Jodie Devos - Thomas: HAMLET, Adieu, dit-il, ayez foi! Montpellier, 2022

THE SONGBIRD: Belgian soprano Jodie Devos (1988 - 2024) studied at the Institut de Musique in Namur and then attained a Masters degree from the Royal Academy of Music in London (studying with Lillian Watson). She did well in several voice competitions and then joined the Paris Opera-Comique in 2014 appearing as Adele. She made her debut at La Monnaie in Brussels as Queen of the Night in 2018, a role she also sang in Caen, Dijon, Limoges, and Paris. Other roles included Ophelie, Gilda, Philine, and Adina. Devos died of cancer on June 16, 2024 at the age of 35.
THE MUSIC: "Hamlet" is a grand opera in five acts by Ambroise Thomas, with a libretto by Michel Carré and Jules Barbier based on a French adaptation of Shakespeare's play. It premiered at the Paris Opera in 1868. Swedish soprano Christine Nilsson had just been engaged at the Opéra and Thomas chose her for the role of Ophélie, adapting the score in places to fit her talent, including interpolating a Swedish folk song into the mad scene -- which was suggested by Nilsson. The character's first appearance is a duet with Hamlet, but then she opens the second act with the aria "Adieu, dit-il, ayez foi!" expressing her concern with Hamlet's growing indifference to her.