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ROSSINI AND I AT THE #ROF
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A year after my debut as Desdemona in Verdi's Otello at the Liceu in Barcelona, I also have the great honour of taking on Rossini's Desdemona for the first time: Otello will be staged at the Rossini Opera Festival from 11 to 20 August, with stage direction by Rosetta Cucchi and music direction by Yves Abel.
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From Shakespeare to Rossini and to Verdi, what a change the main characters undergo! In exploring this opera by Rossini I have gained a deeper understanding of its mixed fortunes. Before the Rossini Renaissance, it was almost always overshadowed by Verdi's opera of the same name. My understanding and love of this opera have been enhanced thanks to this staging by Rosetta Cucchi, perfect in the way it serves the needs of the drama, highlighting how difficult it is for these characters to communicate as they "seek emotions that move beyond the story, moving it into a different metaphysical area where each of us can see themselves" (as Alberto Zedda wrote). Rehearsing for this Otello, following Rosetta Cucchi's narrative path, is becoming a dizzying emotional experience. The themes are powerful, with femicide there on stage showing just how relevant this theme always is, just like betrayal (including that of a father), love, passion, desperation and jealousy. There is nothing I can add when it comes to the musical force of Otello (and of Desdemona, the true protagonist): the sublime artists who have sung in this role, starting with Isabella Colbran, bear testimony to its vocal appeal and the challenge it represents for Belcanto singers, but also its dramatic complexity.
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After the last of the four scheduled performances, I'm singing with other colleagues on 21 August in the Gala entitled Tra rondò e tournedos with which the Rossini Opera Festival will celebrate Pier Luigi Pizzi's magnificent forty years at the festival.
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Both Otello and the Gala will be with the Orchestra Sinfonica Nazionale della Rai and the Chorus of the Teatro Ventidio Basso, a further reason for celebration.
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Finally, I'm delighted to confirm that the inaugural performance of Otello will be broadcast by Radio Rai 3.
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You can find all info about the creative teams and casts here.
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Photos © Dario Acosta | © ROF / Studio Amati Bacciardi
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