Hellstenius, Henrik - Ophelias: Death by Water Singing (2016)

With this work, librettist Cecilie Loveid has taken the Danish myth of Hamlet and the Shakespeare play of the same name and virtually removed most of the men. She has also done away with many of the words. Shakespeare's deep and strongly expressive brooder has become a rather stuttering figure, with a fragility that is underscored in the music. Composer Henrik Hellstenius provides Hamlet with a wide scope of vocal articulation. The Prince's voice traverses the full range, with rapid shifts from child-like melodies through to recitatives and booming, resonant timbres.