Live performance, Bayerische Staatsoper, 2011. The Tales of Hoffmann (French: LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN) is an opéra fantastique by Jacques Offenbach that combines three short stories by E.T.A. Hoffmann into a haunting whole: a melancholy poet reflects on three women he loved and lost in the past: a mechanical performing doll, a Venetian courtesan, and the consumptive daughter of a celebrated composer. One of the questions this opera poses for any director is how to link the 'tales' of Hoffmann's three lost loves together and knit them satisfactorily into the Prologue and Epilogue. In this production, Richard Jones solves the puzzle by turning it into an autobiographical journey which ends with a grand meet-up of all the characters Hoffmann has encountered: for once, Hoffmann is not presented as a rollicking kind of drunken story-spinner, but rather a sad-eyed, sobered-up depressive, who reaches for the bottle only because his disastrous love life has gone wrong yet again.
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Cast
11 people
Rolando Villazón
Hoffmann
Known for
Joyeux Noel
Cabrini
Diana Damrau
Olympia / Giulietta / Antonia / Stella
Also in
La Traviata
The Magic Flute
John Relyea
Lindorff / Coppélius / Miracle / Dapertutto
Also in
Edward Elgar - The Dream of Gerontius
Rossini: La Cenerentola
Kevin Conners
Cochenille / Pitichinaccio / Frantz
Also in
Guillaume Tell
Dialogues des Carmelites
Angela Brower
Nicklausse / La Muse
Also in
Dvorak: Rusalka
Royal Opera House: Così fan tutte
Ulrich Reß
Spalanzani
Also in
The Flying Dutchman
Manon Lescaut - Royal Opera House
Dean Power
Nathanaël
Also in
Manon Lescaut - Royal Opera House
Tannhäuser und der Sängerkrieg auf der Wartburg - Bayerische Staatsoper
Tim Kuypers
Hermann
Also in
The Fiery Angel - Bayerische Staatsoper
Janáček: From the House of the Dead
Christian Rieger
Schlémil
Also in
Manon Lescaut - Royal Opera House
Guillaume Tell
Andrew Owens
Wilhelm
Also in
La Cenerentola - INO
The Fiery Angel - Theater an der Wien
Christoph Stephinger
Crespel / Luther
Also in
Manon Lescaut - Royal Opera House
Guillaume Tell
Michael Beyer Director · Jules Barbier Writer E. T. A. Hoffmann Story
First release October 30, 2011 · Produced in Germany · Production Bayerische Staatsoper, ARTE
Production
BR
Production
Bayerische Staatsoper
Production
ARTE
Production
Germany
Produced in
Languages
Original language
French
Spoken on screen
French
Release dates
Germany · October 30, 2011
Premiere · Live performance
No release date listed for United States.
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