17-28 May 2006. Conducted by George Pehlivanian, directed by Pierfrancesco Maestrini, with Vladimir Galouzine, Carlo Guelfi, Fiorenza Cedolins and Rossana Rinaldi.

The Teatro S. Carlo in Naples will put on Otello by Giuseppe Verdi (17-28 May): an opera that is a symbol for every self-respecting tenor, usually at the summit of his artistic career, when he has acquired the technical and interpretative maturity to take on this multi-faceted character jealous but also noble of spirit, impetuous but also with a certain gentleness. Then there is Iago, the anti-hero, the enemy who weaves, with authentic treachery, a web of intrigue to bring about Otellos ruin; a role no less difficult than that of the tenor since it requires a mellow, complex and seductive song, the real genius of evil. Tackling these roles will be Vladimir Galouzine (Otello) and Carlo Guelfi (Iago). Desdemona appears in this opera as a rather marginal character, a stranger to events whose tragic development she does not understand, and who reacts, in spite of herself, with gestures and words that cause both misunderstandings and great harm. Despite this, in Naples she will be the focus of attention because she is played by Fiorenza Cedolin, the diva of the moment, who the public and critics adore. She is a soprano who can flit with extreme ease between belcanto roles, which need elegance, purity and perfection of tone, and more realistic interpretations, which require a less perfect technique but one that is more incisive and dramatic. Paolo di Nicola