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Hamlet

 

Composer

Ambroise Thomas

Libretto

Carré and Barbier after a French version of Shakespeare’s tragedy by Dumas père and Paul Maurice

Venue and Dates

Geneva, September 1996

Conductor

Louis Langrée

Directors

Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser

Performers

Hamlet: Simon Keenlyside

Ophélie: Natalie Dessay

Gertrude: Kathryn Harries

Claudius: Alain Vernhes

Laërte: Yann Beuron

Ghost of Hamlet’s father: Markus Hollop

Chorus and Orchestra of the Royal Opera House

Production

Sets: Christian Fenouillat

Costumes: Agostino Cavalca

Lighting: Christopher Forey


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What the critics say

An auspicious start to Geneva’s season. Anne Midgette for Opera News, December 28 1996

http://www.metoperafamily.org/operanews/_archive/122896/reports.122896.html

Thomas' Hamlet is very much a product of its time; accordingly, Agostino Cavalca costumed the figures in 1860s-era attire. Christian Fenouillat's sets were less successful: pieces of palace wall moved across the stage in a vain attempt to shield the characters from the yawning void of the empty black stage behind them. Where the interaction of characters was concerned, however, Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser's direction was strikingly effective in places such as the confrontation between Hamlet and Gertrude in Act IV and the excellent scene with the traveling players, which, thanks to the skill of three good mimes, was as strong as ever I've seen it, even in Shakespeare's version.

At the beginning, Simon Keenlyside's voice seemed pallid in the title role, but he marshaled his resources for an impressive drinking song in Act II, going to the limit to show what he can do in the way of color and intensity. Kathryn Harries' fine performance as Gertrude was marred only by a slightly throaty quality, which made it sound sometimes as if she were singing two pitches at once. On the other hand, her timbre contrasted ideally with the clear purity of Natalie Dessay as Ophélie. Though slightly wooden at times, Dessay sang beautifully, skillfully apportioning her energies so that there was always color at the top and plenty of steam left to deliver big, satisfying climaxes to each aria. Only when she had to begin her mad scene lying on her side in fetal position did a couple of technical hiccups appear in her approach to top notes.

As Claudius, Alain Vernhes displayed a beautiful instrument, but he didn't always sing beautifully. Marcus Hollop was suitably large and stentorian as the Ghost. Conductor Louis Langrée maintained a light touch, but in some slow passages, such as the introduction to Ophélie's Act II aria, the music started to dissolve rather than achieving transparency, and one felt that Langrée's efforts at sensitive interpretation might degenerate into mere mannerism.