If the audience at the Liberty Theater Saturday night had all worn hats, they would have tossed them in the air.

The concert performance of Otello was a masterpiece of sound, thanks to outstanding soloists and an orchestra in top form.

Allan Glassman, who made his Astoria Music Festival debut in Die Walküre June 15, returned in the title role of Verdis opera.

And he didnt disappoint, demonstrating why one critic has already dubbed him the Otello of his generation.

But Saturday night was not just the Allan Glassman show. Co-stars Ruth Ann Swenson as Otellos wife, Desdemona, and Richard Zeller, as Iago, the villain, created a trinity of talent.

Conductor Keith Clark chose to bring the Astoria audience three early scenes, then the final act.

Otello, (spelled without the H in Italian) was one of Verdis last operas. It tells the story of a provincial governor who suspects his wifes infidelity on his return from a Mediterranean voyage.

The original Shakespeare play casts Otello as a Moor, so religious and racist elements underpin much of the text. Glassman is Caucasian, so that was missing. Instead, he is simply a man who puts his trust in a scheming political rival instead of his wife, who proves devoted and innocent.

Glassmans tenor devoured the lines, feasting on the highs and lows of emotion. Early on, when he and Swenson kissed, it was a wonderfully tender moment, accentuated with restraint by the orchestra.

Later, in a duet with Zeller as the two-faced Iago, Glassman demonstrated vocal power that even stung those up in the balcony. Glassman, whose gestures were sharp and demonstrative, has that rare quality among solo performers of singing opera as if he is just discovering the words.

The opera ends with Otello strangling Desdemona, then learning the truth of Iagos deception and stabbing himself. It could be awkward melodrama, but even in this concert version, with the actors wedged between the violins and their own music stands, Glassman and Swenson made it work. Glassman returned to the stage having shed his white jacket for a somber black outfit. His gait, his face, his voice accentuated the darkness in his characters heart. Slowly, his hands wrapped around Desdemonas throat. Drawing on her decades of experience, Swensons face registered surprise, shock, fear, pain and resignation in the course of seconds.

Otellos death was almost understated. Glassman appeared to pull a knife and plunge it into his chest, then slump over, still standing, a statue until Clarks baton brought the strings down on the final chord. As thunderous applause broke out, and a beaming Glassman bent back up, there was no evidence of a knife, yet you would have sworn

Iago is the most difficult major male role in Shakespeares big four tragedies. It is wordy, and finding more than one dimension is a challenge, despite the opportunity of asides to the audience to demonstrate the webs of deceit the character spins.

At least Verdis Iago gets to sing, however, and Zeller made the most of it. His Falstaffian stature and deep voice make him a force to be reckoned with whatever part he plays. Before the show, in an interview, he said he wanted to offer more than a stereotype bad guy. He succeeded.

Zeller and Glassman performed an early duet that demonstrated the variety of their voices in tone and forcefulness. When it concluded, Zeller broke character to point the appreciative audience to Glassman (which Glassman, to his credit, countered), but had it been a sports contest it would have been declared a tie. Each gave as good as they got; you could see the perspiration that created such inspiration.

The Astoria Music Festival Orchestra again filled the Liberty Theater with melodious sound throughout the evening. To many, the appeal of Verdis music is its variety, and Clarks interpretation did not disappoint. The strings, led by Concertmaster Roy Malan, were strong, yet restrained when needed. Double bass players Jason Schooler and Ted Botsford, from the Oregon Symphony, earned special recognition from Clark for a passage in which they were the only instruments playing. It was eerie and effective. The brass and woodwinds combined well, especially in a soft section just before the doomed Desdemona offered her final prayers.

The members of the North Coast Chorale and the Astoria Music Festival Apprentices added vocal strength to a more-than-satisfying operatic experience. Two apprentice singers, Deborah Blaksley and a late replacement, Joel Cummings, played their supporting roles with enthusiasm and skill.

Clark chose to say happy 200th birthday to the Italian composer by offering three other pieces, including an orchestral excerpt from La Traviata. In the second, the women vocal apprentices gathered on the balcony and sang Laudi alla Vergine Maria from Verdis Four Sacred Pieces. It was a delightful five minutes of a cappella sound with a technically difficult conclusion, handled well.

Two flute players, David Buck and Jung-Wan Kang, brought the concert to intermission with the Duo Fantasy on Themes from Rigoletto by Franz and Karl Doppler. The piece takes Verdis eminently hummable opera tunes (including La donna e mobile) and playfully spins them together. Flutes on their own simply flutter their sound to the ceiling of the Liberty, and the husband and wife soloists took advantage of the acoustics to delight.

When the history of the Festival is written at its 25th or later anniversaries, the 11th year will stand out as a blockbuster, in part thanks to Saturday nights musical event.

Patrick Webb is managing editor of The Daily Astorian.

Note:?This review uses the Italian spelling of Othello for consistency.