This Hamlet—or more properly, Amleto—is a long-lost opera by Franco Faccio, set to an Italian text by Arrigo Boito (also a composer, but better known as Verdi's frequent librettist) that was adapted from Shakespeare's play. After a successful 1865 premiere in Genoa, its second mounting at Milan's La Scala in 1871 was a disaster, and Faccio withdrew it, abandoning composing for a career as a conductor. The piece simply disappeared until a critical edition was recently prepared from surviving material, leading to this first fully professional revival staged at the 2016 Bregenz Festival. Hamlet proves to be an imposing and occasionally inspired work that is extraordinarily faithful to its source, and features powerful (if not always memorable) music marked by a hint of early verismo. Olivier Tambosi's staging is atmospheric and elegant, with fine costumes (except for the widespread presence of an odd eye symbol) and striking, simple sets. The singing is superlative across the board, with Pavel Cernoch (Amleto), Iulia Maria Dan (Ofelia), Claudio Sgura (Claudio) and Dshamilja Kaiser (Gertrude) outstanding in the ensemble, while conductor Paolo Carignani leads the Vienna Symphony in a rich, vibrant reading of the score. There have been many attempts to turn Shakespeare's classic tale of an indecisive prince wanting to avenge the murder of his father into an opera, but none have won a place in the repertory, although judging from this performance, Faccio's is one of the more notable. Presented in DTS 5.0 (DTS-HD 5.0 on the Blu-ray release) and PCM stereo, this opera that has unjustly suffered obscurity for a century and a half is highly recommended. (F. Swietek)
Hamlet
(2016) 145 min. In Italian w/English subtitles. DVD: 2 discs, $39.99, Blu-ray: $34.99. C Major/Unitel (dist. by Naxos of America). Volume 32, Issue 6
Hamlet
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