Hamlet by Ambroise Thomas Sept. 22, 1996 San Francisco Opera (at the Orpheum Theater) I had never heard Hamlet on the stage before nor ever any Ambroise Thomas at all, so I came to this performance with open ears. Thomas Hampson and Ruth Ann Swenson filled them. I had heard Hampson only once before, as Billy Budd in NYC, where I enjoyed his singing but found him ill-suited to my conception of the role. Hamlet's baritone hero was a perfect match. Hampson's voice is much like his person: big, powerful, handsome. He sang confidently and filled the stage with his presence. Ruth Ann Swenson also was delightful, not even challenged by the demands of Ophélie's role until the fourth act, when she burst forth splendidly, a very touching performance. Robert Lloyd's King Claudius was very regal and commanding. The music was predictable but very pleasant, a well-written period piece that rang with echo of Gounod and other contemporaries; though I had never heard even a recording, the music was comfortably familiar throughout. The Orpheum Theater, a converted movie house, is wide and we were seated distractingly off to the side, but the sound was warm and full, the baroque interior pleasing. Yves Abel produced vibrant playing and got a great pace from the SFO Orchestra at this matinee performance despite the deep pit from which the players held forth. I also liked the set, which used a multi-level ramp style floor very effectively to enlarge the sense of space and openness. Despite five acts (two intermissions) set changes occasioned no delays.