VERDI’S OPERA, OTELLO TO BE NEXT LIVE FROM THE MET IN HD

Damariscotta, Maine - Giuseppi Verdi’s musical re-telling of Shakespeare’s great tale of the tragic fall of a man destroyed by jealousy will move listeners to tears when Otello is broadcast live from the Met in HD on October 27, 1pm at the Lincoln Theater in Damariscotta. There will be a pre-opera talk by musicologist, Dr. Morton Achter at 11:45, “Opera and Shakespeare.”

Renée Fleming will sing the role of Desdemona; South African tenor, Johan Botha will be her fallen hero, and German bass- baritone, Falk Struckmann will sing the role of Iago whose obsessive ambitions for power create a human tragedy of unimaginable proportions.  Semyon Bychkov will conduct.

In this performance, the role of Cassio will be sung by Michael Fabiano in his Live from the Met debut.  Listeners may remember him as one of the winners of the Metropolitan Opera’s 2007 National Council Auditions who was featured in the documentary, The Audition. Soprano Sondra Radvanovsky will host the transmission. The Met: Live in HD is now seen in more than 1,900 theaters in 63 countries around the world.

Desdemona is considered to be one of Renèe Fleming’s greatest roles.  She is transformed during the opera from the loving and admired wife of a war hero and leader to a humiliated and terrified woman who cannot fathom what has turned her husband into an angry and murderous killer.

The role of Otello is one of the most demanding in the tenor repertoire.  Many of opera’s most famous dramatic tenors never sang it on stage.  From his initial words, “exultate” as he is blown to shore on the crest of a wild storm, to his tragic ending, the hero is manipulated by Iago who creates a world of doubt and jealousy that crushes all around him.

Tickets for this and other Live from the Met in HD are available from the Lincoln Theater. Tickets are $24 adult, $22 senior.  Youth 18 and under are $5. There is always a $2 discount for members.

For more information and reservations contact the Lincoln Theater at info@atthelincoln.org or call 563-3424.  The box office is open Tuesday-Friday from 1-5pm and one hour before each show time.

The next Live from the Met in HD will be November 10, when Thomas Adès’ The Tempest will be broadcast.

Opera Preview: Otello

Blue Hill, Maine - Composer Giusseppe Verdi's Otello comes to the Grand in Ellsworth on Saturday, October 27th, by live simulcast from the Metropolitan Opera in New York. To help music lovers prepare for this event, the Bagaduce Music Lending Library and Friends of the Blue Hill Public Library will join together to introduce and study this theatrical journey at 1:00 PM on Friday, October 26th, in the Howard Room of the Blue Hill Public Library.

Verdi's masterpiece returns to the Met with Johan Botha in the title role opposite the acclaimed interpretation of the role of Desdemona by star soprano Renee Fleming. Semyon Bychkov conducts.

Local opera enthusiasts Linda Lesko and David Porter will summarize the plot, introduce the music and give some ideas of special ways to enjoy the Saturday simulcast. All are welcome, no previous opera knowledge is needed, and admission is free. For more information, call the library at 374-5515.