Not Domingo's Best: Third Time Is Not Always A Charm Bad Casting Choices
This 90's Deutsche Grammophone recording of Otello is Placido Domingo's third studio recording but is not by any means his best. Although he sings with great passion and power, he has sung better Otellos. Look to his Otello with Mirella Freni ( a rare one and his first) RCA Otello with Renata Scotto and Sherill Milnes and the Zefferelli film (and soundtrack) with Katia Ricciarelli and Justino Diaz. Compared to those Otellos, he is totally underpowered in this one. He lacks the supercharged singing technique, squillo and radiant quality he once had. However, Domingo is the best part of this recording, even if I've heard better Otellos from him.

Cheryl Studer sings a beautiful and very vulnerable Desdemona. She sings beautifully opposite Domingo in the Act 1 Duet and she is flexible so that in the final scene she colors her voice to effectively sound distressed and frightened. However, even with a fine voice like Studer, it's certainly no match next to Katia Ricciarelli, who, for me, remains the definative Desdemona. Also, Mirella Freni and before her Renata Tebaldi have excelled in the role. Studer is only a lesser light, but it is still beautiful.

Shame on whoever cast Sergei Leiferkus as Iago. This is the worst Iago on record. There is no real power in his voice, not enough "bite" and slimy villainousness. Compared to Justino Diaz' Iago or even Tito Gobbi, this is a supremely weak Iago. He ruined this recording. Again, please check out other Otellos, like the following:

Mario Del Monaco, Renata Tebaldi on Decca/London

Jon Vickers and Mirella Freni

Placido Domingo, Renata Scotto, Sherill Milnes/Levine

Placido Domingo, Katia Ricciarelli, Justino Diaz/Maazel

An unnecessary replication
I already own Domingo's EMI version of Otello under Maazel (an arbitrarily abridged version done for a Franco Zefferelli movie), his early RCA version under Levine, and two semi-pirate live performances under Kleiber with La Scalla forces. All four are better than this late recording for DG, in which Domingo sounds worn and tired. Leiferkus was a bad piece of casting for Iago--he has a very lean Slavic baritone and no sense of Verdi style. Even Studer sounds rather impersonal and a bit too large vocally--can a Salome really do justice to Desdemona? The sonics are shrill on top as well, without bloom or orchestral richness.

All in all, an unnecessary replication of one of Domingo's signature roles.

The Greatest Recorded Otello Of Placido Domingo
Which Otello to get ? There are many outstanding Otellos on recording and captured on film- Mario Del Monaco (still considered the definative Otello and is found on recording and in a 1950's black and white film) Jon Vickers (who appears in the Karajan film opposite Mirella Freni) and Luciano Pavoratti also sang the role. But Placido Domingo discovered the best in himself in the role, which fits him like a glove. Way back in the 70's, and to many at a time when he was a seasoned tenor having such all the traditional Italian Vedi/Puccini rolse, he took on this challenging role. For Domingo, the role would most effectively push him to color his voice. Otello is not just a roaring lion, a jealous and savage man, though he can be that, too. He is very very human and frail, almost simple and uncomplicated in his black-and-white view of the world. He is a product of nature, and the arias and recitatives that do not call for him to shout and rage find him in deep meditation, torment and pathetic moaning. Domingo is surprisingly both a Wagnerian heldentenor, heroic tenor and a lyric tenor with a softer voice. He can darken his voice in all the right moments. This Otello finds him in great voice, having already sung the role numerous times. Passionate, dramatic, Shakespearean, he makes opera a thrilling sensational night of theater. From his opening Esultate to the Oath Duet, to his Love Duet to his condemnation of Desdemona to the final scene of his death, he is a one man opera, as if he didnt even need all the other cast to support him.

But thank God he does. Cheryl Struder is a great Desdemona, with a big but lyric voice, able to produce beautiful but dramatic sounds. Maria Callas never sang Desdemona, and that was because Desdemona is not necessarily a diva role, or even a dramatic one. It is purely a lyric voice. Therefore, voices like Renee Fleming, Beverly Sills (had she performed the role but she never did) Anna Moffo, Mirella Freni, Kiri Te Kenawa and Katia Ricciarelli make the role of the distressed heroine a miracle. She is an innocent woman, and her voice cries innocence and submission. Because Otello is blinded by jealousy and rage, he victimizes her, though he himself is a victim of Iago's plot. The fines Iagos for me are Samuel Ramey, Sherill Milnes, Tito Gobbi and Justino Diaz. The role ranks up there with opera's darkest villains such as Baron Scarpia in Puccini's Tosca. Leiferkus is not that great an Iago. The strongest in this recording are without a doubt Domingo and Struder, who also worked together in Lucia Di Lammermoor. Now question about it. This is the best recording of the many Domingo has, but if you want to be riveted by a great performance, check out the movie version of Franco Zefferelli (with Katia Ricciarelli and Justino Diaz) or the album with Sherill Milnes and Renata Scotto.

The Best Othello since Toscanini
It is a true wonder when one comes across such a vivid and emotional portrayal of one of Verdi's greatest roles.As with the Lisbon recording of Callas's Traviata.With this Othello we get the best of all possible worlds.Placido Domingo shines in this role after so many years of study and two previous records.he truly becomes the Moor in every way.His voice has acquired the dark tone,and he has fulfilled it with his great acting ability.As a tenor myself, i believe that placido domingo stands in a class all by himself.he has been a great innovator of our artform.In him we find a voice, a charisma, and a total commitment to his roles.His " Nium mi tema" is powerfull, he explodes in such away that is terrifying.But yet in the end we can hear him singing softly 'Desdemona..Desdemona...Un Bacio...Un Altro Baccio', this is truly moving.As for the rest of the cast Leiferkus is not a great Iago, His characterization is not there yet.one only wishes that the Iago for this set were Titto Gobbi and the Desdemona of Callas( although callas never tackled the role onstage, only excerpts of the willo song and ave maria are available, but they are the best).Cheryl Studer is too bland as Desdemona for my taste.She follows the Tebaldi school of velvet.Her voice is lovely, to listen to it in the shower.If one wants a great Desdemona turn to Renatta Scotto- on the Emi set with Levine or Domingo.Or turn to the Met's Dvd with Domingo/Fleming/Levine.In this set we also find some of the younger school.Denyce Graves is brilliant as well as ramon Vargas.but the glory of this set lies in Maestro Chung.he is a revelation.The Bastille Orchestra and Chorus Explote with Energy in a recording that can only be matched by the RCA-Toscanini.As for other sets to take a glance at and or other portrayals.
1.Del Monaco-provides a brutal and energetic account along with Herbert von karajan.
2.Martinelli-provides an otello all by his class only rivaled by Domingo's.
3.Last but not least Pavarotti is in his late voice in his othello with solti-although Dame K.te kanawa has a lovely voice for desdemona.
Finally if you want a live Othello in dvd. Look for the covent Garden/Kultur set with Domingo/Solti and or the Met's set with fleming/levine.
Finally remember that Othello is not Traviata.Othello is the greatest if not the best Italian opera of all time.Nothing compares to a real theatrical revelation.So catch any performances when you can.The Met,covent Garden, and Opera de Paris have great productions.

Domingo is great again, but Leiferkus........
Domingo is the greatest Otello ever. No matter what version you choose, he's a winner. But in this recording , Leiferkus has a sound voice that is annoying. He is an unbearable Casio. The Maazel-Zeffirelli soundtrack version has Justino Díaz for Casio. He's diabolic, as Shakespeare wrote once: I am evil, because I am a man. (Son scelerato, perché son uomo)and the duet "Si, pel ciel marmoreo giuro" is a blood-chilling interpretation. Try Díaz instead Leiferkus. And ultimately, try José Cura as Otello. Is the biggest surprise since Domingo.