Virginia Zeani - Desdemona's Willow Song

Rossini's Otello was first performed in Naples at the Teatro del Fondo on the 4th December 1816, ten months after "Il Barbiere di Siviglia". This RAI [Italian Radio] performance dates from 1960, and mostly the same cast. It was in this opera that Maria Malibran was said to have thought her father, singing Otello, was actually gong to kill her on stage, so realistic was the drama.
The opera is seldom performed nowadays, partly due to the difficulty of finding three principal tenors with very high voices and coloratura techniques, and because it has been largely eclipsed by Verdi's 1871 masterpiece. it is nevertheless well worth hearing, being full of beautiful music. This exquisite Willow Song with its haunting melody and dramatic incident carries pre echoes of the Verdi "Salce" that was to come half a century later.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Opera
• House-Virginia
• Zeani-Willow
• Song-Malibran-Viardot

[Tenorboy29307]

So, let me get this straight? Zeani studied with Lipkowska who studied with Viardot? Man, everyone seems to be traced back to Garcia or Lamperti. Good stuff.

[CharlotteinWeimar]

Yes. Pauline Viardot lived in Russia for some years and was a close friend of the novelist Turgenev. She also taught Natalia Iretskaya who taught Oda Slobodskaya, Felia Litvinne, who can be heard on YouTube, was an immediate pupil. All these singers have great "clarity with warmth"

[Yellie876]

ok so im confused..who is singing this?

[CharlotteinWeimar]

Virginia Zeani is the singer on the recording. The pictures are of famous 19th century singers who were celebrated performers of the role

[operajasmotta]

Holy mother of God ! This is gorgeous! I have never heard this aria before and I am so moved to tears by her performance. She is such a brilliant singer. Jesus.

[PopoliDiTessalia]

Many thanks, dear CharlotteinWeimar for this new treasure "made in Zeani"! :-)

[angelamaria1944]

la sua voce è come la sua anima...bellissima!

[arturotenor76]

I feel so proud I was able to be her student... la voce piu bella che io abbia mai ascoltato dal vivo... I miss you so much my dear Zeani!!! BRAVAAAAAAAAAA

[Tenorboy29307]

@CharlotteinWeimar Thanks!

[federricoilgrande]

Artsista somma Virginia Zeani, opera bellissima l'Otello di Rossini, ingiustamrente caduta nel dimenticatoio

[Tenorboy29307]

Wonderful. Thanks for sharing this information. I'll be checking them out right away! I am very much into the singers out there that are vocal descendants of the Garcia and Lamperti vocal lines.

[corellithebest]

The melody of this Rossini's aria is indeed full of mysterious beauty and hauntingly sombre. And Virginia captures it marvellously, as always! And you have done a great job with your video, Charlotte, by providing us with the names and pictures of the operatic legends who interpreted the role. If only we had been able to hear them sing!