Otello

Since his debut with the company in 2015, he has sung Pollione in “Norma,” Cavaradossi in “Tosca,” the title roles in “The Clemency of Titus,” “Oedipus Rex” and “Otello,” as well as Radames in “Aida.”

Between Otello Stolfo’s pinpoint production design and costume designer Steph Hooke’s wide lapels, the kitsch doesn’t tip over into cartoon.

But despite a slightly better reception, “Simon Boccanegra” faded from the La Scala lineup while other Verdi operas like “Don Carlo,” “La Traviata” and “Otello” packed the house.

Two months later I was back at the Met for Verdi’s “Otello” starring, no less, Renata Tebaldi as Desdemona.

She had been too busy appearing at San Francisco Opera’s centennial concert, rushing to Munich to sing Desdemona in Verdi’s “Otello” and flying to Santa Fe to star in Dvorak’s “Rusalka.”