The Ghosts of Hamlet
Around the myth of Hamlet, fragments of lost and found operas
Francesco Gasparini
Sinfonia : Andante/Presto/Andante/Presto
From l’opéra Ambleto (Venise, 1742)
Giuseppe Carcani
« Segui ad amar costante »
From l’opéra Ambleto (Venise, 1742)
Carlo Francesco Pollarolo
« D’ire armato il braccio forte »
From l’opéra Ambleto (Londres, 1712)
Domenico Scarlatti
Sinfonia in D minor: Allegro/Minuet
(Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale)
Domenico Scarlatti
« Nella mia sfortunata prigionia »
From l’opéra Ambleto (Rome, 1715)
Francesco Gasparini
« Cinto d’amiche rose un dì crescea »
From l’opéra Ambleto (Venise, 1742)
Johann Adolf Hasse
Sinfonia en sol mineur (Edition de Paris, 1740)
Allegro/Andante/Allegro
Georg-Friedrich Handel
« Tu indegno sei dell’allor »
From l’opéra Ambleto (Londres, 1712)
Francesco Gasparini
« Nella mia sfortunata prigionia »
From l’opéra Ambleto (Venise, 1742)
Giuseppe Carcani
« Più fido non poss’io »
From l’opéra Ambleto (Venise, 1742)
Georg-Friedrich Handel
Gavotte and Tamburino
From l’opéra Alcina HWV 34 (Londres, 1735)
Francesco Gasparini
« Stelle voi, che de’ regnanti »
From l’opéra Ambleto (Venise, 1742)
Giuseppe Carcani
« Son sdegnato e son geloso »
From l’opéra Ambleto (Venise, 1742)
Roberta Mameli, soprano
Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu
Franck-Emmanuel Comte, harpsichord and musical direction
Paolo Vittorio Montanari, musicology and edition
On stage:
1 soloist, 14 instrumentalists (strings, oboe, bassoon, theorbo, harpsichord)
The legend of Prince Hamlet, first told in Saxo Grammaticus’s Gesta Danorum, is the basis for Shakespeare’s famed tragedy, but in the 18th century, the same tale inspired numerous Italian operas. Sadly, these operas have an important point in common: they have all been lost! Musicologist Paolo Vittorio Montanari has worked meticulously to research and reconstitute these works, making possible the creation of a completely original new project, based on musical fragments rediscovered in different Italian libraries. These long-lost scores composed by Scarlatti, Gasparini, Carcani, and Vignati focus primarily on two female characters from Hamlet’s orbit: the romantic Veremonda (who Shakespeare named Ophelia) and Gerilda (Gertrude), Hamlet’s mother, who is torn between love for her son and passion for her cold and unfaithful husband.
Roberta Mameli, a charismatic and passionate soprano, interprets these different figures who inspired Scarlatti and his contemporaries to write expressive, brilliant and charming arias. As well as the pleasure of discovering these completely new musical gems, this project will transport you into the exciting, ambiguous and fascinating world of Hamlet, whose ghosts will enliven this lovely stroll through a rediscovered baroque Italy.
FRANCE MUSIQUE (FR) | 18/02/2025 – Emilie Munera
‘The arias that remain from these lost operas are brought to life by the Concert de l'Hostel Dieu and the charismatic soprano Roberta Mameli, who lends her supple voice to the eponymous Danish prince and the strong women who surround him [...]’.
CRESCENDO MAGAZINE (BE) | 20/02/2025 – Victoria Okada
‘At the height of her powers, the singer's singing is highly expressive, with clear high notes and a slightly shadowy mid-range. [...] Franck-Emmanuel Comte's direction from the harpsichord highlights the diversity of each piece, to which the musicians respond in perfect harmony'.
STRETTO (BE) | 27/02/2025 – Michel Dutrieue
« Naast het plezier van het ontdekken van deze compleet nieuwe muzikale pareltjes, zal dit project u meenemen naar de opwindende, dubbelzinnige en fascinerende wereld van Hamlet, wiens geesten deze mooie wandeling door een herontdekt barok Italië zullen verlevendigen. »
‘As well as the pleasure of discovering these truly original musical gems, this project will plunge you into the bewitching, ambiguous and fascinating world of Hamlet, whose ghosts will enliven this beautiful walk through a rediscovered Baroque Italy'.
PREMIERE LOGE (FR) | 28/02/2025 – Marc Dumont
‘In the end, it's quite rare that once you've finished listening to a record, you feel the urge to listen to it again straight away. With this one, it's even more serious, Doctor: it's with each tune that the need arises'.
FORUM OPERA (FR) | 28/02/2025 – Yvan Beuvard
‘The joy is constant, and we never tire of listening to this captivating recording, with its splendid colours, phrasing and articulation. The exceptional qualities of the performers, the variety of affects, the instrumental pages, all delight us'.
MUSICOLOGIE.ORG (FR) | 01/03/2025 – Alfred Caron
‘Although three of these arias are world premieres, the whole of this disc is a real discovery, even beyond the rarity of the repertoire, thanks to the qualities of the performers who defend it’.
LE DEVOIR (CA) | 10/03/2025 – Christophe Huss
« Convincing and impressive on record, the project is even more so on stage, with the radiant presence of soprano Roberta Mameli. »
LA SCENA MUSICALE (CA) | 11/03/2025 – Heather Weinreb
'[Roberta Mameli] possesses a honey-like tone and superb vocal control which resulted in many lively Baroque ornamentations speckled throughout her performance'.
« [Roberta Mameli] possède un timbre de miel et une superbe maîtrise vocale, ce qui lui a permis d'exécuter de nombreuses ornementations baroques vives tout au long de sa prestation. »
SEVEN DAYS (US) | 19/03/2025 – Amy Lilly
« People are in for a world-class opera singer, beautiful Baroque music and a different take on the Hamlet story. »
“Le public a le droit à une chanteuse d'opéra de classe mondiale, à une belle musique baroque et à une interprétation différente de l'histoire d'Hamlet. "
CULTUURPAKT (BE) | 19/03/2025 – Knopskaya
« Het geluk is constant, en we worden nooit moe van het luisteren naar deze boeiende opname, met prachtige kleuren, frasering en articulaties. De uitzonderlijke kwaliteiten van de uitvoerders, de verscheidenheid aan affecten, de instrumentale pagina’s, alles verrukt ons. »
« Le bonheur est constant, et on ne se lasse pas d'écouter cet enregistrement captivant, aux couleurs, au phrasé et aux articulations magnifiques. Les qualités exceptionnelles des interprètes, la variété des affects, les pages instrumentales, tout nous ravit. »
BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE (UK) | 20/03/2025 – Berta Joncus
« Stonking performances and brilliant programming unite in this solo album. [...] Comte and Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu are pure joy. Their exchange of ideas gives this performance its febrile energy. Further enriching the recording, Comte inserts rare sinfonia that, aesthetically, could have worked as overtures to these lost Hamlets. »
« Des performances époustouflantes et une programmation brillante s'unissent dans cet album solo. […] Comte et Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu sont un pur bonheur. Leurs échanges d'idées donnent à ce spectacle son énergie fébrile. »
IL GIORNALE DELLA MUSICA (IT) | 28/03/2025 – Alma Torretta
« L’album combina il piacere della scoperta con quello dell’alta qualità dell’esecuzione con l’ensemble che risponde alla sapiente direzione di Franck-Emmanuel Comte con sensibilità, compattezza ed eleganza, ben esprimendo sia i colori più vividi che le sfumature più delicate. »
« L'album allie le plaisir de la découverte à celui d'une interprétation de haute qualité, l'ensemble répondant à la direction experte de Franck-Emmanuel Comte avec sensibilité, compacité et élégance, exprimant bien aussi bien les couleurs les plus vives que les nuances les plus délicates. »
SCHERZO (ES) | 31/03/2025 – Stefano Russomanno
« Mameli cautiva con su derroche de elegancia y una fuerza llena de la belleza de su timbre que dota de matices el carácter de cada pieza con una deslumbrante ornamentación. »
'Mameli captivates with her elegance and strength, full of the beauty of her timbre that gives nuance to the character of each piece with dazzling ornamentation.'
FRANKFURTER ALLGEMEINE ZEITUNG (DE) | 31/03/2025
« Das Album verknüpft Perlen der italienischen Barockoper zu einem Pasticcio verschiedener Kom- positionen, auch von Händel; nur einzelne, attraktive Arien Gasparinis sind überliefert. »
« L'album réunit des perles de l'opéra baroque italien en un pasticcio de différentes compositions, y compris de Haendel ; seuls quelques airs attrayants de Gasparini nous sont parvenus. »
OPERA MAGAZINE (FR) | 01/04/2025 – Thierry Guyenne
'Franck-Emmanuel Comte's Concert de l'Hostel Dieu makes a brilliant contribution, both in terms of instrumental beauty and dramatic sense, to the lively interest of this disc'.
OPUS KLASSIEK (NL) | 07/04/2025 – Aart van der Wal
« Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu onder leiding van de klavecinist Franck-Emmanuel Comte geeft de sopraan de zo essentiële ademruimte, maar zorgt tevens voor fraai uitgewerkte contrasten in de al even sprankelende dialogen. »
« Le Concert de l'Hostel Dieu, dirigé par le claveciniste Franck-Emmanuel Comte, offre à la soprano l'espace de respiration essentiel, mais offre aussi des contrastes magnifiquement travaillés dans des dialogues tout aussi pétillants. »
The Ghosts of Hamlet in pictures
@William Sundfor
@William Sundfor
@William Sundfor
@William Sundfor
@William Sundfor
THE GHOSTS OF HAMLET ON VIDEO
LISTEN
With the support of the Italian Cultural Institute and SPEDIDAM.
