Les Elements/Langree - Ambroise Thomas: Hamlet

With Shakespearian operas all the rage in Paris during the 19th century, Ambroise Thomas and his librettists Michel Carr� and Jules Barbier adapted Hamlet to create a romantic spectacle in which the character of Oph�lie shines with a haunting radiance. With its virtuosic arias, stunning ensembles and vivid orchestration � with the colourful addition of the newly invented saxophone � Thomas composed one of the most successful operas in the French repertoire. This is further enhanced by director Cyril Teste�s multi-layered production, reinstating its powerful original ending, and including cinematic techniques to create �a very palpable hit� (bachtrack.com).