Hamlet (Dean)
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| Title: | Hamlet |
| Shape: | Opera in two acts |
| Original language: | English |
| Music: | Brett Dean |
| Libretto : | Matthew Jocelyn |
| Literary source: | Shakespeare: Hamlet |
| Premiere: | June 11, 2017 |
| Place of premiere: | Glyndebourne Opera House , Lewes |
| Playing time: | approx. 2 ¼ hours |
| Place and time of the action: | Elsinore in Denmark |
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Hamlet is a two- act opera by Brett Dean (music) with a libretto by Matthew Jocelyn based on Shakespeare's tragedy Hamlet . It premiered on June 11, 2017 at the Glyndebourne Opera House at Lewes.
action
first act
The opera begins with a monologue by Hamlet in which Hamlet mourns the death of his father, the King of Denmark.
Claudius, the brother of the late king, celebrates his coronation with a banquet. At the same time he announces his wedding to the queen widow Gertrude. Those present, including his advisor Polonius, congratulate. Polonius' son Laertes, meanwhile, warns his sister Ophelia of a permanent relationship with Hamlet. Laertes announces that he will soon be leaving for France, which he wants to subjugate Denmark. Hamlet's friends Horatio and Marcellus have come to the old King's funeral from Wittenberg. Hamlet informs her that there will be a wedding reception instead. He clearly shows his displeasure with how quickly his mother got over his father's death. This tries in vain to appease him. Laertes says goodbye to Ophelia. Polonius has now also learned of her love for Hamlet. Although she assures him that Hamlet has serious intentions, he doesn't approve of the connection. Hamlet accuses Claudius and Gertrude of sinning against nature with their quick marriage.
When the party ends, Hamlet is lost in thought. Horatio and Marcellus tell him that they saw his father's ghost last night, but he did not want to speak to them. Hamlet wants to see him too and suggests they watch together the next night. But then the spirit already appears. When Hamlet asks why he was there, the ghost tells him that he was murdered by his own brother. He urges Hamlet to avenge his death and kill Claudius.
Concerned about Hamlet's behavior, Claudius and Gertrude Hamlet's former classmates, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, tasked him with spying on him. Polonius is convinced that Hamlet has gone mad. Ophelia seeks consolation from her father and tells that Hamlet came to her room in a completely neglected state and let out a heartbreaking sigh. Polonius pulls a letter from Hamlet out of his pocket, in which this Ophelia affirms his love. He believes that his daughter took his advice and turned Hamlet away. This is the cause of his madness. In order to test this theory, he and Claudius want to overhear a meeting between Hamlet and Ophelia. Gertrude, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern withdraw, and Polonius and Claudius hide while Ophelia awaits Hamlet.
Hamlet appears singing of death and spurned love. Ophelia reminds him of his earlier declarations of love and shows him the letter she received from her father. Hamlet assures her that he once really loved her - but that is over. He advises her to enter a monastery quickly and leaves her alone. Ophelia is shocked. Her father and Claudius come out of their hiding place. The latter is not entirely convinced that lovesickness is the cause of Hamlet's behavior.
Hamlet and Horatio meet Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. Hamlet immediately realizes that his father hired them to investigate him. To celebrate the day, Polonius announces a theatrical performance of the country's best actors.
Hamlet persuades one of the actors to play the play The Murder of Gonzago , which contains some parallels to the murder of his father, and for which he has written a suitable addition. He explains to Horatio that in this way he wants to get Claudius to admit his guilt.
The game begins and proceeds as Hamlet intended. He himself repeatedly intervenes to explain the action. There is a scandal. Claudius and the guests leave the theater indignantly. For Hamlet, his reaction is proof enough.
In his loneliness Claudius searches in vain for a prayer that could wash away his guilt. With the intention of avenging his father, Hamlet enters the room - but is unable to carry out the deed. Instead, he goes to his mother's room to confront her. Gertrude is in conversation with Polonius, who is hiding in the closet when Hamlet approaches. Hamlet pretends to have seen a rat and stabs Polonius. He then made serious accusations against his mother for betraying his father. The ghost of the old king reappears, reminding Hamlet of his task. He remains invisible to Gertrude.
Second act
After the violent death of his father Polonius, Laertes returns from France to avenge him. He initially suspects Claudius, but quickly learns the truth about Hamlet's act from him, Gertrude, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern.
Ophelia appears before them, completely distraught. She went insane after Hamlet's rejection and the murder of her father. Claudius sends Gertrude, deeply shaken by this scene, out. He then discusses with Laertes how best to get rid of Hamlet without anyone being held accountable. Laertes suggests poison. Shortly afterwards Gertrude returns to inform Laertes of his sister's death: Ophelia has thrown herself into a river.
Hamlet and Horatio watch a gravedigger digging a grave. They talk to him about the previously buried there, the former court jester Yorick, whom Hamlet had met as a child. The mourning party appears, among them Laertes, King Claudius and Gertrude. Only now does Hamlet find out about the death of his beloved, for whom the grave is intended. There is an argument between Hamlet and Laertes.
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern inform Hamlet and Horatio that the king has proposed a duel between Hamlet and Laertes and that the winner is promising high prize money. Hamlet accepts the challenge.
Before the assembled court, Hamlet Laertes asks forgiveness for what he did, which was the result of his madness. However, Laertes is not ready for a reconciliation. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern hand them the florette. On the pretext that his foil is too heavy, Laertes lets the king give him another (one dipped in poison). After the first course, which Hamlet can claim for himself, Claudius tries to persuade Hamlet to drink to his health (the wine is also poisoned). Hamlet rejects him. Hamlet also wins second gear. His mother takes the wine glass to toast his luck. Claudius tries in vain to stop them. In the next corridor, Laertes slightly injured Hamlet's arm. The fight is now fiercer, and Hamlet fatally hits Laertes. At the same moment his mother collapses too. Hamlet recognizes the betrayal and closes the gates. Before his death, Laertes reveals the truth about the poisoned foil and the wine. In the general commotion, Hamlet kills Rosencrantz, Guildenstern and Claudius before collapsing himself. In his last words, he asks Horatio to share his story with the world.
layout
The opera is divided into two acts with a total of twelve scenes, the first act being almost twice the length of the second.
Librettist Matthew Jocelyn compiled the text from the three relevant original sources of Shakespeare's Hamlet . He essentially reduced the plot to Hamlet's revenge and his association with Ophelia, while keeping the original wording. However, he rearranged the texts in some places and occasionally assigned them to other people or to the choir. Hamlet stammered the second part of his famous words “To be or not to be” (“To be or not to be”) in the opening scene. Only one of the actors in the theater scene speaks fully.
Musically, Dean attaches great importance to the atmosphere and the characterization of the person. A “semi-choir” of eight singers in the orchestra pit is used symphonically and noisy with “strange rattling sounds [n] and clicks, […] hissing and whispering”. Dean uses electronic effects sparingly. Percussionists, clarinets and trumpets scattered around the theater give the music a spatial dimension. There are only a few of the musical quotes typical of Dean's musical style. In the ghost scene, the high and low instruments have a “hollow” split sound. An accordion player appears in the theater scene. The grave digger scene is reminiscent of Kurt Weill's music with “jazzy trumpet sounds” . An allusion to the traditions of the Elizabethan age is the occupation of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern with countertenors . The many deaths in the tragic end of the opera are accompanied by "slow [m] sagging of the choir and the strings" and "well-composed groans". When Hamlet dies in the arms of Horatios, a cello cantilena sounds.
orchestra
The orchestral line-up for the opera includes the following instruments:
- Woodwinds : three flutes (the second also piccolo , alto flute 3), two oboes (the second also English horn ), five clarinets (2nd also bass clarinet , 3rd and contrabass clarinet, 4th and 5th in the theater), two bassoons ( 2. also contrabassoon)
- Brass : four horns , four trumpets (3rd and 4th in the theater), three trombones , tuba
- Timpani , percussion (four players, 3rd and 4th in the theater)
- accordion
- harp
- Keyboard (also piano and laptop )
- Strings : ten violins 1, eight violins 2, six violas , six cellos , four double basses
Two identical trios, each consisting of a clarinet, a trumpet and a percussionist, are to be distributed in the theater.
Work history
At the world premiere on June 11, 2017 at the Glyndebourne Festival , Vladimir Jurowski conducted the Clyndebourne Chorus and the London Philharmonic Orchestra . Directed by Neil Armfield, the stage was by Ralph Myers, the costumes by Alice Babidge and the lighting design by Jon Clark. It sang Allan Clayton (Hamlet), Barbara Hannigan (Ophelia), Rod Gilfry (Claudius), Sarah Connolly (Gertrude), Kim Begley (Polonius), Jacques Imbrailo (Horatio), John Tomlinson (mind / Gravedigger), David Butt Philip ( Laertes), Rupert Enticknap (Rosencrantz) and Christopher Lowrey (Guildenstern). James Crabb played the accordion . The production was a great success with the public, thanks in part to the weeks of careful rehearsals, the first-class singers, the choir, the orchestra and the conductor. A video recording was made available on the Glyndebourne Festival website and on the Culturebox internet platform.
The German premiere took place on November 24, 2019 at the Cologne Opera . Duncan Ward directed the choir there, the Gürzenich Orchestra and the Rheinstimmen Ensemble. The production was done by Matthew Jocelyn, who also directed it. Alain Lagarde was responsible for the stage, Astrid Janson for the costumes and Christian Pinaud for the lighting. James Crabb played the accordion again. The leading roles were sung by David Butt Philipp (Hamlet), Gloria Rehm (Ophelia), Andrew Schroeder (Claudius), Dalia Schaechter (Gertrude), John Heuzenroeder (Polonius), Wolfgang Stefan Schwaiger (Horatio), Dino Lüthy (Laertes), Patrick Terry ( Rosencrantz) and Cameron Shahbazi (Guildenstern).
Web links
- Trailer of the opera on YouTube
- Brett Dean's new Hamlet opera - acclaimed premiere in Glyndebourne. Audio contribution on SWR2
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d Wiebke Roloff: Strong piece. Review of the world premiere production. In: Opernwelt from August 2017, p. 18.
- ↑ a b Gina Thomas: "Hamlet" in Glyndebourne: Shakespeare, freshly squeezed, without seeds. Review of the world premiere production. In: FAZ from June 15, 2017, accessed on October 23, 2017.
- ↑ a b Erica Jeal: Hamlet review - Brett Dean conjures specters, swordfights and swapped soliloquies. Review of the world premiere production. In: The Guardian, June 12, 2017, accessed October 23, 2017.
- ↑ Brett Dean - Hamlet - Opera. Work information from the music publisher Boosey & Hawkes , accessed on October 23, 2017.
- ↑ Performance information for the world premiere production on the Glyndebourne Festival Opera website , accessed on October 23, 2017.
- ^ L'opéra "Hamlet" du compositeur contemporain Brett Dean on Culturebox, accessed on October 23, 2017 (video no longer available).
- ↑ Guido Krawinkel: More dead than in the crime scene. Review of the production in Cologne 2019. In: Die Deutsche Bühne , November 25, 2019, accessed on December 18, 2019.