opera notebook
some operas I have seen on videoAmbroise Thomas, Hamlet (1868)
libretto by Michel Carré and Jules Barbier
Teatro Regio Torino, 2025
- Conductor: Jérémie Rhorer
- Director: Jacopo Spirei
- Set Designer: Gary McCann
- Hamlet: John Osborn
- Ophélie: Sara Blanch
- Gertrude: Clémentine Margaine
Following Thomas' original intentions for the score, the part of Hamlet is sung by tenor John Osborn instead of the usual baritone. Jacopo Spirei's production starts off in a stylized, if conventional enough manner, and then gets steadily weirder, as if to chart everybody's descent into madness. The pivotal moment (illustrated above) is the "play's the thing" scene, where the players are represented by gigantic puppets.