Hamlet Is Met Opera's June 4, 2022, Saturday Matinee Broadcast

Summary: Hamlet is Met Opera's June 4, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast, airing as the 23rd of the 2021-2022 season's 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts.

Neil Armfield's production of Brett Dean's Hamlet crosses the pond in the 2021-2022 season for Met Opera staging with retention of the original production team and most of the singers; Act I, scene 1 of Hamlet, Glyndebourne Festival 2017, photo credit Richard Hubert Smith: Brett Dean @brett.dean.official, via Facebook Sep. 23, 2020

Brett Dean's Hamlet is Met Opera's June 4, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast, scheduled as the 23rd of 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season.

Hamlet by contemporary Australian composer, violist and conductor Brett Dean (born Oct. 23, 1961) is based on the same-named play by Elizabethan playwright William Shakespeare (bapt. April 26, 1564-April 23, 1616). Dean's Hamlet received seven performances in Met Opera's 2021-2022 season. The new opera's Metropolitan Opera premiere took place Friday, May 13, 2022, at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The second through fifth performances were offered Wednesday, May 18, at 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, May 21, at 8:00 p.m.; Thursday, May 26, at 8:00 p.m.; and Tuesday, May 31, at 7:30 p.m. The sixth through seventh, closing performances are scheduled for Saturday, June 4, at 1:00 p.m., and Thursday, June 9, at 7:30 p.m.

The new production traces to the opera's world premiere Sunday, June 11, 2017, in South East England's Glyndebourne Festival. The world premiere's director, Neil Armfield, directs the opera's Metropolitan Opera premiere. The Australian theatre, film and opera director made his Met Opera debut in the opera's Metropolitan Opera premiere, Friday, May 13, 2022.

Nicholas Carter conducts all seven performances of Hamlet. He had conducted the opera's Australian premiere Friday, March 2, 2018, at the Adelaide Festival in Adelaide, South Australia, southern central Australia. The Australian conductor made his Met Opera debut in the opera's Metropolitan Opera premiere.

Allan Clayton sings the title role of a prince whose life is skewered by the murder of his father, King Hamlet, and his widowed mother's hasty second marriage with his paternal uncle, Claudius. Allan Clayton created the role in the opera's world and Australian premieres. The British tenor made his Met Opera debut in Hamlet's Metropolitan Opera premiere.

Brenda Rae sings Ophelia, whose possible happiness with Prince Hamlet dissolves into madness and death. The American operatic soprano had made her Met Opera debut Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020, as Poppea in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Agrippina by German-British baroque composer George Frideric Handel (Feb. 23, 1685-April 14, 1759).

Hamlet numbers as the second of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for Brenda Rae. She sang Zerbinetta in the March 12 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Ariadne auf Naxos by German late Romantic and early modern composer Richard Strauss (June 11, 1864-Sep. 8, 1949).

Rod Gilfry sings Claudius, Prince Hamlet's uncle, whose covetous power schemes include murdering his brother and marrying his sister-in-law. Rod Gilfry created King Claudius in the opera's world and Australian premieres. The American operatic baritone had made his Met Opera debut Monday, Nov. 25, 1996, as Demetrius in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of A Midsummer Night’s Dream by 20th-century English composer, conductor and pianist Edward Benjamin Britten (Nov. 22, 1913-Dec. 4, 1976).

Sarah Connolly sings Gertrude, Prince Hamlet's mother, whose hasty marriage to her deceased husband's brother unsettles her son. She created Gertrude in the opera's world premiere. The English mezzo-soprano had made her Met Opera debut Friday, April 29, 2005, in the trouser role of Annio in the opera house's 31st performance of La Clemenza di Tito by Classical Era composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Jan. 27, 1756-Dec. 5, 1791).

William Burden sings Polonius, Ophelia's crafty father whom Prince Hamlet mistakenly slays. The American tenor had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Jan. 11, 1996, as Janek in the Metropolitan Opera’s premiere of The Makropulos Case by Czech composer Leoš Janáček (July 3, 1854-Aug. 12, 1928).

Jacques Imbrailo sings Horatio, Prince Hamlet's friend. He created the role in the opera's world and Australian premieres. The South African classical baritone made his Met Opera debut in Hamlet's Metropolitan Opera premiere.

John Tomlinson sings the Ghost of King Hamlet, who reveals his murder by his brother Claudius to his son. He created the role in the opera's world and Australian premieres. The British operatic bass had made his Met Opera debut Wednesday, Dec. 8, 1999, as Moses in the Metropolitan Opera premiere of Moses und Aron by Austrian composer and music theorist Arnold Schoenberg (Sep. 13, 1874-July 13, 1951).

David Butt Philip sings Laertes, Ophelia's brother, whose duel with Prince Hamlet ends fatally for both duelists. He created the role in the opera's world and Australian premieres. The British operatic tenor had made his Met Opera debut Tuesday, Sep. 28, 2021, as Grigory in the opera house's 273rd performance of Boris Godunov by Russian composer Modest Petrovich Mussorgsky (March 21, 1839-March 28, 1881).

Hamlet is the second of two Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season for David Butt Philip. He sang Grigory in the Feb. 19 Saturday matinee opera broadcast of Mussorgsky's Boris Godunov.

Christopher Lowery sings Guildenstern, who joins with Rosencrantz in manipulating a duel between Prince Hamlet and Laertes. He created the role in the opera's world and Australian premieres. The American countertenor made his Met Opera debut in Hamlet's Metropolitan Opera premiere.

Aryeh Nussbaum Cohen sings Rosencrantz, recruited, along with Guildenstern, by King Claudius to orchestrate a duel and accidentally stabbed, along with Guildenstern, by Prince Hamlet. The American countertenor made his Met Opera debut in Hamlet's Metropolitan Opera premiere.

Neil Armfield's production team comprises Ralph Myers, scenic designer; Alice Babidge, costume designer; Jon Clark, lighting designer; Denni Sayers, movement director; and Nicholas Hall, fight director. The production team worked with Neil Armfield for the opera's world and Australian premieres.

Hamlet's Metropolitan Opera premiere marked Met Opera debuts for Australian theatre designer Ralph Myers; British choreographer and director Denni Sayers; and theatre, opera, ballet, television and film fight director Nicholas Hall. Australian costume designer Alice Babidge made her Met Opera debut Saturday, April 23, 2022, in Simon Stone's new production of Lucia di Lammermoor by Italian opera composer Gaetano Donizetti (Nov. 29, 1797-April 8, 1848). British lighting designer Jon Clark had made his Met Opera debut Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, in Metropolitan Opera's United States premiere of The Exterminating Angel by British composer, conductor and pianist Thomas Adès.

The takeaways for Hamlet as Met Opera's June 4, 2022, Saturday matinee broadcast are that Brett Dean's Shakespearean opera airs as the penultimate of 24 Saturday matinee opera broadcasts in the 2021-2022 season; that the staging is a Glyndebourne production, recreated from the opera's world premiere at the Glyndebourne Festival in 2017 by director Neil Armfield and his production team; and that Allan Clayton (Hamlet), Sarah Connolly (Gertrude), Rod Gilfry (Claudius), Jacques Imbrailo (Horatio), John Tomlinson (King Hamlet's Ghost), David Butt Philip (Laertes) and Christopher Lowery (Guildenstern) create the roles at Met Opera that they had created in the opera's world and Australian premieres.

In Met Opera's 2021-2022 season, Melbourne-born Australian conductor Nicholas Carter makes his Met Opera debut in Brett Dean's Shakespearean opera, Hamlet, which he had conducted in the opera's Australian premiere at the Adelaide Festival in 2018; March 13, 2017, photo of Nicholas Carter, as principal conductor of Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (2016-2019) with his wife, Australian baroque violinist Bianca Muggleton, and their daughter Claudia, by Roy Van Der Vegt / Newsphotos: Adelaide Symphony Orchestra @The_ASO, via Twitter April 15, 2017

Acknowledgment

My special thanks to talented artists and photographers/concerned organizations who make their fine images available on the internet.

Image credits:

Neil Armfield's production of Brett Dean's Hamlet crosses the pond in the 2021-2022 season for Met Opera staging with retention of the original production team and most of the singers; Act I, scene 1 of Hamlet, Glyndebourne Festival 2017, photo credit Richard Hubert Smith: Brett Dean @brett.dean.official, via Facebook Sep. 23, 2020, @ https://www.facebook.com/brett.dean.official/posts/3326678514089628/

In Met Opera's 2021-2022 season, Melbourne-born Australian conductor Nicholas Carter makes his Met Opera debut in Brett Dean's Shakespearean opera, Hamlet, which he had conducted in the opera's Australian premiere at the Adelaide Festival in 2018; March 13, 2017, photo of Nicholas Carter, as principal conductor of Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (2016-2019) with his wife, Australian baroque violinist Bianca Muggleton, and their daughter Claudia, by Roy Van Der Vegt / Newsphotos: Adelaide Symphony Orchestra @The_ASO, via Twitter April 15, 2017, @ https://twitter.com/The_ASO/status/853398323268640768

For further information:

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra @The_ASO. "Our Principal Conductor, Nicholas Carter, his daughter Claudia and wife Bianca wishing all a happy Easter this lon… http://ift.tt/2oCJU2Y." Twitter. April 15, 2017.
Available @ https://twitter.com/The_ASO/status/853398323268640768

Beckett, John. "In Review: Hamlet at Glyndebourne." Schmopera. June 22, 2017.
Available @ https://www.schmopera.com/in-review-hamlet-at-glyndebourne/

Brett Dean @brett.dean.official. "Thrilled to announce that Hamlet will be included in the The Metropolitan Opera 2021-22 season, starring Allan Clayton, Brenda Rae, Dame Sarah Connolly, David Butt Philip and Rod Gilfry, and conducted by Nicholas Carter. https://www.metopera.org/season/2021-22-season/hamlet/." Facebook. Sep. 23, 2020.
Available @ https://www.facebook.com/brett.dean.official/posts/3326678514089628/

"Debuts: Brenda Rae, Nicholas Tamagna." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 357409 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Agrippina {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/06/2020.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=357409

“Debuts: John Tomlinson, Malin Fritz.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 331393 Metropolitan Opera Premiere Moses und Aron {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 02/08/1999.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=331393

“Debuts: Rodney Gilfry, Nick Stahl, Peter Rose, Barry Banks, William Scot Murray, Nicholas Frisch, Benjamin Ungar, Tim Albery, Antony McDonald, Matthew Richardson, Philippe Giraudeau.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 326580 Metropolitan Opera Premiere A Midsummer Night’s Dream {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 11/25/1996.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=326580

“Debuts: Sarah Connolly, Luca Pisaroni.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 351250 La Clemenza di Tito {31} Metropolitan Opera House: 04/29/2005.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=351250

"Debuts: Tom Cairns, Hildegard Bechtler, Jon Clark, Tal Yarden, Amir Hosseinpour, Sally Matthews, Sophie Bevan, Frédéric Antoun, David Adam Moore, John Irvin, Ian Koziara." MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 356772 United States Premiere The Exterminating Angel {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 10/26/2017.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=356772

“Debuts: William Burden, David Robertson, Anthony Ward, Dona Granata, Howard Harrison.” MetOpera Database > [Met Performance] CID: 322990 The Makropulos Case {1} Metropolitan Opera House: 01/11/1996.
Available @ http://archives.metoperafamily.org/archives/scripts/cgiip.exe/WService=BibSpeed/fullcit.w?xCID=322990

Marriner, Derdriu. "Caurier and Leiser Debuted New Met Staging of Thomas's Hamlet in 2010." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 15, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/11/caurier-and-leiser-debuted-new-met.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Hamlet Opened Feb. 21, 1884, as 18th Opera in Met Opera's First Season." Earth and Space News. Monday, Jan. 18, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/01/hamlet-opened-feb-21-1884-as-18th-opera.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera's 2021-2022 Season Has 28 Saturday Matinee Broadcasts." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 22, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/11/met-operas-2021-2022-season-has-28.html

Marriner, Derdriu. "Met Opera Staged Thomas's Hamlet Feb. 21, 1884, as First Hamlet Opera." Earth and Space News. Monday, Nov. 8, 2021.
Available @ https://earth-and-space-news.blogspot.com/2021/11/met-opera-staged-thomass-hamlet-feb-21.html

McDowall, Carolyn. "Adelaide Festival 2018 -- Hamlet, Stellar Shakespearean Opera." The Culture Concept Cirlce. Aug. 17, 2017.
Available @ https://www.thecultureconcept.com/adelaide-festival-2018-hamlet-stellar-shakespearean-opera