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Varga, Switzerland, “Sankt Margarethen”, Austria,
and Festival of theAegean, Syros.
Othello’s Tower inMusic
The Cyprus Symphony Orchestra -
4 musical views
on the Shakespearian drama: Dvorak, Khachatu-
rian, Rossini and Verdi
Under the baton of Loukas Karytinos, the Cyprus
Symphony Orchestra presented the programme
Othello’s Tower in Music
, with four musical views
on the drama: Dvorak, Khachaturian, Rossini and
Verdi.
The programme, which featured soloists Dimitra
Theodossiou (soprano), Angelo Simos (tenor) and
Kyros Patsalides (baritone), included the works: A.
Dvorak, Concert Overture
Othello
, Op. 93, B. 174;
A. Khachaturian, Suite from the Music to the Film
Othello
, Op. 87A, Prologue and Introduction; G.
Rossini, Sinfonia to the Opera
Otello
, and G. Verdi,
excerpts from the opera
Otello
. The concert took
place on 13 September 2012 at the Municipal Gar-
den Theatre in Limassol and on 14 September 2012
at the Strovolos Municipal Theatre.
TOWEROFOTHELLO
The Legend
The legendary Tower of Othello, situated in Fama-
gusta, is named after Shakespeare’s tragedy
Othello
whose events, it is believed, takeplace there–Shake-
speare himself mentions “a harbour in Cyprus”. The
tower is one among several towers along the impos-
ing and picturesque walls of Famagusta, which the
Venetians built when they took Cyprus in 1489 and
turned Famagusta into their administrative centre
and general headquarters of the Eastern Mediterra-
nean. The winged lion of St. Mark, symbol of the
Republic of Venice, is carved over the Tower’s gate.
In Shakespeare’s play, Othello is a Moorish gen-
eral and the commander of Cyprus, appointed by
the Republic of Venice. The story of Othello, who
tragically murders his beautiful and innocent wife,
Desdemona, after being blinded by jealousy through
the machinations of the diabolical Iago, has inspired
composers of the classical repertoire towrite intense-
ly dramatic music in various genres, such as opera,
soundtracks and orchestral overtures. The Cyprus
Symphony Orchestra, together with distinguished
soloists and maestro Loukas Karytinos, presented
four different musical views inspired by
Othello
.
Loukas Karytinos – Conductor
Loukas Karytinos studied conducting at the Uni-
versity of Arts of West Berlin with H. Alendorf
whilst also attending conducting seminars at the
Mozarteum in Salzburg. Between 1981 and 1985
he worked in Germany as Music Director of the
Sharlontenburg Chamber Orchestra, Berlin, and as
Director of the Piccolo Teatro Berolino. Since 1985
he has been the Chief Conductor of the Greek Na-
tional Opera, where he was appointed Music Direc-
tor in 1992; he was also the Opera’s Artistic Direc-
tor from 1999 to 2005. Karytinos has collaborated
with opera houses worldwide, including houses in
Berlin, Barcelona, Cologne, Monte Carlo, Detroit,
Salzburg, Rome, Catania, Modena and Bilbao. He
has also conducted at international festivals, includ-
ing theAthens Festival, Epidaurus,Arena di Verona,
Caracalla in Rome, Puccini “Torre di Lago”,Witten,
Germany andLas Palmas. He hasworkedwith all of
the orchestras of Greece, the London Philharmonia,
Orchestre Philharmonique de Nice, RSO-Berlin,
Loukas Karytinos – Conductor