Otello

Date:	November 07, 2025 \| 19:00 (Fri)
Venue:	Prague State Opera
Duration:	3 hours
Intermission:	Yes (20 minutes)
Status:	Available
Reviews:	(4)

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Shakespeare (and Boito) and Verdi lead the title hero into an ever-deeper abyss

In Italian, surtitles in Czech, English

The opera opens with a powerful storm scene and the jubilant entry of Otello, commander of the Venetian Navy, who, in spite of all the natural forces, returns to Cyprus to his young wife Desdemonda and announces victory over the Ottoman Empire. The hero, however, makes the fatal error of trusting an evil man. Iago, a ruthless schemer devoured by lust for power, turns Otello’s life into a hell. Lost in his own delusions, Iago’s intrigues drive the feted general to blind jealousy, ultimately resulting in murder.

Verdi was well aware of the extraordinary quality of Boito’s libretto, the finest he encountered during his career as a composer. He believed that together they had created a masterpiece – and wasn't he just right?

The premiere, on 5 February 1887 at La Scala in Milan, was a triumph, following which Otello set out on its glorious journey around the world. On 7 January 1888, owing to the promptitude of its director, František Adolf Šubert, the opera was staged, in Czech, at the National Theatre in Prague. The State Opera first presented it on 20 December 1911, conducted by Pietro von Stermich.

The new production has been undertaken by the distinguished drama director Martin Čičvák, who has previously gained acclaim at the State Opera with adaptations of Verdi’s opera Macbeth, Paul Abraham’s operetta Ball im Savoy and Dmitry Shostakovich’s opera Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk.

Performing:

State Opera Chorus
State Opera Orchestra
Soloists

Important:

The purchased tickets cannot be returned or exchanged
There is a screen with subtitles on each seat
20 min. intermission
Purchased tickets cannot be returned or exchanged
No discounts are provided
Theatre is a cultural institution. Please respect the common principles of appropriate behaviour and clothing
The price includes service fee of 3,7 € (100,- CZK)

Laterna magika program and tickets

Venue photo gallery

Prague State Opera

Address:	Wilsonova 4 , Praha 1
Capacity:	989
Type:	Theatre
Winter heating:	Yes
Wheelchair access:	Yes

Prague State Opera is one of the most important music scenes in Europe & one of the stages of The National Theatre

Visit the recently re-opened and newly refurbished grand opera house with a noteworthy history where many world renown artists have worked here making each performance a prime cultural event.

History:

This Neo-classical edifice was built in 1883 by the German Theatre Association as a reaction of German minority in Prague to the opening of the Prague National Theatre. As the New German Theatre it soon gained international acclaim for its inovative repertoire and artistic leadership including such names as Angelo Neumann, Alexander Zemlinski or Georg Szell.

Nowadays, famous operas, as well as pieces unjustly overlooked or unknown in the Czech Republic are introduced in the State Opera gaining the theatre a reputation of one of the best European scenes where you can enjoy watching mainly opera and ballet performances.

How to get there:

Accessibility by public transport:
metro A (green line) or C (red line) - Muzeum station
Nearest car parking:
Garage Museum, Wilsonova 732/6, Prague 1

Please note:

There is a screen with subtitles on each seat.

Overall rating:

Veronique Bonnet | February 16, 2025 | 17:00 (Sun)

Daryl Gonzalez | February 07, 2025 | 19:00 (Fri)

Sonia Herbette | October 18, 2024 | 19:00 (Fri)

A beautiful opera, masterfully performed, with no lulls throughout the two-hour magnificent show. However, be cautious! Our tickets, automatically translated in french by the Prague Ticket Office website, indicated Theatre de l’Etat, which was the wrong venue! We had to take a taxi in a rush, just ten minutes before the show started, to make it to the correct location—the Opera de l’Etat.

Marc⁹ Chisholm | September 29, 2024 | 19:00 (Sun)

The orchestra and lead performers were superb from the opening beat to the end.