Maryland's Classical Music Station

11/25/17 – Amleto – 1pm

Opera Southwest

Amleto
by composer Franco Faccio
librettist Arrigo Boito

 

 

CAST:

Amleto (Hamlet, Prince of Denmark)             Alex Richardson

Claudio (Claudius, King of Denmark)           Shannon De Vine

Polonio (Polonius, Lord Chamberlain)           Matthew Curran

Orazio (Horatio, Amleto’s friend)                  Joseph Hubbard

Marcello (Marcellus, a Sentry)                        Paul Bower

Laerte (Laertes, Polonio’s son)                       Javier Gonzalez

Ofelia (Ophelia, Polonio’s daughter)              Abla Lynn Hamza

Geltrude (Gertrude, Queen of Denmark)       Caroline Worra

Lo Spettro (the Ghost)                                    Jeff Beruan

Un Sacerdote (a Priest)                                   Paul Bower

Un Araldo (a Herald)                                      Jonathan Charles Tay

Il Re Gonzaga (King Gonzaga, an Actor)      Jonathan Charles Tay

La Regina (The Queen, an Actress)                Heather Youngquist

Luciano (Sir Luciano, an Actor)                     Jeffrey Beruan

Primo Becchino (Gravedigger)                       Matthew Curran

 

CONDUCTOR:                                              Anthony Barrese

CHORUS:                                                      Opera Southwest Chorus

CHORUS MASTER:                                                 Paul Bower

Approx. Length:                                           3 hours

Originally premiered in 1865 in Genoa and then performed again in 1871 in Milan, Franco Faccio’s Amleto(Hamlet) was thought lost for over 135 years.  Opera Southwest’s artistic director, Anthony Barrese, has spent nearly a decade in libraries and the Ricordi archives recovering the work from a microfilm of the composers autograph. This performance, recorded in the fall of 2014 at the National Hispanic Cultural Center – Journal Theatre in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the first performance of the work in over 143 years, and is the American premiere.

Founded in 1972 as Albuquerque Opera Theatre, Opera Southwest is Albuquerque’s professional, regional company.  With a mission to produce quality, professional, enjoyable and accessible opera in an intimate setting for audiences of all ages, Opera Southwest produces two to three major operas each year selected from the best of the standard and not-so-standard repertoire.  To date, Opera Southwest has produced 122 operas, including 23 world premieres, many of which were original operas created especially for children

photo credit: Lance W. Ozier