The premiere of Brett Dean’s Hamlet at Glyndebourne in 2017 made a lasting impression beyond its initial run. The opera eventually made its way to the Metropolitan Opera in New York, and Dean was later appointed composer-in-residence with the London Philharmonic, Glyndebourne’s resident orchestra.
This two-disc set serves as a remarkable keepsake of Dean’s residency with the orchestra from 2020 to 2023. Recorded live at the Royal Festival Hall, it features seven works that provide a broad view of the Australian composer’s music across a span of 25 years.
Dean’s Hamlet also gave rise to various companion pieces, including The Players (2018-2019), a concerto for accordion inspired by sketches he made for the Shakespearean scene involving the travelling players. This piece is playful and vibrant, with a hint of Stravinsky’s Petrushka.
However, much of the album presents a different mood. The Cello Concerto (2018) evokes an eerie, desolate landscape, where the cellist, Alban Gerhardt, and the lower strings engage in ghostly trills beneath the tolling of bells. Similarly, the Viola Concerto (2004), performed by Lawrence Power, blends an unsettling serenity with moments of frantic, nightmare-like pursuit.
While not all of Dean’s ideas are immediately memorable, his creativity in orchestration is undeniable. The London Philharmonic, under various conductors, fully explores the potential of these works. Among the album’s highlights are the dark, atmospheric Notturno inquieto (2018), a nocturnal soundscape full of tension, and the dramatic In spe contra spem (2022), which features sopranos Emma Bell and Elsa Dreisig as Queen Elizabeth and Mary, Queen of Scots.
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