Rating: 
Summary: BRILLIANT
Review: "...The Willow Song and Ave Maria provided one of those episodes of transcendental rapture which operagoers remember all their lives, singer, conductor, players and audience caught together in an enchanted spell..." Andrew Porter's review of Kiri Te Kanawa's brilliant performance as Otello's wife.A perfect production - Placido Domingo demonstrates why he is the best tenor in the world, with a completely commanding performance - catching the balance of Otello's character perfectly. Russian Sergei Lefeirkus is a vocally good Iago, but lacks a bit of the real wickedness of a brilliant Iago...Cassio is good and the rest of the cast, Emilia (though wobbly at times) included, are wonderful. Kiri Te Kanawa is a stand out performer, a magical Desdemona, with mystery & beauty - acting out the desperation of an unhappy wife to perfection. Domingo and Te Kanawa have real chemistry, better than any operatic 'couple' performing on the world's stages, and the love scene is extremely passionate and vocally beautiful. The final scene moved me to tears...Solti's orchestration is great, though perhaps a little loud sometimes?! Anything negative aside, it's as perfect an Otello as you will ever find. Buy it!
Rating:
Summary: ¡Estupendo!
Review: El canto que se encuentra en este DVD es un puro y auténtico placer. Sobre todo la voz de Domingo y Te Kanawa es algo divino. Llena de acción y música bellísima, esta obra maestra de Verdi no le falta nada. A todos los aficionados de Verdi y su Otello les va a encantar desde al principio hasta el fin. ¡Merece la pena comprar éste sin demora!
Rating:
Summary: Domingo IS Otello.
Review: I love Otello and Placido Domingo really is a great Otello. Seeing and hearing him sing this opera is great opera excitement. Kiri Te Kanawa(sp?)is a fine Desdemona. The singer playing Iago has a slightly harsh voice but all in all, I enjoyed his performance. All cast members were believable. I watch this one often.
Rating:
Summary: There are no words to describe this production
Review: I'm a big Fan of Placido Domingo I think he is the best Dramatic Tenor of our time. He is not only a great singer but also a great actor and that you will prove when you get to see him in this caracter. I am also a great fan of Kiri Te Kanawa and in my personal opinion I think if she is not the best lyric soprano of our time she is defenetly one of the best that we can get to hear. Her vocal technic is just perfect and for those who may think that she can only sing Mozart, Straus and Puccini you will have to think again when you get to see her as Desdemona, is the best I have seen. And I personal love this production because at the end you can get to see Princess Diane clapping and charing specially when the Diva Kiri's comes out to salute the public of the Covent Garden. Emails please send them to babbino_caro@yahoo.com
Rating: 
Summary: Too bad.... Iago is weak
Review: I'm sorry but I can't give 5 stars. Iago is just too weak here. I loved Leiferkus in Onegin but I can't see him as Iago at all. His voice is too light. Since Domingo's voice is dark, they both sound tenors. Roderigo looks weird, too. He looks like a cheap comedian from some other opera. This made especially the first act very confusing.
Kiri Te Kanawa and Domingo are great. I liked Cassio, too. Good acting, and of course, great singing!
The last act is hair-rising. I loved it. Even the curtain calls and there is a big surprise; Princess Diana is in her royal box with Prince Charles! Even though they have nothing to do with Verdi's opera, their presence made this DVD even more worthwhile.
I still don't want to give 5 stars because of the weak Iago and weird complice Roderigo. Karajan's version has the best Iago. This Iago sings great with a very dark voice and he acts very well. It has also, for my taste, the greatest Desdemona by Mirella Freni. Pure and innocent. But... Jon Vicker's acting skill is a bit less than Domingo. His movement seems somehow "slow motion"!
You should get both versions of Otello to be satisfied thoroughly.
Rating:
Summary: A magical evening captured in all it's true glory.
Review: My wife and I were in the audience at this performance, for this Royal Gala Performance of Otello on Tuesday 27th October 1992 with the video preset to record it for watching when we got home. So you may be forgiven for thinking that I couldn't give a subjective review of this wonderful evening. In the programme The Prince and Princess of Wales (although of course we didn't know it at the time it was actually their very last official public appearence together) wrote, "As Patron of the Royal Opera we are delighted to join you this evening to celebrate the 80th birthday of Sir George Solti ... we wish you all an especially memorable evening." To us Brits, this is an even more poignant message because our dearly loved and much missed Princess and Sir George both tragically died in the same week. So now reliving that night again 9 years on - well all the magic is still there. My goodness what a fabulous performance this is. Sir George gives an electrifying portrayal of this, arguably Verdi's finest score. In fact, as a comparison we saw this production only a couple of months ago with Jose Cura and although it was a wonderful account of this fabulous score somehow Sir George has every nuance correct. As of course does the exemplary performance of Placido Domingo, here he is the noble gentleman caught up inexplicably in unrolling tragic events. I have seen his Met videos, courtesy of friends in NY, and I think at the Met he is a more effective and dangerous beast - but he was actually quite ill with 'flu during this run in London. Still it is a wonderful performance - come on New York, isn't time you commercially released the two telecasts you have of Domingo's Otello. Te kanawa is a gorgeous Desdemona - perfect in fact. I never quite warmed to (if one can ever warm to this epitome of evilness) Sergei Leiferkus' Iago - the Daily Telegraph described his voice as "needing some getting used to" - I am afraid I never have, but my wife loves him. This is a wonderful performance - as I write this it is the best selling opera DVD - so the viewing public must agree. One final poignant moment from me - my mother in law was in the audience with us too that night, it was her last visit to Covent Garden before a very disabling stroke. She is talking about the possibility of trying to visit the house with us this coming season - so in all for my wife and I, this was quite an evening. I hope it is for you.
Rating:
Summary: extra!
Review: Of all the productions I have seen of this work, this is the one I keep coming back to. Domingo and Kanawa really get into their roles as Otello and Desdemona. Their singing and acting are first rate and become even more appreciated with repeated viewings. Sergei Leiferkus' Iago is not quite up to the elevated heights of his two victims, but he is anything but a weak link. I prefer the less obvious suggestions of evil in his singing and in his acting, as that adds to the verisimilude of the opera as a whole--afterall, if Iago's evil designs were transparent he would not succeed in destroying Otello. The singing is first-rate by all members of the cast, the Royal Opera House Orchestra plays beautifully under Georg Solti, making for an extraordinary production of Verdi's penultimate opera. The entire final act is as good as opera gets--it is a revelation whose many nuances must be heard as well as seen. This Covent Garden production of Otello will be the bench mark for all future Otellos on DVD for many years to come. The sound and the picture are both of the highest standards. This production will surely please both lovers of opera and those new to the genre.
Rating:
Summary: An Otello to treasure!
Review: Of all the productions I have seen of this work, this is the one I keep coming back to. Domingo and Kanawa really get into their roles as Otello and Desdemona. Their singing and acting are first rate and become even more appreciated with repeated viewings. Sergei Leiferkus' Iago is not quite up to the elevated heights of his two victims, but he is anything but a weak link. I prefer the less obvious suggestions of evil in his singing and in his acting, as that adds to the verisimilude of the opera as a whole--afterall, if Iago's evil designs were transparent he would not succeed in destroying Otello. The singing is first-rate by all members of the cast, the Royal Opera House Orchestra plays beautifully under Georg Solti, making for an extraordinary production of Verdi's penultimate opera. The entire final act is as good as opera gets--it is a revelation whose many nuances must be heard as well as seen. This Covent Garden production of Otello will be the bench mark for all future Otellos on DVD for many years to come. The sound and the picture are both of the highest standards. This production will surely please both lovers of opera and those new to the genre.
Rating:
Summary: Could this be this the best overall stereo Otello?
Review: Otello has always been among my favorite operas. The first time I heard it was as a boy listening to my parent's Toscanini recording. While I am aware that there are those who regard this as a reference, I will withhold comment since I have not heard it for decades. However, in addition to this DVD, I have the Von Karajan film on DVD, and on CD, the first recordings of Domingo and Vickers, both on RCA, and Von Karajan's 1960s Decca recording with Del Monaco and Tebaldi. What for me separates this recording from the others is that it possesses a truly gripping sense of theatricality from all the principals involved. In contrast to the other recordings I have mentioned, this is a live rather than a studio production, and although I would not argue this automatically makes it better (assuming, of course, a comparable level of quality in vocal and instrumental execution), there exists the potential to reach a more transcendent level of intensity and involvement over what is generally achieved in a studio setting, and that potential, I feel, has been abundantly realized here.
More specifically, I feel that both Domingo and Te Kanawa sing beautifully while, at the same time, very effectively convey the pathos and suffering of their characters, and, I would add, that for Domingo, this is what distinguishes his performance here from his RCA recording (for a more stentorian approach, try Del Monaco with Von Karajan).
As for Leiferkus as Iago, I would disagree with those who regard his portrayal as undercharacterized. Perhaps his voice is a little bit on the light and dry side, and he avoids obvious theatrics. He does, however, convey Iago's evil and malice, just in a more subtle and restrained manner, all the more chilling and believable as a result, for Iago is supposed to be an insidious villain, not an obvious one.
Finally, Solti's conducting conveys true dramatic thrust and burning intensity. Only Von Karajan, I feel, in his Decca recording comes close.
If you want to see and hear how effective Otello can be in a superior live setting without paying the elevated ticket prices for actually being there, do get this one!
Rating:
Summary: a clear winner
Review: Placido Domingo is rightly considered a reigning Otello of the late 20-th century. He has the voice, the looks, and the acting ability to bring the tormented warrior to life.
I have to recommend this full opera house version over the celebrated film version. The main reason for it is that the latter has several frustrating cuts, including the Willow song and Otello/Iago duet "Si per ciel".
The supporting cast is very impressive. Te Kanawa looks and sings an ideal Desdemona, even if she's not a mover and shaker in this role as Tebaldi in the past or Fleming currently. Speaking of Fleming, when will we finally see or hear the MET "Otello" with her, Domingo, and Morris, conducted by James Levine? It was broadcasted over the PBS, so I can't see why it can't be made commercially available.
The Russian baritone Sergei Leiferkus is an unusual Iago. His voice is light and "tenorial" so to speak. Thus, he sounds somewhat like Otello's darker alter ego, which is an interesting twist that makes a story more believable.
Solti, of course, provides a marvelous, brilliant sound, and the chorus work is very good. The picture quality is almost perfect.
Don't hesitate; this is an "Otello" to treasure.
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