The title role was sung and portrayed by Elliot Palay.
An Otello in whom, including the imposing appearance as the brave and successful
soldier, one can totally believe. The audience comprehends in Palay's interpretation
how, with the ever increasing intrigue of Iago, Otello, at first plagued
by doubt, then propelled toward the unstoppable fury, develops the profile
of a jealous murderer. To this end is the second act final duet Otello/Iago
both a vocal and dramatic highpoint of the Dessau production.
MITTELDEUTSCHE ZEITUNG
OCTOBER 23, 1995
The director has with Elliot Palay engaged a lead character
whose animal-like power seems more at home packed into the powder burned
armor of the General than in the cream colored robes of the statesman.
His vocal power, pressed to the extremes of possibility, more appropriate
for the oath of vengeance than for the whispers of love, succeeds in giving
the vocal impression of a tamed beast of prey caged behind golden bars.
This Otello needs only the smallest hint to unleash his instincts into
his most elementary eruption.
ORPHEUS
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1996
DESSAU - "LONG LIVE VERDI"
Two of the most different vocal roles of the cycle were
sung by Elliot Palay. Though the lyrical demands in Foscari were not always
his strong suit, he could still employ his singularly sounding tenor to
display very interesting contours, which allowed his Otello to be especially
human. He certainly felt the most at home in this role, and was above all
others, most impressive with his psychologically motivated interpretation.
LANDESTHEATER KIEL
KIELER NACHRICHTEN
NOVEMBER 11, 1986
Elliot Palay, born and educated in the USA, was and still
is engaged in many middle and large opera houses in Germany. He is a welcomed
guest on many stages in his home and in Europe. Though his repertoire is
above all in the Deutsche "fach", he is obviously also competent
in Italian roles. He fills his Otello with assurance, developing during
the performance an astonishing vocal power, especially in the middle range
of his voice. In John Dew's relatively static production, he approaches
his role with dramatic fervor and communicated the suffering of his figure,
weighty emotion and piercing jealousy with great intensity.