When Australian composer Brett Dean’s Hamlet had its world premiere at the Glyndebourne
Festival in 2017, The Guardian declared, “New opera doesn’t often get to sound this good …
Shakespeare offers a gauntlet to composers that shouldn’t always be picked up, but Dean’s
Hamlet rises to the challenge.” Now, this riveting contemporary masterpiece arrives at the Met,
with Neil Armfield, who directed the work’s premiere, bringing his acclaimed staging to New
York. Many of the original cast members have followed, including tenor Allan Clayton in the
title role. Nicholas Carter makes his Met debut conducting a remarkable ensemble, which also
features soprano Brenda Rae as Ophelia, mezzo-soprano Sarah Connolly as Gertrude, baritone
Rod Gilfry as Claudius, and legendary bass John Tomlinson as the ghost of Hamlet’s father.