Ambroise Thomas: Hamlet

There is a great number of musical works inspired by Shakespearean motifs to be found in musical literature, because the very art of Shakespeare remains an eternal motif in art.

A. Thomas is, wrongly, a rarely staged French author of the 19th century, although in his time he, along with Charles Gounod, was considered the most important representative of lyrical opera. Among his most famous works, aside from the often-produced Mignon, there is the Shakespearean five act Hamlet from 1868. The librettists prepared a simplified and “sweeter” version of Shakespeare’s tragedy for Thomas. The opera is also remarkable for its lively dances and passionate choirs. Until now the last production of Hamlet took place on the stage of the Temporary Theatre (Prozatímní divadlo).

Premiere: Mar 21, 2002