Rooms of Elsinore is a new CD of music related to Brett Dean’s opera Hamlet. Those familiar with the opera will quickly recognise the sound worlds of all five pieces. Two began life as “character studies” for Ophelia and Gertrude respectively and so set words by Matthew Jocelyn. The first, And once I played Ophelia is scored for soprano and chamber orchestra. Some readers may recall Barbara Hannigan performing it with the TSO in 2019. Here it’s performed by Jennifer France with the Swedish Chamber Orchestra and the composer. It’s a tough sing with some very high sections and staccato repeated phrases. She does a fine job. Continue reading
Rooms of Elsinore
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The COC had a decent year but two of their shows stood out for me. David McVicar’s production of 
Just been checking out the Glyndebourne 2017 season announcement. Not that I’ll be going or anything but one production did catch my eye. There’s a new Hamlet opera from Brett Dean and Matthew Jocelyn to be directed by Neil Armfield and conducted by Vladimir Jurowski which sounds promising enough but look at this cast: Allan Clayton (Hamlet), Sarah Connolly (Gertrude), Barbara Hannigan (Ophelia), Rod Gilfry (Claudius), Kim Begley (Polonius), John Tomlinson (Ghost of Old Hamlet). There had better be a DVD.
The TSO’s New Creations Festival wrapped up last night at Roy Thomson Hall with a concert featuring Brett Dean’s suite Knocking at the Hellgate, drawn from his 2004 opera Bliss. But first came a piece by Radiohead guitarist Jonny Greenwood. Water is a tone poem (if one can still use that term) inspired by soome lines from Philip Larkin:
operaramblings 