Nimrod Borenstein has recorded a program dedicated to the theme of Shakespeare’s Othello with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra in Nicosia.
The Bottom Line
- Nimrod Borenstein recorded an Othello-themed program with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra in Nicosia.
- The release features works by Samuel Coleridge-Taylor, Antonín Dvořák, Franz Schubert, and Borenstein himself.
- The recording features opulent sound, though the acoustic space feels somewhat muted.
Recording Othello in Nicosia
Shakespeare set his play Othello on the island of Cyprus. Taking inspiration from that geographic tie, Nimrod Borenstein traveled to Nicosia to record a thematic orchestral program with the Cyprus Symphony Orchestra.
Throughout the sessions, the Cyprus Symphony proved to be an agile, attentive ensemble of high caliber.
Coleridge-Taylor and the London Stage Heritage
The program draws on historical incidental music. In 1909, the Afro-British composer Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was commissioned by the actor and theater director Herbert Beerbohm Tree to compose the stage music for a production of Othello at His Majesty’s Theatre in London.
Three years later, Coleridge-Taylor adapted that material into an imaginatively composed, varied five-part orchestral suite.
Expanding thematic Variations with Dvořák and Schubert
The conductor leads the orchestra through his own piece, Legends of Cyprus (Op. 102). Despite its Mediterranean flair, the work exudes a beautiful vitality.
The program also features Antonín Dvořák’s Othello Overture, approached by Borenstein as an atmospheric symphonic poem. Franz Schubert’s Rosamunde music rounds out the program, interpreted with great care and nuance.
Acoustic Texture and Directorial Control
The resulting recording is full of tension and opulent sound, featuring plenty of dynamics and musical flourishes. Borenstein’s conducting style resembles a rider with perfect control of the horse.
While the overall sound of the recording is pleasantly spacious, the acoustic texture remains somewhat muted.
