Otello: “Credo in un Dio crudel”

There is no shortage of villains in opera. There is, however, no more chilling a revelation of villainy than Iago’s anti-credo in the second act of Otello. From the dramatically stark beginning, with the whole orchestra crashing with maximum power through its grim theme in unadorned octaves and Iago fearlessly declaring his allegiance to a cruel god who made him in his image, it is a virtuoso example of instrumental and vocal scoring. Not quite an aria - since definition of evil is more important than melody here - it is as fervent an expression of faith, the voice driven to the upper extreme of the baritone range, as any positive credo from the firmest of believers.