Opera Review: Shakespeare’s Otello Musically Analyzes Domestic Violence
The Met Opera has proven why Otello is classic Shakespeare. Through magnificent lighting and set design, the darkness of this literary legend was revealed. Although Otello is known as a tragedy, this production eerily captures his murderous descent into madness.
Throughout the opera, the raging sea is never lost in presence and symbolism. Darkened ocean waters wave and wallop in the background as a reflection of Otello’s pitiless jealousy. Aleksandrs Antonenko excellently plays the brutishness of Otello. After all, he is the general and governor of Venice’s finest fleet. Such a soldier of high ranking, must be strong, and Antonenko gives him a fearful dominance, in voice and body. When he belts, he bellows with a fury. When he grabs Desdemona. you literally grab your chest because he can destroy her. Unfortunately, he does. There lies the tragedy of Otello. For all the love and gentility the beautiful Desdemona brought out of him, he could not quell his inner demons.
Hibla Gerzmava is the perfect Desdemona. The character is spoken throughout the opera as a treasured beauty, to which Gerzmava asserts through a radiant presence and rich vocals. Gerzmava’s voice is like a touch of delicacy upon this bleak opera. She sings her arias with a gentility and innocence of a new-born angel. Her voice is so fresh and pure that she becomes a celestial symbol of goodness for both Otello and the show. Hence, her loss is doubly felt as a loss of hope. Gerzmava’s sweet Desdemona helps to bring out the vitriol of Iago.
Zeljko Lucic does not bring any redemption to his Iago, and it is excellent to watch. He is literally a manifestation of malice. There is no softness or slight kindness to him. He is envious, duplicitous, and proud of his wickedness. It’s that kind of evil that draws the bestial wrath of Otello, and makes you want to leap onto the stage to inform Otello that his “trusted friend” is a snake. Again, you have to applaud Lucic for playing evil for what it is: evil. When the lighting around Iago goes red you feel hell has arisen to the stage. Lighting Designer Donald Holder and Projection Designer Luke Halls are integral to drawing out the shadows of this opera. There projection and lighting choices were like secondary characters throughout the show: bringing out layered details to characters’ motivations and destructive sentiments. Es Devlin, set designer, makes a set that appears like ice sculptures of buildings: cold and unmoving. It is clear that director Bartlett Sher wanted to certify that Otello is a story shrouded by inner and outer darkness.
Sher’s production was an excellent display of a jealous man’s lack of self-control. Though an opera, it felt more like a character deposition or the inner confessional of breaking hearts. Never before had it struck me that Otello is a tale of domestic violence. This opera shows the horror of a husband’s growing violence towards his wife to the point of fatality. Thus, Sher’s production was not only majestic but hauntingly important. He brought out the “real world” sadness and relevance of Shakespeare’s tragedy.
Running Time: 3 hours with a 30 minute intermission
Otello played its final performance on May 6, 2016 at The Metropolitan Opera House at Lincoln Center in New York City. For more information on upcoming events, click here.
