FROM AROUND THE WORLD: CLEVELAND.(Review)

To cap its twenty-fifth-anniversary season, Cleveland Opera scaled the heights of the repertory and (in the face of some local skepticism) pulled off a very satisfying production of Verdi's Otello. David Bamberger's production was along traditional lines yet both fluid and effective, notably in a convincing eavesdropping scene in Act III. One cavil: the flock of cute little girls who greeted Desdemona with flowers in Act II (though the actual children's chorus and mandolin-accompanied encomiums were cut) also braved the storm of Act I to be hugged and kissed by Otello upon his entrance -- a touch too evocative of campaigning politicians to suit the victorious warrior of "Esultate!"

Scheduling a singer to sing any Verdi lead -- let alone Otello -- three times in one weekend seems a risky proposition, and Virginian tenor Michael Austin, said to be indisposed, yielded the dress rehearsal and the second performance (May 12) to the experienced, capable Antonio Barasorda. Barasorda's may not be a particularly individual timbre, but it is always attractively produced, and he commands the weight and range for the fearsome role. He acted with dignity and point, paced himself well and sang a distinguished, baritonal death scene.

Frederick Burchinal's juicily sung, hale-fellow-and-well-met Iago all but stole the show. Singing with a rich, genuinely Verdian sound, Burchinal gave vivid life to the words and managed the all-important insinuating, half-voice passages well. He and Barasorda played off each ...