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The Tales of Hoffman sponsored by:
Merle Chambers and Hugh Grant
Dave and Pam Duke
Charles and Ursula Kafadar
Marcia and Richard Robinson
Bonfils-Stanton Foundation
The Insider's Look
The Facts
Composer: Jacques Offenbach
Librettist: Jules Barbier
Debut: February 10, 1881 at Paris' Opéra-Comique
The Players
Hoffmann: a poet
Stella (Antonia, Giulietta, Olympia): an opera singer and object of Hoffmann's affections (also represented by a young girl, a courtesan and a mechanical doll)
Lindorf (Coppélius, Miracle, Dapertutto): Hoffmann's nemesis, also portrayed as a mad scientist, a quack physician and a captain)
Nicklausse: Hoffmann's friend, embodied by The Muse
Listen For…
The most famous aria from the opera is "Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour," also known as "the Barcarolle." Originally written as a ghost-song for Offenbach's opera Les fées du Rhin, this piece has been heard in many movies, including Life is Beautiful and Titanic.
Other great selections include:
-"Les oiseaux dans la charmille" (The Doll Song) — Olympia, Act I
-"Elle a fui" – Antonia, Act II
-"Amis, l'amour tendre et rêveur" — Hoffmann, Act III
Did You Know?
Offenbach died about 4 months before the premiere of the opera. Since he didn't finish the music, several different versions of the opera emerged. Ernest Guiraud composed the music used at the opera's premiere.
Some productions change the order of the opera; in this production, the order of the women is Olympia, Antonia, and Guilietta, which was Offenbach's original order.
Some productions change the number of singers. While Offenbach intended that the four soprano roles and the four bass-baritone roles be performed by one singer, often the vocal demands are difficult to tackle, especially for the soprano roles. Famous sopranos who have attempted to sing all the roles include Beverly Sills, Joan Sutherland, and Catherine Malfitano.
Offenbach is the composer of "Galop infernal," from Orpheus in the Underworld. This piece is more commonly referred to as a 'cancan,' which is a Parisian dance derived from Algeria.
ETA Hoffmann's short stories have influenced other works, including Tchaikovsky's The Nutracker.
Multimedia Extras
Production Photos
Photo credit: Jeffrey Dunn, Boston Lyric Opera.
Production Photo 1
Production Photo 2
Production Photo 3
Production Photo 4
Original Production Photos
Check out production images from the opera's premiere at L’Opéra-Comique in 1881.
Video
