Otello in OTELLO

Royal Opera House Covent Garden

“Otello is one of the toughest sings in the tenor repertory, not to mention dramatically demanding. Ultimately Thomas does a fine job at drawing us into the antihero’s demise. As jealousy and rage take root, so his voice grows in stature, turning vocal colour and character to expressive ends. Thomas is a communicative actor…he sympathetically charts the course from trusting military general to murderous jealous lover. The moment he cracks is telling: he sits alone, isolated at the edge of the stage, head in hands, gently rocking, desperately shutting out the thunderous chorus around him. Death feels inevitable. The final act packs its emotional punch.”
–Rebecca Franks, The Times

“Thomas brings the required gravitas (and, as it turns out, much more) through both his presence and his voice, never straining, but ready to dissolve from decency to destruction.”
–Gary Naylor, Broadway World

“Thomas will be one of the most sought-after Otellos of his generation and there is already much to savour, notably his scrupulous observation of Verdi’s pianissimos, which were especially on show here.”
–Hugh Canning, Opera Magazine

“Russell Thomas brings vocal and physical brawn to the role of Otello, willingly sacrificing sheer beauty in the voice for expressive effect, keenly reflecting a colossus with a torn mind. His scenes with Hrachuhí Bassénz’s Desdemona are mesmeric, he glowering, threatening, she disturbed but composed and confident in her morality.”
–The Stage

“Russell Thomas creates a striking impact. His voice is not the biggest in the role, but it is made for dramatic cut-and-thrust and, some signs of tiredness apart, he is an intense, concentrated Otello in the finest tradition. Strongly sung, excitingly conducted, the musical performance carries all before it.”
–Richard Fairman, Financial Times

“Thomas delivers a searing and shattering performance. The production hits its stride more surely, in a psychologically gripping triangle of jealousy that is elevated by the American tenor Russell Thomas’s at times almost elemental incarnation of the notoriously demanding title role. There is ringing prowess in every bar he sings and he inhabits the part from start to finish. His farewell to glory in act two was exceptionally fine and the personal annihilation he achieved in the final scene was shattering. It is a searing and overdue interpretation and he will be a hard act to follow when Covent Garden is casting its next revival.”
–Martin Kettle, The Guardian

“Russell Thomas sings in perfectly crisp and distraught Italian. Thomas’s Otello is the perfect tragic hero, a noble and composed leader brought down by romantic jealousy, wrapped up in a hair-raising and emotive tenor voice. His portrayal of The Lion of Venice is momentous in and of itself.”
–Tacita Quinn, London Unattached

“Russell Thomas sings Otello with great power and commitment. The long final scene in the first act between Maltman and Thomas was as intense and enthralling a display of the power of opera as one could hope for.”
–William Hartston, Express

“Thomas possessed an unwavering lyricism that conveyed Otello’s introspection and gullibility, and which Thomas pushed as far as he could to show the Moor’s psychological unravelling.  Both the self-torturing ‘Dio! mi potevi’ and the grief-riven ‘Niun mi tema’ were beautifully sung…”
–Claire Seymour, Opera Today

“Thomas found a raw, elemental quality in the role that saw his voice focus and ring with military accuracy – his cries of “Ah! sangue! sangue! Sangue!” in the final peroration exploded off the stage.”
–Benjamin Poore, OperaWire

“Russell Thomas is suitably authoritative as Otello as his expansive tenor rings out across the house… A superb performance from Thomas, as he gets the fundamentals of the character exactly right. The whole point of the general is that the traits that have served him so well in battle, namely courage, quick decision-making and unswerving belief, prove ill suited to managing domestic relationships. Thomas offers us this thoroughly commanding figure, and that is precisely what is needed because it is only moving to see a man defeated by himself if we can appreciate what a bold lion he is in the first place.”
–Sam Smith, Opera Online

“Thomas has a bronze tone that suits the role, with a beautiful homogeneity on the central part of the range, and beautiful low notes. The upper medium is well stamped, dense. His “Dio! Mi potevi scagliar”, alternating rage and restraint, is a model of its kind. The dramatic characterization is classic, but superbly rendered, thanks to an undeniable stage presence.”
–Jean-Michel Pennetier, Forum Opéra

“With Thomas it feels entirely natural. Most importantly, with Thomas, you feel the character’s mounting suspicion is deeply rooted in a lifetime of white prejudice—a casual racism made palpable by the outstanding Iago… Thomas’s entrance is forcefully effective, the famous “Esultate” the clarion call of a man of action. His open-hearted bonhomie is neatly contrasted with the outwardly chummy Iago’s efforts to be all things to all men. Rooted in the bel canto, Thomas is perhaps the most purely beautiful of Otellos. His duet with Desdemona is ravishing, as is his Act III monologue, “Dio! mi potevi scagliar tutti i mali” and the final moving “Niun mi tema.” His ability to combine an elegant lyrical line with an almost parlando approach to text is an impressive feat… His absorbing way with the lyrical line makes this one of the warmest and most sympathetic takes on the role.”
–Clive Paget, Musical America