Rossini’s “Otello” premiered in 1816, and the musical adaptation of Shakespeare's famous play was a hit for seven decades. Then Verdi’s version debuted in 1887 and was acclaimed as a pinnacle of the art form, causing Rossini’s version to recede into a rarity.Opera Philadelphia excavated it Friday night at the Academy of Music for its O22 festival in a showcase for tenor Lawrence Brownlee, the company’s artistic adviser.

“If you put it in the context of a year it was written, it is such a modern opera,” said Philadelphia music director Corrado Rovaris, who is conducting the run. “It was a great success. It was played everywhere, performed everywhere. All the big singers wanted to sing that opera.”