Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet returns to the Met stage for its first performances since 1897, with the powerful pairing of Simon Keenlyside in the title role and Marlis Petersen as Ophélie. Keenlyside's acclaimed interpretation of Hamlet in Geneva, London and Barcelona finally arrives in the United States, with a performance in the Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser production that was hailed by the British press as "magnificent . . . sheer vocal genius." Petersen, who steps in for Natalie Dessay, brings her haunting portrayal of Ophélie to the Met; she earned praise for the role during a 2006 run of Hamlet in Düsseldorf. Louis Langrée conducts a cast that includes Jennifer Larmore as Gertrude, Toby Spence in his Met debut as Laërte, and James Morris in the role of Claudius. Jane Archibald, in her Met debut, sings the role of Ophélie on April 5 and 9. The creative team is rounded out by Christian Fenouillat with set designs, Agostino Cavalca with costume designs, and Christophe Forey with lighting designs, all in their Met debuts. Performances run through April 9, with the March 27 matinee shown worldwide as part of The Met: Live in HD series.
Marlis Petersen takes over the role of Ophélie from Natalie Dessay, who was originally announced for the part, but is ill. Petersen, who finishes performances of Aribert Reimann's Medea in Vienna on March 12, is unable to make the regular rehearsal schedule at the Met. However, special rehearsals have been arranged for the Sunday and Monday preceding the premiere, including a highly unusual additional rehearsal in costume on stage with the orchestra specifically for Petersen. A Met coach was also sent to Vienna to do musical rehearsals with her before her arrival in New York.
When Thomas's Hamlet had its premiere in 1868, the opera featured considerable departures from the original storyline of Shakespeare's play, most notably a Hamlet who lives and is crowned king after killing Claudius. For the opera's London premiere, Thomas rewrote the opera to provide a tragic ending that was more in line with the original play. In the 1884 Met premiere of Hamlet, and in subsequent performances here throughout the 1890s, both endings were eschewed and the curtain came down in the fourth act with the death of Ophélie. The current production first premiered in 1996 in Geneva, and went on to London and Barcelona, using the original ending. The Met, however, requested a tragic ending, so the directors and conductor devised a finale that combines the original version with the revised ending composed later by Thomas. The production is owned by the Grand Théâtre de Genève and is a gift of Mr. and Mrs. Wilmer J. Thomas, Jr.
About the Performers
Simon Keenlyside's Hamlet earned extraordinary praise when the English baritone first sang the role in 1996 in Geneva. The production went on to the Royal Opera, Covent Garden, where the Guardian hailed Keenlyside's Hamlet as "riveting; he squeezes every bit of meaning out of each phrase, and demands attention whenever he is on stage." The Independent wrote, "Simon Keenlyside's Hamlet is a revelation." Keenlyside made his Met debut in 1996 as Belcore in L'Elisir d'Amore, and has also sung the role of Olivier in the 1998 Met premiere of Capriccio, followed by Marcello in La Bohème and Papageno in Die Zauberflöte. In the 2007-08 season, Keenlyside triumphed in the role of Count Almaviva in Le Nozze di Figaro, giving a performance the New York Times hailed as "nuanced and contrary as his characterization, elegantly dignified one moment, bullishly impulsive the next." In the Met's 2010-11 season, Keenlyside will take on the role of Rodrigo in Nicholas Hytner's new production of Don Carlo.
Marlis Petersen finishes her triumphant run at the Vienna State Opera in the title role of Medea (a world premiere in a role written specifically for her by Aribert Reimann) just days before her Met role debut as Ophélie. In a role specifically written for her, Petersen triumphed as Medea, delivering a performance that was hailed by Germany's Die Welt as "a crowning achievement . . . an exceptional singer who is able to make even the most revolting aspect of the drama her own, in a beautiful and personal way, leaving the audience spellbound by the character she plays." Her 2006 Düsseldorf performance of Ophélie was acclaimed by Opernglas for her "pitch-perfect intonation, even in the most exposed top register." Petersen made her Met debut in 2005 as Adele in Die Fledermaus. Later this season, she also brings her celebrated interpretation of the title role of Lulu to the Met, under the baton of James Levine. Petersen's repertoire includes an additional two recent world premieres: Aphrodite in Henze's Phaedra at the Berlin State Opera in 2007, Marta in Trojahn's La Grande Magia at the Dresden State Opera in 2008Petersen has also performed at the Munich State Opera; the Berlin State Opera; and the Royal Opera, Covent Garden; as well as the Aix-en-Provence Festival and the Bregenz Festival. Later this year, Petersen makes her Los Angeles Opera debut as Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro.
