`Otello,’ Rossini’s not Verdi’s, staged in Philadelphia
Associated PressPHILADELPHIA — Rossini’s “Otello” premiered in 1816, and the musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s famous play was a hit for seven decades. All the big singers wanted to sing that opera.” With three tenor roles — Brownlee as Rodrigo, Khanyiso Gwenxane as Otello in his U.S. debut and Alek Shrader as Iago — Rossini’s version isn’t easy to cast. There is the additional element of race: Shakespeare based “Othello” on Cinthio’s short story “Un Capitano Moro.” Brownlee, a 49-year-old from Youngstown, Ohio, and Gwenxane are both Black. And the thing that I appreciate about Opera Philadelphia is they have really doubled down on their commitment to diverse casting, to make sure that the stage looks like a representation of the people in the city.” Verdi may have attended the Rossini version at Milan’s Teatro all Scala during the 1834-35 season, according to Mary Jane Phillips-Matz’s “Verdi: A Biography.” During an 1878 dinner in Milan with music editor Giulio Ricordi, Verdi said the conversation turned to a discussion of Francesco Berio di Salsa’s libretto for Rossini, which they deemed undramatic and unsatisfactory.
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