And a tip of the hat to onstage accordionist Veli Kujala for a standout cameo in Hamlet’s scene with the Players.'

Countertenors Daniel Moody and Eric Jurenas, making their Met debuts as Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, were a delightful presence, although they were sometimes covered by the orchestra in their lower registers. 'Also worthy of mention are tenor William Burden as Polonius and mezzo-soprano Eve Gigliotti, substituting for Sarah Connolly as Gertrude, both in fine voice and finding unexpected pathos in their roles. And Brenda Rae delivers an unsettlingly raw Ophelia, who seem in danger from the beginning, and gets considerably worse off from there.' In the opera's one bit of levity, Daniel Moody and Eric Jurenas make memorable Met debuts as the smarmy Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, both voiced in falsetto. Bass-Baritone Relyea resonates in three roles: the Ghost, the First Player, and the Gravedigger. Gigliotti lends an authoritative mezzo to Gertrude so that we understand why the court followed her lead to Claudius.

'There are other standout performances: Baritone Gilfrey makes a weaselly, self-pitying Claudius. “the Met’s deep bench saved the day, giving the opportunity for a number of singers to valiantly and seamlessly step in (at the performance I attended, Eve Gigliotti played Gertrude, David Adam Moore played Horatio, Daniel Moody played Rosencrantz, and Eric Jurenas played Guildenstern – all admirably).”

Hamlet met opera review