'Hamlet' returns to the Met after 113 yearsw

Ambrose Thomas' "Hamlet" hasn't graced the stage of the Metropolitan Opera since 1897. No surprise here: during the heyday of French opera at the Met at the end of the 19th century, during which Gounod's "Faust" or "Romeo et Juliette" opened seven of the Met's seasons between 1890 and 1900, "Hamlet" was performed only nine times.

But even "Faust" and "Romeo" saw huge drops in performance numbers in the 20th century. "Hamlet" deserves another hearing: it boasts a big spotlight role for a baritone as the dark prince of Denmark, it has a relatively well-known mad scene for a coloratura soprano (Opheilie), and a pretty intense scene for a dramatic mezzo (as Queen Gertrude). Plus, it's Shakespeare's Hamlet ...well, sort of.

The Metropolitan Opera unveiled its new production of "Hamlet" on Tuesday. High expectations of a dramatically nuanced Simon Keenlyside sharing the stage with superstar Natalie Dessay have been the buzz all season, but the latter's illness forced the Met to find a replacement. Soprano Marlis Petersen stepped into the production literally at the last minute.

Yes, she had sung the role a few years ago, but still Petersen was a remarkable Ophelie, given the amount of rehearsal she had for this production. She was sweet, troubled, and eventually unhinged in a progression of scenes. Petersen is scheduled for all but two of the "Hamlet" performances; Jane Archibald will sing April 5 and 9.

Keenlyside's Hamlet did not disappoint. This fine singer, at once elegant and sensitive, portrayed the great Dane's many moods. Thomas' Hamlet has his moments of ironic merriment in the drinking song ("Ô vin, dissipe la tristesse," one of the opera's showpieces), and this music is laced through the bloody finale of the first half of the evening (Acts I and II). Indeed, there's a lot of blood in this production: even Ophelie self mutilates during her flowery mad scene.

American mezzo Jennifer Larmore returned to the Met to deliver one of the evening's most riveting performances. Queen Gertrude's relationship with Hamlet is, of course, troubled, as it is in the Shakespeare. Thomas put his most dramatic music into the confrontation scene and Larmore let out all the stops.

Basso James Morris, as King Claudius, sounded rather wooly at first, warming up only in the later scenes. His was your more traditional "stand and deliver" performance.

Of the lesser characters, all were well-rehearsed and focused in their roles. Toby Spence, in his debut, essays the role of Laërte, who is dispatched by Hamlet at Ophelie's graveside; Maxim Mikhailov, also in his debut, sings Polonius, whose part has been reduced to a few lines. The Ghost of Hamlet's Father is given appropriately grave tones by bass David Pittsinger. Also in the cast are Matthew Plenk and Liam Bonner as Marcellus and Horatio.

Louis Langre led the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra with a gentle hand, yet one longed for more fire from the pit. Donald Palumbo led the Met's chorus to a strong showing.

The sets, designed by Christian Fenouillat, are two large curved walls that are wheeled here and there by carefully hidden stagehands. Mostly, the stage floor is bare, though this will most likely be an unimportant consideration for the HD audience where close-ups of singers, not stage floors, are the rule. This production by Patrice Caurier and Moshe Leiser has played stages in Europe, often with Keenlyside and Dessay in their roles. The team has managed to create much dramatic intensity to what could otherwise have been a flaccid showing of a mid 19th- century French warhorse.

The new Metropolitan Opera production of Thomas' "Hamlet" will be performed again this Wednesday and March 30, April 2, 5, and 9, with a matinee performance on Saturday afternoon.

For ticket information, call the Met at 212-362-6000; tickets, telecast and broadcast information are available online at the Met's Web site, www.metopera.org.

This Saturday's matinee will be telecast in HD at the Quick Center in Fairfield at 1 p.m. with an encore that day at 6 p.m. Tickets for the Quick Center are available at www.quickcenter.com or at the 203-254-4010; toll-free 877-ARTS-396.

Jerome R. Sehulster has been reviewing opera for The Advocate/Greenwich Time since 1986. He is a resident of Stamford.