Hamlet

You can read a review of this opera from the New York Times here.

Simon Keenlyside, baritone is Hamlet and Marlis Petersen is Ophelia Hamlet in this production of Hamlet - in High Definition, Live from the Met.


Miss Peterson was a last minute replacement and during one of the interviews at Intermission she told Renee Fleming about the experience of being in a show in Vienna on the 12th, flying to New York on the 13th and opening on the 16th. This beautiful woman was perfect in the role of Ophelia and her "Mad" scene made me realize that is is not just an opera singer. She and Mr Keenlyside are "actor singers." They were both able to make one believe that they were not just singers but were rather story tellers who wanted us to feel the emotions of the characters.

She talked about the part with Maestro Louis Langrée over Skype before coming to the Met for rehearsals, missed the dress rehearsal and I could not tell that she had not been in the part from the very beginning.

Mr. Keenlyside has a wonderful voice and I could listen to him all day. And he is young and rugged looking so his body type fits my mental image of Hamlet. The part is demanding and he is onstage a lot and I got to thinking that for a "singer/actor" to put in that many performances and for that long a show.(almost 4 hours) is almost a superhuman feat. But he maintained his energy throughout the entire performance and when he came out at the end to take his bow he looked just as refreshed as when he sang with Ophelia in the first scene. An interesting side note, when he was interviewed he stated that he can't read music. That means he has to learn it all by ear. Incredible.

The music began with tympani and French horn. Ambroise Thomas's music was (as I overheard someone say) "unfamiliar music, it still has a familiar feel to it." - I had written "soaring and majestic" in my notes and I loved it.

While the story is from Shakespeare this is not Shakespeare. And the story was not original with Shakespeare. Click here to read about where he got the story. You can even read the part Shakespeare left out. While the opera is based on Shakespeare's play as I said it is not Shakespeare. However there is enough of the play in the opera to make it very familiar. I found that interesting and of course, my favorite (aside from "Get thee to a nunnery) is the soliloquy of Hamlet which begins "To be or not to be..." The line I love from there is one that the authors of the Masonic Ritual stole from the Soliloquy...."The undiscovered country, from whose bourn
No traveller returns..."

It has been 113 years since this Opera was performed at the Met. I am grateful that they chose to bring it back -- and that I got to go see it.

One of the interesting things about Opera in the movie theater (which has reached more that 2 million people around the world this season) is that I can have popcorn and a coke (diet of course) with my opera. Some folks bring along real food and almost have a picnic at intermission. Nice little bread and something sandwiches...Ladies with big purses can get away with bringing anything into the theater....(I once read that Joanne Woodward used to smuggle in a six pack of beer for Paul Newman)....at least they weren't pealing and eating oranges.

They also announced the 2010-2011 Season today. Next year they will open and close with two of Wagner's Operas. There is one more opera this year. May 1st

Armida – Gioachino Rossini

May 1, 2010 at 1:00 pm ET
US Encore: Wednesday, May 19, 2010 (6:30 PM local time)
Canada Encore: May 22, 2010, 1 pm
Expected Running time: 4 hours, 19 minutes, 2 intermissions

This mythical story of a sorceress who enthralls men in her island prison has inspired operatic settings by a multitude of composers, including Gluck, Haydn, and Dvorˇák. Renée Fleming stars in the title role of Rossini’s version, opposite no fewer than six tenors. Tony Award winner Mary Zimmerman returns to direct this new production of a work she describes as “a buried treasure, a box of jewels.” The fanciful and magical tale, Zimmerman says, “has an epic, enchanted quality and a tremendous visual element

If I don't get to go to Guthrie I will go - if not I will see it at the Encore showing. The Encore for Hamlet is Wednesday, April 14 so if you missed today you can still see it.

There was a preview of the set and it looks wonderful. Speaking of sets. The sets today were minimal. In most cases just a wall. Not much else. The focus was on the players. The costuming was perfect. I think the ladies dresses were elegant without being gaudy.. (Hollywood fashionistas take note)

The following is from the New York Times and it is about Miss Peterson's experience coming in at the last minute. Oh and there was only one "clapper" in the theater today- even though the audience at the Met gave them a standing ovation at the end.