Album of the Year 2023

Verdi: Otello [Double Album]

Alexander Tsymbalyuk, Allan Clayton, Anne Schwanewilms, Ben Johnson, Eufemia Tufano, Gerald Finley, London Symphony Chorus, London Symphony Orchestra, Lukas Jakobski, Matthew Rose, Simon O'Neill, Sir Colin Davis

20,9937,49
(4 press reviews)
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Original Recording Format: DXD
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2023 NativeDSD Album of the Year – Opera

Verdi: Otello is a Double Album featuring the London Symphony Orchestra, London Symphony Chorus and 9 Soloists including Simon O’Neill, Gerald Finley and Anne Schwanewilms conducted by Sir Colin Davis.  The performance was called “an electrifying account of a masterpiece, conducted with an explosive energy that belies Sir Colin’s eighty years and pushed the LSO to the top of its game.”

Verdi had retired from opera following the premiere of Aida in 1871 but was eventually persuaded by his publisher to work with the librettist Arrigo Boito. As with Falstaff, Verdi’s final opera on which they would subsequently collaborate, they turned to Shakespeare for inspiration. Otello, which was premiered in 1887, marked a significant evolutionary development in Italian opera and is widely regarded as one of the great operatic masterpieces.


Sir Colin Davis, Conductor
London Symphony Orchestra

London Symphony Chorus

Soloists
Simon O’Neill, Tenor
Gerald Finley, Bass-Baritone
Anne Schwanewilms, Soprano
Allan Clayton, Tenor
Ben Johnson, Tenor
Alexander Tsymbalyuk, Bass
Matthew Rose, Bass
Lukas Jakobski, Bass
Eufemia Tufano, Mezzo-Soprano

Tracklist

Please note that the below previews are loaded as 44.1 kHz / 16 bit.
1.
Act I, Scene I, Storm: 'Una vela! Una vela' (Coro, Montano, Cassio, Jago, Roderigo)
04:06
2.
Act I, Scene II, 'Esultate' (Otello, Coro)
02:12
3.
Act I, Scene III, 'Roderigo, ebben, che pensi' (Jago, Roderigo)
02:25
4.
Act I, Scene IV, 'Fuoco di gioia!' (Coro)
02:40
5.
Act I, Scene V, 'Roderigo, beviam' (Jago, Cassio, Coro, Roderigo)
01:32
6.
Act I, Scene VI, 'I naffia l'ugola' (Jago, Cassio, Roderigo, Coro)
03:38
7.
Act I, Scene VII, 'Capitano, v'attende' (Montano, Cassio, Jago, Roderigo, Coro)
00:41
8.
Act I, Scene VIII, 'Va al porto' (Jago, Coro, Otello, Cassio, Montano)
03:29
9.
Act I, Scene IX, 'Gia nella notte densa' (Otello, Desdemona)
09:24
10.
Act II, Scene I, 'Non ti crucciar' (Jago, Cassio)
02:56
11.
Act II, Scene II, 'Credo in un Dio crudel' (Jago)
05:37
12.
Act II, Scene III, 'Cio m'accora' (Jago, Otello)
04:13
13.
Act II, Scene IV, Flower Chorus: 'Un tal proposto (Jago, Coro, Fanciulli, Desdemona, Otello)
04:22
14.
Act II, Scene V, 'D'un uom che gemme' (Desdemona, Otello)
02:06
15.
Act II, Scene VI, 'Dammi la dolce' (Desdemona, Otello, Jago, Emilia)
04:06
16.
Act II, Scene VII, 'Ora e per sempre addio' (Otello, Jago)
03:48
17.
Act II, Scene VIII, 'Era la notte' (Jago, Otello)
04:33
18.
Act II, Scene IX, 'Si, pel ciel' (Otello, Jago)
02:30
19.
Act III, Scene I, Prelude
01:13
20.
Act III, Scene II, 'La vedetta del porto' (Araldo, Otello, Jago, Desdemona)
06:07
21.
Act III, Scene III, 'Esterrefatta' (Desdemona, Otello)
05:12
22.
Act III, Scene IV, 'Dio! Mi potevi scagliar tutti i mali' (Otello, Jago)
04:32
23.
Act III, Scene V, 'Vieni, l'aula e deserta' (Jago, Cassio, Otello)
04:59
24.
Act III, Scene VI, 'Bada' (Jago, Cassio, Otello, Coro, Lodovico, Desdemona, Emilia, Roderigo)
05:09
25.
Act III, Scene VII, 'Messeri!' (Otello, Jago, Cassio, Lodovico)
01:49
26.
Act III, Scene VIII, 'A terra! …si' (Desdemona, Emilia, Cassio, Roderigo, Lodovico, Otello, Jago, Co
08:04
27.
Act IV, Scene I, Prelude: 'Era piu calmo?' (Emilia Desdemona)
04:37
28.
Act IV, Scene II, 'Piangea cantando' (Desdemona)
06:11
29.
Act IV, Scene III, 'Ave Maria' (Desdemona)
04:15
30.
Act IV, Scene IV, 'Chi e la?' (Desdemona, Otello)
03:08
31.
Act IV, Scene V, 'Diceste questa sera' (Otello, Desdemona, Emilia)
04:34
32.
Act IV, Scene VI, 'O mentitrice!' (Otello, Emilia, Cassio, Jago, Lodovico, Montano)
01:42
33.
Act IV, Scene VII, 'Niun mi tema' (Otello, Cassio, Lodovico, Montano)
05:13

Total time: 02:11:03

Additional information

Label

SKU

LSO0200D

Qualities

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Artists

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Composers

Genres

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Conductors

Instruments

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Original Recording Format

Release DateSeptember 5, 2023

Press reviews

Daily Telegraph

This is an electrifying account of a masterpiece, conducted with an explosive energy that belies Sir Colin’s eighty years and pushed the London Symphony Orchestra to the top of its game.

Simon O’Neill made a tremendous debut in the title-role, giving notice that he is the best heroic tenor to emerge over the last decade. Gerald Finley was an arrestingly crisp and snakily plausible Iago.

Verdi’s great music drama shone in all its power and glory

PrestoMusic

[O’Neill’s] is one of the most dramatically sung and exciting performances you are ever likely to hear…his phrasing is beautiful and his top notes really ring…[Finley’s] smooth and velvety tone succeeds where many others have struggled in portraying the calculated and cunning aspect of his villainy…The whole performance is exhilarating and it comes very highly recommended.

Gramophone

Finley gives a masterly account of [Iago], his voice seemingly transfigured by the Italian music and language…his singing – firm and resonant – is scarcely to be bettered on record…O’Neill is an unusual Otello in that he is so unequivocally a tenor, with no hint of baritone in his timbre…the playing is alert and sensitive to drama and text.

BBC Music 4 out of 5

…everything contributes to accentuating extremes: Colin Davis gets the LSO, in shattering form, to play chords like cannon shots…The two male leads are superb: Simon O’Neill is the most complete Otello since Domingo…Finley’s debut as Iago is also a great reading – the most chilling I have ever heard.

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