A new production from the Met.

The New York Times described Bartlett Sher as "one of the most original and exciting directors, not only in the American theater but also in the international world of opera”. Known for bringing a string of outstanding productions to the stage, Sher has directed more than 20 Shakespeare dramas, some more than once. He thus has a thorough knowledge of the English playwright's world, and so also the tragedy which Giuseppe Verdi adapted in no less brilliant fashion. Sher has staged Verdi's masterpiece in the Risorgimento style of the late 19th century in which it was written, emphasising its psychological aspects. How can a spark of jealousy catch fire and set off an all-consuming conflagration? What stages does Otello pass through to reach the point where he kills the woman dearest to him, the pure, innocent and sincerely faithful Desdemona?
In this story, where the scenes close in as the action progresses from the spectacular chorus tableau of the opening storm scene to the intimate bedroom duet, the title role of the Moor driven to murder is played by Aleksandrs Antonenko, a tenor celebrated from La Scala in Milan to London's Covent Garden. In the role of his angelically pure wife, we can hear a new soprano star in the shape of Sonya Yoncheva, a perfect choice in both appearance and voice to play such a typically Romantic female figure. In the role of Iago, the ensign who executes his diabolically cunning plans with a surgeon's precision, is the Serbian baritone Željko Lučić, who has performed more than 20 leading Verdi roles to date. The performance will be conducted by Yannick Nézet-Séguin, the Canadian star who has appeared regularly at the New York opera house each year since 2009.

Presented by: Müpa Budapest