A Radio Special: Verdi's "Otello"

08/03/23 • 58 min

“Otello” debuted in Milan in 1887, just two years after European nations gathered in Berlin to agree on a campaign to carve up and colonize the African continent for their own profit. Giuseppe Verdi’s opera, based on the play Shakespeare wrote in the very early 1600s, centers on the Moor, Otello — an African who becomes a much celebrated Venetian general for leading a successful war against his fellow Africans.

As a Black man in a position of power, Otello’s status inspires praise and worship by some and searing loathing from others. How do stereotypes of Black manhood, an all-too-familiar danger to Black men navigating life in America today, show up in Otello’s story?

With the help of the Every Voice team and special guests – Maribeth Diggle, Thomas Hampson, Peter Sellars, Limmie Pulliam, Kevin Maynor, Dr Uzee Brown Jr. and Sylvia McNair – host Terrance Mcnight examines how this centuries-old story still shapes today’s narratives around Black success and how the work of Toni Morrison might lead us to a deeper understanding of these characters.

“Every Voice” is hosted by Terrance McKnight. The Executive Producer is Tony Phillips. The Executive Producer for WQXR Podcasts is Elizabeth Nonemaker. Our research team includes Ariel Elizabeth Davis, Pranathi Diwakar, Ian George, and Jasmine Ogiste. Sound design and engineering by Sapir Rosenblatt. Original music composed by Jeromy Thomas and Ashley Jackson. Special thanks to The Met archives.

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

Previous Episode

A Radio Special: Mozart’s "The Magic Flute"

In this radio special of “Every Voice with Terrance McKnight,” enjoy this season’s journey into Mozart’s "The Magic Flute," its investigation into the overlooked character of Monostatos, and what his portrayal teaches us about ourselves.

With a legacy spanning over two centuries, "The Magic Flute" remains a beloved classic, captivating audiences in sold-out venues worldwide. But along with the opera’s historic success, the character of Monostatos, a Moor and chief slave to the wizard Sarastro, stands out as one of the most famous and shameful stereotypes in opera — a genre with limited representation of characters of African descent.

Monostatos’s longing for Pamina, a white woman, is meant to be a source of comedy, but his experience of loneliness and feeling othered is one that many can relate to. Could future productions of “The Magic Flute” highlight the depth and complexity of this character?

With the help of the Every Voice team, Terrance McNight investigates the history of this opera, tells stories from his own life, and enlists an ensemble of opera talents, including Chauncey Packer, Rodell Rosel, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Kevin Maynor, Sylvia McNair, and more to understand the messaging of modern stagings of this canonical work.

This episode is hosted by Terrance McKnight and produced by David Norville and Tony Phillips with help from Elizabeth Nonemaker. Our research team includes Ariel Elizabeth Davis, Pranathi Diwakar, Ian George, and Jasmine Ogiste. Sound design and engineering by Alan Goffinski. Original music composed by Jeromy Thomas and Ashley Jackson. Special thanks to The Met archives.

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.

Next Episode

A Radio Special: Verdi’s "Aida”

At the heart of “Aida” is an African love story: the Ethiopian princess Aida is torn between loyalty to her country and passion for her captor, the Egyptian general Radamès, who loves her in return. But when “Aida” premiered in Cairo in 1871, very few Africans went to see it, let alone could afford the price of a ticket. The original audience for “Aida,” in fact, was the European elite in Egypt, whose economic fortunes and imperial ambitions were inextricably linked to the American Civil War.

Verdi’s “Aida” often portrays Egyptians as white and free and Ethiopians as Black and enslaved, reinforcing colonial stereotypes and colorism. It’s a practice still present in many modern-day productions.

What role has opera played in colonialism, empire, and capitalism? Does art imitate life, or does it obscure it? Join McKnight’s investigation in this radio special featuring WQXR’s own Nimet Habachy, as well as opera talents Limmie Pulliam, Angela Brown, Raehann Bryce-Davis, Sir Willard White and more.

“Every Voice” is hosted by Terrance McKnight. The Executive Producer is Tony Phillips. The Executive Producer for WQXR Podcasts is Elizabeth Nonemaker. Our research team includes Ariel Elizabeth Davis, Pranathi Diwakar, Ian George, and Jasmine Ogiste. Sound design and engineering by Alan Goffinski. Original music composed by Jeromy Thomas and Ashley Jackson. Special thanks to The Met archives.

This project is supported in part by the National Endowment for the Arts. To find out more about how National Endowment for the Arts grants impact individuals and communities, visit www.arts.gov.