Hamlet

In 1876, Modest Tchaikovsky urged his brother to compose a score based on Shakespeare's Hamlet, a drama that reminds us what is most important in human life. It seemed like a good idea to Pyotr Ilyich, but he just jotted down a few draft ideas. Years later, Duchess Pavlovna planned a charity gala at the Mariinsky Theatre at which the third act of Hamlet would be performed, and actor Lucien Guitry asked the composer to write some music for the occasion. The gala was cancelled, but Tchaikovsky still wrote Fantasy Overture, which was performed in November 1888. Reflecting Hamlet by Fioravanti is a contemporary vision of this classic.