[Met Performance] CID:10700



Hamlet
Metropolitan Opera House, Wed, February 10, 1892

Debut : Margaret Reid




Hamlet (4)
Ambroise Thomas | Michel Carré/Jules Barbier
Hamlet
Jean Lassalle

Ophélie
Margaret Reid [Debut]

Claudius
Edouard de Reszke

Gertrude
Giulia Ravogli

Laerte
Sebastian Montariol

Polonius
Antonio De Vaschetti

Horatio
Giuseppe Cernusco

Marcellus
Antonio Rinaldini

Ghost
Lodovico Viviani


Conductor
Auguste Vianesi


Director
Theodore Habelmann





Hamlet received three performances this season.

Review 1:

Review in The New York Times:

METROPOLITAN OPERA HOUSE

Ambroise Thomas's opera, "Hamlet" was performed at the Metropolitan Opera House last night by Messrs. Abbey, Schoeffel & Grau's company. The opera is based on Shakespeare's tragedy, and is in five acts. The libretto is by Barbier and Carré, who wrote also the libretto of "Faust." The opera was originally produced at the Grand Opéra Paris, March 9, 1868. It was given in Italian, under the title of "Amleto," in London on June 19, 1889. The two hundredth performance of the work, which took place at the Paris Grand Opéra on Feb. 16, 1883, won for the composer the position of director of the Conservatoire. In the original cast Faure was the Hamlet and Christine Nilsson, the famous soprano, the Ophelia. The opera was last performed here in the last season of the Metropolitan Opera House, when Mme. Marcella Sembrich appeared as Ophelia, and Signor Kaschmann as Hamlet. On that occasion the Italian version was used; last night the French text was employed.

The airs which have always been considered the favorites in this opera are the duet between Hamlet and Ophelia in the first act, "Doute de la lumière"; the Queen's aria, "Dans son regard plus somber"; the chorus of comedians, "Princes ses apanagea"; the trio in the third act, the scene between Hamlet and the Queen in the same act. Ophelia's mad scene, and Hamlet's last air, "Comme une pâle fleur."

Previous to Thomas's production Shakespeare's tragedy had been set as an opera by Gasparini, Rome, 1705; Domenico Scarlatti, Rome, 1715; Carcano, Venice. 1790; Andreozzi, Genoa, 1793; Mercadante, Milan, 1822; Buzzola, Venice, 1848; Moroni, Rome, 1860, and Faccio, Genoa, 1865. Signor Faccio was the well-known conductor who became insane.

The cast last night was as follows: Ophelia, Miss Margaret Reid; Queen Gertrude, Mlle. Giulia Ravogli; King Claudius, Edouard de Reszke; Laertes, M. Montariol; the Ghost, Signor Viviani; Marcellus, Signer Rinaldini; Horatio, Signor Cernusco; Polonlius, Signor Vasohetti, and Hamlet, M. Jean Lassalle.

Miss Margaret Reid is an American girl, and comes from Indianapolis. She studied in Paris under Mme. La Grange, Mme. Bertrand, and Mme. Leonard, and received her final preparation for the operatic stage from Signor Vianesi, at present conductor of the opera in this city. She was much applauded last night, and at the end of the first important scene received half a dozen bouquets and a large basket of flowers. M. Lassalle was also warmly applauded, and was presented with a wreath by Col. Henry Mapleson. Tomorrow evening the opera will be "Don Giovanni," and the week after next Wagner's "Les Maîtres Chanteurs " will be produced with Anton Seidl as conductor.



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