From the back cover:
Cecilia Bartoli and John Osborn star in Rossini's Otello, a rarely performed opera that has been brought to new life by directors Moshe Leiser and Patrice Caurier. First presented in Naples in 1816, Rossini's Otello is a gripping musical drama, with a finale no less tragic and disturbing than in Shakespeare's original play.
'Ms. Bartoli radiates a kind of charismatic diligence. It is obvious that she has plotted out every musical and dramatic moment: every subtle diminuendo, every gesture.'  - New York Times