A drama of love and death, based on the tragedy of the same name by William Shakespeare, Giuseppe Verdi’s Otello (with Arrigo Boito’s libretto), will be staged from Friday 24 January at 8pm at the Teatro Massimo in Palermo, in a new production co-produced with the Teatro San Carlo in Naples, directed by Mario Martone.

Verdi’s penultimate opera, composed in 1887, returns to the Teatro Massimo 11 years after its last staging, with a large cast that includes tenor Yusif Eyvazov in the role of Otello, the jealous femicide, and baritone Nicola Alaimo in that of Jago, who finally returns to play the role of the absolute villain. Desdemona will be soprano Barno Ismatullaeva, already highly appreciated Cio-cio-san in the last season at the Teatro Massimo, while Cassio is tenor Riccardo Rados.

Alternating in the performances on 25 and 29 January, with the same roles, will be Mikheil Sheshaberidze (Otello), Maria Motolygina (Desdemona), Devid Cecconi(Jago) e Rosolino Claudio Cardile (Cassio). Completano il cast Irene Savignano (Emilia), Andrea Schifaudo (Roderigo), Adriano Gramigni (Lodovico), Italo Proferisce (Montano / L’araldo).