for many, still unsurpassed by later singers), much as Domingo is ours'. There were other singers tackling the part at the time, of course, but he was alone in appropriating the rôle to himself, as in her way did Callas with Norma or Tosca, by conveying like any other the complex personality of the character, an impersonation which evolved from long and intimate study. In 1958, when this was filmed by the Italian Broadcasting Corporation (RAI), he was at the absolute prime of his vocal condition (he had behind him a commercial recording of the rôle for Decca and would two years later re-record it in stereo for the same company, in Vienna and with Karajan conducting). His Desdemona is the delicious Rosanna Carteri, highly regarded in her time in Italy as a worthy competitor of Tebaldi, Callas or Stella in rôles like Violetta or Desdemona but sadly now largely forgotten, so much so that she's not even listed in Grove. Older collectors may recall her excellent Traviata recorded for RCA with Monteux conducting. The outstanding Iago is Renato Capecchi (Grove's entry on him has him as still living), better known for "nicer" rôles like Schicchi or Bartolo but notwithsatnding one of the most intelligent Iagos I've come across. Complementary parts are taken by renouned italian singers of the time, the indispensable support singers of italian theatres that are at the core of that country's operatic tradition. The wise conducting of the veteran Tullio Serafin shows an italian operatic conductor at the winter of his career, albeit alert and vital as a conductor many decades younger.So, musically this is an outstanding Otello, a performance for the ages wholly worthy of looking back into the past to learn from it.Now to the minus side: as I said above, this is film and not video tape, and italian film of the tame was plagued by bad image/sound synchronisation (and would remain so for many years still). The worst offender seems to be Capecchi but the other principals are affected too. Also, the film appears to have by now physically deteriorated somewhat and there are a few unexpected jumps and odd changes in luminosity that make it appear, especially in the beginning, as if it had been shot decades before than 1958. However, and in spite of these shortcomings, it is indeed fascinating to see Del Monaco in his most famous rôle, his grimacing, his moods as the work evolves from the triumphant "Esultate" to his suicide in the last act. Carteri's movie star looks are a delight and does a visually very appealing and credible Desdemona, on a par with her singing. Capecchi, his poor job at lip-synching and all, is a phenomenal Iago, not just vocally as I said above but certainly looks the part and wisely eschews the "bad guy" stereotype trap so easy to fall in.The sound is mono, and is of indifferent quality. I don't know if the original tapes that comprise the film soundtrack are in good condition; if they are, we lovers of this work will be in eternal debt towards a record company that rescues them from the RAI archives and restores them (much as Sony, DG and others have done with ORF tapes of Salzburg performances), for likely a better sound quality may be extracted from them that what Hardy has got from the film. So, in resume, not a sole Otello for a collection but one certainly to have (and in a place of pride).

This is mostly a good experience, but with several problems, and hard to decide how many stars to give. I'll just spell out the main issues as I see them. First the good news.1. Renata Tebaldi is wonderful. Don't hesitate to buy if you like Tebaldi. She is fine here, and she did so little on video.2. The B&W picture is excellent thruout, and the mono sound. In fact, considering what the Metropolitan Opera was doing 15 and more years later, it is absolutely magnificent. I was just watching the  1978 Vickers/Scotto  Met video a few days ago, and I am amazed if they could tape a live production in Berlin in 1962 and make it look this good, why couldn't they do it at the Met in 1978 as well? The Met video is so dark you can hardly see what's going on. This is not like that. This has a normal B&W picture as you remember from any TV show of the era.3. The sets are a little on the spare side, but that's fine with me. It is neither abstracted, modernized, or minimalist. You get some steps, chairs, some curtains, arches, nothing that gets in the way. It is similar to the spare sets of the the  Laurence Olivier  movie (but not related, of course).4. Most of the singers, except one that I shall get to, are competent, believable, and enjoyable. The huge chorus also, very well trained, one of the best opera choruses I have ever heard.With all this going for it, what could possibly be negative?? Alas ...1. The huge excellent chorus is singing everything in German, while the soloists are singing Italian. I can't tell you how completely this destroys the "suspension of disbelief", that is, being immersed in the drama, thinking it is real, forgetting it is a fiction. It really ruins everything, in my opinion. It might have worked as a comedy (but I doubt it).2. The name of the opera is Otello, and the lead character is Otello. It does not help that the Otello here is not very good. Or, how shall we say, nowhere near Tebaldi's league. He may be good local quality, but pairing him with Tebaldi is seriously out of balance, with all due respect. He strains on the high notes, he sings the Italian phonetically, and is not much of an actor. When I hear Vickers, or Domingo, or del Monaco or most of the others ... I can believe they really are Otello. It doesn't gel with this gentleman.On a happier note, Tebaldi fans are probably aware, but just in case they aren't: there is a most excellent  Tosca  with Tebaldi and George London on video, from the same era, this from Stuttgart rather than Berlin, with all the same good points and none of the bad ones. Check it out!My favorite Otellos on video remain  Domingo  and  Windgassen , and the Vickers is also far preferable, although his is dark. (Hey, nothing like a dark Otello!) (Avoid the Vickers movie with Karajan, that is lip-synched.)

This is a recording of the historic occasion in 1962 when the Deutsche Opera Berlin changed their programming to persuade Renata Tebaldi to sing in an opera for them. "Otello" wasn't even in their repertoire at the time, but they were desperate to present the great diva in a fully-staged opera, and this is the one she chose.The video is clear and the sound vintage - but I have to say that the performance in general is pretty uninspiring and there are numerous places where conductor and stage part company. Hans Beirer is a reasonable Otello (he ain't no Vickers or Domingo), but his intonation is rather suspect at times. William Dooley has a fine baritone sound, but not much character, and the other soloists are distinctly average. But the whole point of this release is so that we can see as well as hear the magnificent Renata Tebaldi in one of her greatest parts. And she is truly wonderful!! OK! - so the voice wasn't at it's absolute freshest in 1962, and vocal problems (that would result in her withdrawing from the stage for a year to retrain) were on the horizon, but in this performance she sings with such beautiful tone and her stage persona is so sincere - womanly and graceful. She is also completely within the role at every stage of the proceedings.Yes! - of course I wish this had been recorded a few years earlier when the voice was undoubtedly the most beautiful spinto voice in the world - but I'm just so glad to have this video as a memento of a great artist.

Cette film réalisée en 1958 par la RAI de Milan est un témoignage indispensable qui vient s’ajouter aux nombreux enregistrements audio et video effectués depuis plus de cinquante ans du chef d’œuvre de Verdi . Son intérêt principal est de nous montrer Mario del Monaco dans son rôle fétiche, rôle qu’il a interprété plus de quatre cent fois sur toutes les plus grandes scènes du monde. Sa conception a beaucoup évolué au fil du temps et pas toujours dans le sens le plus favorable. Personnellement, je ne connaissais que ses deux versions audio de 1950 et 1962. La première nous présentait un Del Monaco plutôt sobre et assez mesuré dans ses excès de larmoiements et de pleurs par rapport à celle de 1962 où on le trouvait parfois à la limite du supportable et même de la justesse purement musicale. La présente video nous offre une vision que je qualifierai d’intermédiaire. Son interprétation y est plus aboutie qu’en 1950 et semble vocalement moins « sommaire » mais on a aussi l’image qui nous montre un personnage assez crédible bien qu’assez statique sur le plan scénique mais jouant surtout sur les expressions des yeux et du regard . Je mettrai tout cela sur le compte d’une direction d’acteurs très pertinente de Franco Enriquez et sur la présence au pupitre de l’excellent Tullio Serafin, chef de théatre par excellence au discours rapide et cursif, qui sait diriger ses chanteurs, maintenir l’attention et le fil de l’action sans jamais relacher la bride et la tension sur ses troupes. Rosanna Carteri est une Desdémona idéale et émouvante. La voix est jeune, pure . Les aigus sont faciles , le phrasé très musical. Elle m’a arraché des larmes dans sa scène finale (chanson du saule et Ave Maria). Renato Capecchi est un remarquable Iago dans la lignée des très grands Interprètes du rôle tels Valdengo ou Aldo Protti. La voix est belle mais il n’en fait jamais trop. Son jeu d’acteur est époustouflant à tel point qu’il nous parait parfois presque sincère et sympathique derrière son expression franche et joviale. Rien ici de ces grimaces ou de ces roulements d’yeux qui étaient dans ce rôle la marque de fabrique d’un certain Tito Gobbi . Plinio Clabassi est un bon Lodovico et Athos Cesarini un excellent Roderigo . Bon, l’image est en noir et blanc mais assez bien restaurée et le son (mono) s’écoute sans problème, l’orchestre étant parfaitement bien équilibré avec les voix et les excellents chœurs de la RAI. Le témoignage précieux d’une époque à jamais révolue.

Ce serait bien présomptueux de ma part, d'ajouter quoi que ce soit au commentaire de Sergio SEGALINI dans le Magazine Opera International n° 263 de décembre 2001. C'est pourquoi je me permets de le citer ici : ", Otello tourné en studio, en 1958, par Mario del Monaco, Renato Capecchi, et Rosanna Carteri, document passionnant apparaissant pour la 1ère fois sur le marché en dvd, grâce à la firme Hardy Classic : les amateurs de films d'opéra seront aux anges. Certains mélomanes, en revanche, continueront à préférer les captations sur le vif, et seront une nouvelle fois agacés par ces chanteurs s'exprimant en play-back, et poussant les aigus du bout des lèvres. Ce témoignage majeur a malgré tout le mérite de faire comprendre l'immense stature de DEL MONACO, véritable bête de scène dont on devine l'impact. Renato CAPECCHI joue beaucoup sur le mot et semble réinventer le sens de la diction, à une époque comme la nôtre qui en a quasiment perdu toute trace..... CARTERI, enfin, est la plus belle et la plus amoureuse des Desdemona, sous la baguette d'un TULLIO SERAFIN répugnant aux effets, non pas primo maestro assoluto, mais véritable maestro concertatore..... Un miracle!". (fin de citation).

Laurea 'honoris causa' in Opera Italiana per il grande Christian Thielemann, direzione magistrale dalle infinite sfumature, e per la regìa, semplice ma straordinariamente suggestiva nel gioco delle luci su di un fondale bianco, o nero, con una sola porta a contrasto, a recludere i personaggi-prigionieri di uno spazio indefinito, quasi una prigione.José Cura, voce di colore oramai baritonale, manca di squillo nello 'Esultate' iniziale, ma capace di sottigliezze impensabili una volta, nel 'canto' vero e proprio. Eccellente Desdemona, straordinaria prestazione del Coro: SALISBURGO HA IL SUO NUOVO 'PROFETA', trent' anni dopo Kaqrajan !!!

Watching this version of del Monaco's "Otello" confirms once again that he was, is, and ever will be the finest tenor in the world. There is nothing one can say against this performance - beautifully sung and acted by all. The technicians at Hardy Classics are to be commended for the superb job they have done.

Top Dirigat! Wunderschöne Inszenierung!