“When you pray,” he told her, “you don’t make a big drama, because it’s so intimate.”

It was that intimate prayer, the “Ave Maria,” which Desdemona sings just before she is murdered by her jealous husband, that Mr. Dudamel cited as his favorite page of the opera. It is one of the work’s most famous scenes, but is perhaps a slightly surprising choice for Mr. Dudamel, 37, an exuberant conductor known for grand gestures and his ability to whip up excitement in higher-decibel moments, of which there are many in “Otello.”

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Mr. Dudamel — who is on an unusual extended East Coast sojourn that also includes concerts and lectures at Princeton University — explained his choice shortly after rehearsal. Here are edited excerpts from the conversation.

There are so many big moments in this opera, like the storm it opens with, or the “Credo” sung by the villain, Iago. But you went with a quiet moment.

After you have been doing all these huge, dramatic things — with this huge orchestration — Verdi goes to simplicity. Only strings, and a soprano singing a prayer. This is something very simple. The page is one of the keys of the opera.