New German Translation of Arrigo Boito’s Libretto by Walter Felsenstein, assisted by Carl Stueber. Feature Film (coloured), Produced in the Defa-Studio, Babelsberg 1969.
A Film production of the stage version by Walter Felsenstein.
Walter Felsenstein (1901–1975), founder and general director of the Komische Oper in Berlin, was one of the twentieth century’s greatest creative theatre directors, who played a hugely important role in the revival of opera as a theatrical art form. A brilliant artist who directed over 190 productions during the course of his career, he was equally committed to the works, their creators, the ensemble and the audience.
For Felsenstein, Verdi’s “Othello” was one of the most significant works in the history of opera. This was why he chose it to shoot the fi rst colour opera fi lm for DEFA in 1969. In his own interpretation, Felsenstein succeeded in creating a work that was not simply a documentation of the stage production, but a work that used cinematic means in order to portray the “unbearable happiness” that “Othello” conveys. Guiseppe Verdi who was enthused by Shakespeare’s plays produced with “Othello” an ingenious late work that the fantastic librettist, Arrigo Boito, had specially adapted for him beforehand. In his penultimate opera, the composer once again demonstrates his entire creative energy and turns the beauty and tragedy of the love between the endearing Desdemona and Othello, the commander who everyone regards mistrustfully because he is black, into music that excites the audience today just as much as it did back then. Felsenstein produces with “Othello” a film that tells a tragic story interwoven with great music and at the same time documents his own dramaturgical work.
SPECIAL FEATURES ON DVD: Introduction (from the script) of the 4 acts with a Picture Gallery, Interviews, Video and audio restoration - Footage with a commentary by Christoph Felsenstein
Script and Direction Walter Felsenstein, Georg Mielke
Set Design Alfred Tolle
Following The Set Design By Rudolf Heinrich
Costume Design Helga Scherff
Sound Format: PCM Stereo
DVD Format: 1 x DVD 9 & DVD 5, NTSC
Picture Format: 4:3
Running Time: 121 mins Opera + Special Features
FSK: 0
Menu Language: GB, DE, FR, ES
Subtitle Languages: GB, DE, FR, ES
Region Code: 0
