Thomas : Hamlet

« Unjustly labelled by Debussy’s famous joke (“I know three kinds of music: the good, the bad and Thomas’s”), the French composer’s music returns to the stage with a production of his masterpiece, Hamlet, which fascinated the audience thanks to Louis Langrée’s sensitive conducting, Cyril Teste’s intelligently modern direction and, above all, the magnificent singing and theatrical intensity of Stéphane Degout and Sabine Devieilhe: a real redemption for poor Ambroise Thomas! » – ICMA

« Stéphane Degout’s Hamlet is near ideal, a gifted actor with a clean, resonant baritone to back it up. As Ophélie, Sabine Devieilhe is superb. More than just a coloratura machine, she’s a complex and convincing foil to Degout, while nailing the famous mad scene. … Nicolas Legoux as Polonius and Julien Behr as Laërte are spot on with Jérôme Varnier as a wonderfully profundo Ghost.

Louis Langrée directs an admirably subtle reading of Thomas’ charming score, the Orchestre des Champs-Elysées rising to the challenge with excellent support from the Choeur Les Eléments. François Roussillon’s thoughful camerawork for DVD is immaculate as always with recorded sound perfectly balanced. Warmly recommended » – LIMELIGHT

« Devieilhe makes an outstanding Ophélie, touching and vulnerable, her coloratura dazzlingly precise but never vacuously showy. Louis Langrée really knows how to make this music live and breathe, and the playing, choral singing and recorded sound are all exemplary. Buy it and watch it, above all for Degout, who is unmissable and unforgettable. » – GRAMOPHONE

«Sabine Devieilhe is truly the Ophelia of one’s dreams. She looks the part perfectly, and the crystalline brilliance of her soprano fills every aspect of this role.

The Les éléments chorus are a wonderful addition to this performance. Their sound is clean and supple when compared to the usual opera house chorus. » – MUSICWEB INTERNATIONAL

« Coloratura soprano Sabine Devielhe is one of the finest interpreters of the role of Ophélie I have ever encountered. Pretty as a picture, formidable top notes, technically flawless, stunning Mad Scene.

The Orchestre des Champs-Élysées, led by Louis Langrée plays beautifully and idiomatically. » – RAFAEL’S MUSIC NOTES