7th symphony concert

Hans Abrahamsen LET ME TELL YOU Peter Tchaikovsky Fantasy Overture - HAMLET op. 67 Peter Tchaikovsky Excerpts from the incidental music for HAMLET op. 67a Texts from William Shakespeare's tragedy HAMLET Shakespeare's tragedy about the Danish prince HAMLET has always fascinated and inspired composers and artists. The Danish composer Hans Abrahamsen was particularly interested in the character of Ophelia and her tragic fate. In Shakespeare's play, she speaks just 481 words, and from these Paul Griffiths, the librettist of LET ME TELL YOU, has created a new monologue. The result is a fascinating orchestral song cycle in which Ophelia's fate is retold in terms of content and music from her own perspective. As early as the 19th century, the HAMLET subject matter occupied the European artistic and intellectual scenes. Famous English theater groups toured the stages of the cultural centers with the play and new translations such as those by Alexandre Dumas caused a sensation. No wonder, then, that Tchaikovsky also wrote compositions for theater performances and was inspired by the existential subject matter to create his own works. In Shakespeare's time, it was not customary to say that you see a play, but that you hear it. The actors' vocal performances therefore played an even more central role, and this should also be part of this thoroughly dramatic concert.