OPHELIA... a haunted sonata (Phillip Houghton)

[@MusicDarraghONeill]

It is widely believed that “Living life without honor is a tragedy bigger than death itself” and this holds true for Hamlet’s Ophelia. Ophelia’s death symbolizes a life spent passively tolerating Hamlet’s manipulations and the restrictions imposed by those around her, while struggling to maintain the last shred of her dignity. Ophelia’s apathetic reaction to her drowning suggests that she never had control of her own life, as she was expected to comply with the expectations of others. Allowing the water to consume her without a fight alludes to Hamlet’s treatment of Ophelia as merely a device in his personal agenda. Her apparent suicide denotes a desire to take control of her life for once. Ophelia’s death is, arguably, an honorable one, characterized by her willingness to let go of her submissive, earth-bound self and leave the world no longer a victim. "There is a willow grows aslant a brook, That shows his hoar leaves in the glassy stream. There with fantastic garlands did she come Of crowflowers, nettles, daisies, and long purples, That liberal shepherds give a grosser name, But our cold maids do dead men's fingers call them. There on the pendant boughs her coronet weeds Clamb'ring to hang, an envious sliver broke, When down her weedy trophies and herself Fell in the weeping brook. Her clothes spread wide And, mermaid-like, awhile they bore her up; Which time she chaunted snatches of old tunes, As one incapable of her own distress, Or like a creature native and indued Unto that element; but long it could not be Till that her garments, heavy with their drink, Pull'd the poor wretch from her melodious lay To muddy death." A wonderous performance Thomas. As always, delicate and intense in equal measure.

[@ThomasViloteauOfficial]

Beautiful!! I will pin your comment to the top! Cheers Darragh!

[@lexandregerard]

Je découvre ce compositeur grâce à votre vidéo. Merci pour le partage et l’interprétation "habitée". Bonne journée.

[@serdardarcan]

Great piece! Great music! Outstanding performance!

[@frankalexanderaar7624]

Yes! Love this piece!

[@Annette19598]

Fantastic piece in a wonderful interpretation - also comforting and matching very well to what I feel in the present time of violence and war!

[@freddyarmijos8883]

Awesome! Definitely new and interesting...

[@TijuanaBorderJumper]

Always enjoy your presentation of music ❤🔥❤

[@aastralplane]

Mesmerized by the piece and perfomance. Shooting set is also really beautiful

[@ericray7649]

Great playing. Great piece. Great chair.

[@thomaspollock4977]

Great piece superbly played. Like the homemade support.

[@TheMusicalEvents]

This is so beautiful... speachless.

[@DrewHendersonGuitar]

Really nice! Of course the playing is fantastic but I really like the style of the video too!

[@pablovilla7539]

Bravo Thomas, everything so on point 🔥👏🏽

[@tritone3284]

Beautiful and exquisite! What sort of guitar stand it's this one?...?

[@klampfetamine]

Amazing!

[@Taigf24]

Nice!

[@agiggles6532]

👏👏👏👏👏

[@globalonemusic2381]

Just exquisite and indeed, "haunting". Beautiful. :). I would like to ask the name of the guitar support you are using ? Thank you for your help. Antoine

[@snowfiresunwind]

Everything about this is superb. Beautiful playing and the video style is amazingly atmospheric. PS: what guitar are you performing on? Also what guitar support are you using?

[@ThomasViloteauOfficial]

2006 Greg Smallman, with a DIY guitar support ;)

[@yuehchopin]

gut

[@steveganz6936]

Beautiful playing Thomas. What about that guitar support?

[@ThomasViloteauOfficial]

Prototype !

[@steveganz6936]

@@ThomasViloteauOfficial Do you like it?

[@joelpenazzo7248]

Superbe 🙏 (quel est ce support guitare ? 🤔🤔

[@ThomasViloteauOfficial]

Fait maison!

[@poulbotmagalie9128]

@@ThomasViloteauOfficial bonjour, c'est la révolution coté posture ! bravo pour la musique.

[@juanpablobarnes5963]

Great music and interpretation! Tuning of the guitar?

[@maxmadro]

Une musique bien verticale