Opéra National de Paris
Orchestre et Chœurs de l’Opéra National de Paris
cond. Jesus Lopez-Cobos; Neil Shicoff, Bryn Terfel, Ruth Ann Swenson, Désirée Rancatore, Susanne Mentzer, Béatrice Uria-Monzon
Additional information
Links for the DVD of Offenbach’s Hoffmann:
- http://www.arkivmusic.com/classical/Drilldown?comp_id=2182&bcorder=8&opera=Y&label_id=4145
- http://naxosdirect.com/title/DVUS-OPLCDH/
Complete cast list:
- Hoffmann -- Neil Shicoff
- Lindorf/Coppélius/Dr. Miracle/Dapertutto -- Bryn Terfel
- La Muse/Nicklausse -- Susanne Mentzer
- Olympia -- Désirée Rancatore
- Antonia -- Ruth Ann Swenson
- Giulietta -- Béatrice Uria-Monzon
- Andrès/Cochenille/Frantz/Pitichinaccio -- Michel Sénéchal
- Ghost (Voice of the Mother) -- Nora Gubisch
- Luther/Crespel -- Alain Vernhes
- Spalanzani -- Christian Jean
- Nathanaël -- Jean-Luc Maurette
- Hermann -- Josep Miquel Ribot
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Schlémil -- Nigel Smith
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Stella -- Bambi Floquet
Les Contes d'Hoffmann synopsis
with material from Andrew Lamb: 'Les Contes d'Hoffmann", Grove Music Online ed. L. Macy (Accessed 21 July 2007), http://www.grovemusic.com and The Earl of Harewood: "Les Contes d'Hoffmann", The New Kobbé's Opera Book, ed. The Earl of Harewood and Antony Peattie (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2000), pp. 552-555
Opéra fantastique in five acts by Jacques Offenbach to a libretto by Jules Barbier after the play by Barbier and Michel Carré; based on the stories of E.T.A. Hoffmann; premiered 1881.
Running time: 2 hours 50 minutes
For this production:
Hoffmann, poet -- tenor
Olympia, doll -- soprano
Antonia, daughter of Crespel -- soprano
Giulietta, courtesan -- soprano
Stella, prima donna -- soprano
Nicklausse, friend of Hoffmann/The Muse -- mezzo-soprano
A Ghost, mother of Antonia -- mezzo-soprano
Counsellor Lindorf/Coppélius, maker of eyes/Dr. Miracle/Captain Dapertutto, magician -- bass or baritone
Spalanzani, physician -- tenor
Crespel, violin maker, father of Antonia -- bass or baritone
Andrès, servant of Stella/Cochenille, servant of Spalanzani/Frantz, servant of Crespel/Pitichinaccio, servant of Giulietta -- tenor
Luther, tavern owner -- baritone
Nathanaël, student -- tenor
Wolframm, student -- baritone
Hermann, student -- baritone
Wilhelm, student -- baritone
Peter Schlémil, lover to Giulietta -- baritone
Students, tavern waiters, guests of Spalanzani, gamblers, valets, spirits of beer and wine
The opera is based upon an 1851 play in which the poet E. T. A. Hoffmann is portrayed as a participant in various of his own stories. His spiritual and moral decline is depicted through successive loves – a frivolous infatuation with a mechanical doll, Olympia, genuine but thwarted love with the singer Antonia, and idle tarrying with the courtesan Giulietta. The three acts depicting these episodes are framed by a prologue and epilogue. In them Hoffmann is depicted telling these stories while awaiting his latest love, the prima donna Stella, who is finally recognized as a combination of the three earlier loves. Similarly, his constant companion Nicklausse is revealed as a personification of his poetic muse.
PROLOGUE:
Luther’s tavern close to the opera house in Nuremberg -- In the moonlight an invisible chorus of spirits of beer and wine sets the scene (‘Glou, glou, glou’). Hoffmann’s Muse bemoans the poet’s dissolute life (‘La vérité, dit-on, sortit d’un puits’) and assumes the identity of his student friend Nicklausse. Next door, a performance of Don Giovanni is in progress. Hoffmann's diabolical nemesis appears in his first guise as Counsellor Lindorf, a powerful local politician with designs on Hoffmann’s current lover, Stella (‘Dans les rôles d’amoureux langoureux’), and succeeds in obtaining the key to her dressing-room from her servant Andrès; Lindorf also destroys a letter from Stella to Hoffmann. A rowdy bunch of students arrive (‘Jusqu’au matin remplis mon verre’), followed by Nicklausse and Hoffmann, who is in an agitated state. The students persuade Hoffmann to tell his story of the dwarf Kleinzach (‘Il était une fois à la cour d’Eisenach’), but his mind (and the song) wanders to his dreams of a beautiful woman before he is persuaded to resume the story. Seeing Lindorf, Hoffmann recognizes him as his perpetual adversary in his love affairs and foresees another disaster. Prevailing upon Hoffmann to tell the stories of his loves, the students recharge their glasses and settle down for the evening.
ACT I
The laboratory of the physicist Spalanzani -- The eccentric inventor Spalanzani is hoping that his latest invention, a mechanical doll, will earn enough money to recoup the losses sustained from the bankruptcy of his banker. He is worried, though, that his former partner Coppélius may claim part of the proceeds. Hoffmann arrives as a pupil of Spalanzani, who talks of his ‘daughter’ Olympia. Spalanzani leaves to prepare for the arrival of his guests, and Hoffmann’s heart leaps when, behind a curtain, he sees what he takes to be the sleeping figure of the daughter. Nicklausse vainly attempts to make light of his infatuation (‘Une poupée aux yeux d’émail’). Coppélius enters with a collection of optical instruments, including a pair of magic spectacles which make anything seen through them beautiful (‘Je me nomme Coppélius’). When Spalanzani returns, Coppélius demands a share of the profits from the mechanical doll, whose eyes he has supplied. To get rid of him, Spalanzani gives him a worthless cheque as the guests enter to a stately minuet (‘Non aucun hôte vraiment’). Spalanzani presents his ‘daughter’, who attracts admiration with a coloratura aria (‘Les oiseaux dans la charmille’), punctuated from time to time by pauses for her to be recharged. Hoffmann, deceived by his magic spectacles into believing her human, is completely bewitched and sings a rapturous romance (‘Ah! vivre deux’). The guests return from dinner and begin waltzing (‘Oui, pauvres fous’), but a furious Coppélius enters; he has discovered the cheque to be worthless and vows vengeance. Hoffmann is left breathless by his animated dance with Olympia, who then retires to her room. From it comes the sound of breaking machinery as Coppélius destroys Spalanzani’s invention and the object of Hoffmann’s infatuation. The guests gather around Hoffmann, mocking his foolishness.
ACT II
The orchestra pit and stage of an opera house -- Seated at the piano, his daughter Antonia sings a nostalgic song about a lost love (‘Elle a fui, la tourterelle’) but afterwards collapses exhausted. Her father rushes in to remind her that she has inherited her mother’s fatal chest complaint and that to continue singing will mean an early death. Crespel has hurried to Munich to protect Antonia from the influence of her lover Hoffmann, and he instructs his old servant Frantz not to open the door. However, Frantz is deaf and befuddled (‘Jour et nuit je me mets en quatre’), and soon Hoffmann and Nicklausse gain admission. Nicklausse tries out a violin (‘Vois sous l’archet frémissant’) and Hoffmann sits at the piano and sings a snatch of a love song (‘C’est une chanson d’amour’). Antonia appears and, despite Nicklausse’s efforts, she joins Hoffmann in the song. She tells him she has been forbidden to sing and, when her father returns, flees to her room. Hoffmann hides and overhears an exchange with the mysterious Dr Miracle, whom Crespel accuses of being responsible for his wife’s death and seeking to bring about his daughter’s. However, Miracle claims that he alone can cure her (‘Pour conjurer le danger’). After their departure, Hoffmann persuades Antonia to agree to give up singing, but no sooner has Hoffmann left than Miracle reappears and urges her to sing, conjuring up the voice of her dead mother (‘Chère enfant!’). Seizing a violin, Miracle leads them in a frantic trio, which leaves Antonia exhausted. Crespel and Hoffmann rush in, but both despair as Miracle declares Antonia dead.
ACT III
The stage and seats of an opera house -- Nicklausse and the courtesan Giulietta sing a barcarolle (‘Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour’). Audience members arrive, and a wild party takes place; Hoffmann sings a vigorous drinking song (‘Amis, l’amour tendre et rêveur, erreur!’). Giulietta provocatively introduces Hoffmann to her current lover, Schlemil. Despite Nicklausse’s warnings against her charms, Hoffmann rises to the bait. The magician Dapertutto enters and tempts Giulietta in a sinister aria (‘Tourne, tourne, miroir’). He promises her jewels if, as she has already done with Schlemil, she will obtain for him Hoffmann’s other self – in the form of his reflection. Left alone with Giulietta, Hoffmann expresses his passion for her (‘O Dieu! de quelle ivresse’) and a rapturous duet follows. When she asks for his reflection to remember him by, he agrees, finding that he is indeed no longer visible in the mirror. Schlemil arrives and finds them together, and Giulietta flees to her boudoir. Schlemil challenges Hoffmann to a duel, and Schlemil is killed. Hoffmann takes the key to Giulietta’s boudoir from Schlemil’s pocket only to find her throwing her arms around her servant Pitichinaccio. Nicklausse drags Hoffmann away as Dapertutto adds to the mocking laughter.
EPILOGUE
Luther’s tavern in Nuremberg -- At the end of his melancholy tale Hoffmann seeks solace in wine, until the revelries are interrupted by the entrance of Stella, fresh from her triumph in the opera house. Hoffmann, however, merely sees in her his three lost loves and rejects her. She leaves on Lindorf’s arm as the poet sinks into a drunken stupor. Nicklausse remains and, metamorphosing afresh into Hoffmann’s Muse, tells him to rekindle the fire of his creative genius (‘Des cendres de ton coeur’). A final chorus (‘On est grand par l’amour’) points the moral that one is enriched by love and sadness.
