Ambroise Thomas - Hamlet / Keenlyside, Dessay, Uria-Monzon, Vernhes, Shtoda, Hollop, de Billy, Barcelona Opera

Rating:
Summary: Incredible singing, but an uneven opera
Review: Ambroise Thomas's Hamlet is one of those operas where some famous excerpts have survived as staples of the concert/recital circuit -- namely, Ophelia's "Mad Scene" and Hamlet's Drinking Song. The full opera was rarely staged.
This DVD, filmed in 2003 from the Barcelona Liceu, gives us a hint about why this opera remains a curiosity. It is, first of all, very long (about three hours), and the music is somewhat uneven. "O vin, dissipe la tristesse" and the Mad Scene are justly famous, but Hamlet's "To be or not to be" soliloquoy becomes a rather meandering aria. The opera is an odd mix of ottocento and French grand opera, and much of the sinister humor of the play is gone. Although it's nice to hear works complete I thought this is one opera that could have benefited from some judicious cutting, as it is a VERY long opera.
"Hamlet" is well worth getting for lovers of splendid vocalism. The supporting cast is uniformly fine. But Simon Keenlyside and Natalie Dessay (Hamlet and Ophelie) are Stars-with-a-capitol-S.
Natalie Dessay started her career as a specialist of high-flying coloratura roles. She then had a vocal crisis, but her career seems to be back on track. Although she no longer sprinkles her performances with high F's and G's, her voice has acquired richness and dramatic coloring over the years, and her Mad Scene can hold its own against any "gold standard" recording, such as Nellie Melba's, or Eide Norena's. Her voice is not to everyone's taste -- it has a Gallic edge, and a touch of iciness. It's more piercing than large. But she's a wonderful, committed actress, and a coloratura soprano who can make even the most mechanical runs sound edge-of-your-seat exciting. Hers is an Ophelia to treasure.
Simon Keenlyside besides being great eye candy has a beautiful, smooth, marvelously produced baritone voice. He sings with exquisite legato, never resorting to barking even in the most dramatic moments. Most of all, his performance is very true to Shakespeare -- he makes Hamlet brooding, righteous, sensitive, cruel, unbalanced, yet calculating.
The production, although fairly inoffensive, unfortunately makes this sometimes portentious, overly gloomy opera seem even more portentious and gloomy. The lighting is unremittingly dark, the staging is threadbare (mostly a series of moving walls), the costumes nondescript (Simon Keenlyside broods in an overcoat and Stanley Kowalski-like t-shirt, the women wear long dresses, the rest of the costumes are a mix of the antique and modern.)
So I give four stars for the splendid singing, but this opera is, let's face it, not a masterpiece, and the production is somewhat disappointing.



Rating:
Summary: Mad for Dessay
Review: As the first reviewer points out, didn't know what all the fuss was about Natalie Dessay from her recordings... UNTIL I saw her live in LUCIA ... I was convinced. She "is" a singing actress, she must be seen and heard.. The mad scene alone is worth the purchase - I'm so pleased to see someone who sings for a reason, not for beauty alone.. She's the real thing, and there's few of them left! A shame she became ill and didn't get the video of "LUCIE" with Alagna.. hopefully there's more to come. BRAVA!

Rating:
Summary: AWESOME
Review: For sometime I've been hearing a lot about Natalie Dessay; however, only owning a few audio recordings with her, I really didn't see what all the fuss was about. After viewing/hearing this performance of Thomas' Hamlet, I see why she is considered one of opera's brightest stars. Her performance as Ophelie is sublime. This role is usually a mere display of coloratura excesses. With Dessay it turns into far more than high notes and vocal runs-she not only sings the role magnificently, she sings it with great dramatic intensity (something that is very rare with the so-called coloratura soprano). I guess she would be called a great "singing actress" in the very best sense of the phrase. Her performance really "moved" me. (The audience that this performance was taped in front of was also impressed with her to a point that they were in a state of delirium from her first aria and by the "Mad Scene" they too had also gone completely "mad".) Simon Kennlyside also gives a riveting performance.
Simon's voice, at this point in his career, might be a size too small for Hamlet; however, that is soon forgotten because of the dramatic intensity he brings to the role. He sings poor depressed Hamlet wonderfully. The "confrontation scene" with Uria-monzon (as his mother) is fantastic! I'm sure his voice will "grow" into the role.
This production does NOT try to recreate the era; however, it is beautiful to observe-wonderful contrasting colors on a rather bare stage allowing the singers to display their dramatic qualities to the fullest-no this is not "the Bard" but it IS opera at its most exciting!


Rating:
Summary: Shakespeare without the edge
Review: Thomas' Hamlet seems to be making a comback in the last few years. First Thomas Hampson did it and now Simon Keenlyside. Before you jump in however beware. This is not the bard's play. For one thing it has a semi-"happy" ending. Hamlet lives but he is miserable. What it is is a French Grand Opera - a cousin to Gounod's Romeo and Juliet. And I would say if you like Romeo you probably will like Hamlet although the latter is not as good an opera - only one standout tune. The cast is quite good for today's standards. Dessay does the Mad Scene as well as we can expect. But I was wondering what Sutherland would have made of it. None of those to die for high notes here. Keenlyside is good. First time I've encountered him.

The production is someone minimal - lots of cement walls. Is this supposed to be some warehouse. And Hamlet wears either underwear of an overcoat. When are we going to put the overcoats to rest? But the most unfortunate is Uria-Monzon as Gertrude who has half her head shaved. Yikes!

And finally something someone else has commented on on EMI's Lady Macbeth also from Liceu - the sound. What is going on? It isn't as bad as he said, but the singers seem to be singing in the bathroom. Somebody correct this before it catches on.

With all the caveats I'm glad I got this. There is nothing like a gooey French opera to mellow me out.