This is the sixth and final (so far) version of Otello that Plácido Domingo has committed to film. I have already reviewed his 1992 film from Covent Garden with Kiri Te Kanawa as Desdemona and Sergei Leiferkus as Iago and I wanted to see how this later version compares.
First, the plus points. This is modern, widescreen filming of a performance at La Scala with much better sound quality than the 1992 film. Ricardo Muti gives a nuanced reading of the score, bringing out the lyricism in contrast to Sir Georg Solti's more violent account in the earlier film. The stage direction is in the capable hands of Graham Vick who uses a mostly bare stage with a glittering gold and silver backdrop and a curving staircase. The cast wear glittering costumes so the dazzling overall effect is reminiscent of a painting by Gustav Klimt. The choruses are particularly effective both vocally and visually with the always photogenic Milan chorus sounding and looking their best. All this must have stretched the budget because the production is not able to provide a decent four-poster for the final act and Desdemona has to perform her death scene on a ridiculous bunk-bed in the middle of the bare stage.
Leo Nucci is Iago. I have great respect for him as a singer and actor and in this production he gives a very subtle, Kevin Spacey-like portrayal of the villain. To my mind he is just too nice so that his "I believe in a cruel God" comes over a someone complaining mildly to the deity. Barbara Frittoli as Desdemona, unfortunately could not act her way out of a paper bag and her singing, particularly of the Willow Song is undramatic. She seems to be alone on stage not making eye contact with the other singers. I have a theory that she is very short-sighted. Just maybe if she tried looking Otello straight in the eye when she denies adultery he might believe her. In fairness, I should mention that I have also seen her 2003 performance in this role in Florence where she is in much better form both dramatically and vocally.
Plácido Domingo gives good value, as ever, but I think his performance suffers because of the lack of rapport with the other principals. The scenes with Nucci are relatively subdued and the love duet with Frittoli falls flat. But how do you make love to a paper bag?
