The Chorus In Otello
The voice of the Chorus in Otello
Even though he wanted to have an opera with no chorus, later on, Verdi himself considered this idea ‘crazy’. We would have not missed much of the plot without a chorus, but we would have definitely missed much of the artistic colour.
There are four main Chorus parts in Otello, but there are also a few incidental entries. When writing the opera, Verdi had in mind the singers from La Scala, in Milan. The Chorus numbered 104 voices – 64 men and 40 women, to which a children chorus was added for the second Act.
The Initial Chorus
The stage opens with Cypriots and Soldiers crying ‘Una vela’ as they spot ‘the Lion with wings’ on the sea – Otello’s ship. But in the sound of brass drums, a gong and suspended cymbals also played with sticks, the storm makes the ship disappear back on the sea. With the lightning flash, they can see it again. The terrified crowd describes the fury of the storm: All is smoke! All is fire! The horrible soot / Turns to fire, then dies, still more ghastly. You can now hear trumpets, cornets and trombones as the storm reaches its height. The crowd is pushed towards the front of the stage for the choral fortissimo prayer for Otello’s safety: ‘Dio, fulgor della bufera! … Salva l’arca e la bandiera’ (God, the eye of the storm…Save the vessel and the flag). Women also take part in this intense scene. While the chorus cries for help – Aita! Aita! – Iago, behind the chorus, as he is controlling it, says to himself: May the frenetic bed of the sea be his grave. However, the chorus will announce that Otello ‘is safe’ now. And not only is he safe, but he makes his entry on the stage as a god, in a triumphant and powerful Esultate! announcing the victory against the Turks. He is triumphant over the Turks, he is triumphant among his people, but he seems also triumphant over the storm – the storm destroyed his enemies, he confronted and defeated the storm and after he entered the stage, the storm calmed down. The
Even though he wanted to have an opera with no chorus, later on, Verdi himself considered this idea ‘crazy’. We would have not missed much of the plot without a chorus, but we would have definitely missed much of the artistic colour.
There are four main Chorus parts in Otello, but there are also a few incidental entries. When writing the opera, Verdi had in mind the singers from La Scala, in Milan. The Chorus numbered 104 voices – 64 men and 40 women, to which a children chorus was added for the second Act.
The Initial Chorus
The stage opens with Cypriots and Soldiers crying ‘Una vela’ as they spot ‘the Lion with wings’ on the sea – Otello’s ship. But in the sound of brass drums, a gong and suspended cymbals also played with sticks, the storm makes the ship disappear back on the sea. With the lightning flash, they can see it again. The terrified crowd describes the fury of the storm: All is smoke! All is fire! The horrible soot / Turns to fire, then dies, still more ghastly. You can now hear trumpets, cornets and trombones as the storm reaches its height. The crowd is pushed towards the front of the stage for the choral fortissimo prayer for Otello’s safety: ‘Dio, fulgor della bufera! … Salva l’arca e la bandiera’ (God, the eye of the storm…Save the vessel and the flag). Women also take part in this intense scene. While the chorus cries for help – Aita! Aita! – Iago, behind the chorus, as he is controlling it, says to himself: May the frenetic bed of the sea be his grave. However, the chorus will announce that Otello ‘is safe’ now. And not only is he safe, but he makes his entry on the stage as a god, in a triumphant and powerful Esultate! announcing the victory against the Turks. He is triumphant over the Turks, he is triumphant among his people, but he seems also triumphant over the storm – the storm destroyed his enemies, he confronted and defeated the storm and after he entered the stage, the storm calmed down. The