Les Contes d'Hoffmann - Opera - Season 16/17 Programming

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Les Contes d'Hoffmann

Opéra Bastille - from 31 October to 27 November 2016

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Les Contes d'Hoffmann

Opera Jacques Offenbach

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Opéra Bastille - from 31 October to 27 November 2016

3h25 with 2 intervals

Language : French

Ramòn Vargas interprètera le rôle d’Hoffmann du 3 au 18 novembre 2016 à l'Opéra Bastille.

About

In few words:

"We are made great by love and greater still by our tears."
Hoffmann, Épilogue

By the time he came to tackle the composition of Les Contes d’Hoffmann, Offenbach’s opus already included more than a hundred operas. Left unfinished when he died during rehearsals in October 1880, his last work combines fantasy, gravity and humour in an unexpectedly innovative synthesis of opera buffa, romantic opera and grand opera. This adaptation of three tales by E.T.A. Hoffmann, with a sprinkling of Goethe’s Faust, portrays the German poet as both narrator and hero recounting his love affairs with Olympia, Antonia and Giuletta. Robert Carsen’s spectacular production highlights the melancholy genius of a man marked by life, with a coherence and dramatic sense remarkable for a work that leaves numerous questions unanswered. Under the baton of Philippe Jordan, Stéphanie d’Oustrac, Ermonela Jaho, Kate Aldrich, Yann Beuron and Ramón Vargas and Stefano Secco in the main role, interpret the legendary airs of this work whose brilliant mystery will continue to dazzle opera houses for countless years to come.

PROLOGUE

Hoffmann, a poet and composer, is in love with the prima donna Stella. As the opera begins, she is appearing in her most famous role: Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Hoffmann’s Muse declares that she will win back the artist and protect him from any further amorous obsessions. In order to do so, she will assume the identity of Hoffmann’s friend Nicklausse. Counsellor Lindorf also desires the diva Stella. As the curtain falls on Act I of Don Giovanni, Luther and his waiters hurriedly prepare for the arrival of Hoffmann and his friends. Hoffmann is in an agitated state of mind, but is soon persuaded to sing one of his songs: The Story of the Dwarf Kleinzach. As he sings, he is distracted and he recalls his first love. When three of the poet’s friends boast about their mistresses, Hoffmann asks them if they would like to hear about three of his past loves. The crowd fill their glasses and prepare to listen to Hoffmann’s tales.

ACT I - OLYMPIA

The eccentric inventor Spalanzani is hoping that his latest invention, a mechanical doll called “Olympia”, will earn him enough money to recoup his recent financial losses. Hoffmann has fallen in love with Olympia from a distance. Coppelius suddenly appears. He is the supplier of the doll’s eyes, and he has returned to obtain payment from Spalanzani. Coppelius sells Hoffmann a pair of glasses which make everything seem more beautiful. To get rid of him, Spalanzani gives him a worthless cheque. Guests now arrive and Spalanzani presents his “daughter” to them. She attracts great admiration. Hoffmann is completely enchanted by her, and when they are left alone he declares his love. Coppelius returns vowing revenge on Spalanzani for having cheated him. Hoffmann dances with Olympia. The doll’s mechanism gets out of control and she whirls Hoffmann off in a frenetic dance. He falls and breaks his glasses. Suddenly Cochenille, Spalanzani’s assistant, rushes in: Coppelius has taken his revenge by destroying Olympia. Hoffmann discovers that his beloved was a mechanical doll as the guests laugh uproariously…

ACT II - ANTONIA

Antonia sings a song about lost love. Her father interrupts her, making her promise not to sing any more: Antonia has inherited her mother’s fatal illness as well as her love of singing. Before going out, Crespel instructs his servant Frantz not to let anyone into the house. However Frantz is deaf and so readily admits Hoffmann and Nicklausse. Hoffmann sings a song he once wrote for Antonia. When she appears, they rediscover their passion. Crespel returns unexpectedly and Antonia rushes away to her room. Hoffmann decides to hide. Suddenly Dr. Miracle appears. Crespel accuses him of having intentionally killed his wife and now attempting to kill his daughter. Now aware of Antonia’s fragile health, Hoffmann persuades the reluctant girl to give up her hopes of a stage career. No sooner does he leave than Dr. Miracle reappears. He describes the fame that awaits her on the opera stage, and when Antonia hears her dead mother’s voice exhorting her to sing, she can no longer resist. As the scene reaches its climax Crespel, Hoffmann and Nicklausse rush in, but they are too late: Antonia is already dead…

ACT III – GIULIETTA

In Giulietta’s bordello a party is in progress. In a cynical drinking song, Hoffmann rejects love. Dapertutto tempts Giulietta with a magnificent diamond which he promises to give her if she will obtain Hoffmann’s reflection for him, just as she earlier obtained the shadow of her present lover, Schlemil. Giulietta proceeds to seduce Hoffmann. She begs him to give her his reflection as a proof of her love. Hoffmann readily agrees. Schlemil discovers Hoffmann and Giulietta together. The two men fight a duel and Hoffmann kills his rival, only to discover Giulietta leaving with her pimp Pitichinaccio. Dapertutto adds to their mocking laughter…

EPILOGUE

As Hoffmann concludes the last of his three tales, the performance of Don Giovanni has ended in the theatre. Hoffmann is now completely drunk. When Stella arrives in triumph, he can barely speak to her. The Diva leaves on Lindorf’s arm. The Muse now reappears. She instructs Hoffmann to rekindle the fire of his art, reminding him that tears are even more inspiring than love.

Les Contes d'Hoffmann

Opera in a prologue, three acts and an epilogue (1881)

After Jules Barbier, Michel Carré
In french

Music :

Jacques Offenbach

Libretto :

Jules Barbier

Conductor :

Philippe Jordan

Director :

Robert Carsen

Set design :

Michael Levine

Costume design :

Michael Levine

Lighting design :

Jean Kalman

Choreography :

Philippe Giraudeau

Dramaturgy :

Ian Burton

Chorus master :

José Luis Basso
Orchestre et Chœurs de l’Opéra national de Paris

French and English surtitles
Olympia :

Nadine Koutcher

Giulietta :

Kate Aldrich

Antonia :

Ermonela Jaho

La muse, Nicklausse :

Stéphanie d'Oustrac

La mère d'Antonia :

Doris Soffel

Hoffmann :

Ramón Vargas

31 oct., 3, 6, 9, 12, 15, 18 nov.

Stefano Secco

21, 24, 27 nov.

Spalanzani :

Rodolphe Briand

Nathanaël :

Cyrille Lovighi

Luther, Crespel :

Paul Gay

Andrès, Cochenille, Pitichinaccio, Frantz :

Yann Beuron

Lindorf, Coppélius, Dapertutto, Miracle :

Roberto Tagliavini

Hermann :

Laurent Laberdesque

Schlemil :

François Lis

Performances

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Gallery

1/9 :

2/9 :

3/9 :

4/9 :

5/9 :

6/9 :

7/9 :

8/9 :

9/9 :

1/4:

Les Contes d'Hoffmann - La légende de Kleinzach

2/4:

Les Contes d'Hoffmann - Les oiseaux dans la charmille (air d'Olympia)

3/4:

Les Contes d'Hoffmann - C'est une chanson d'amour

4/4:

Les Contes d'Hoffmann - Extrait

Audio clips

Podcast | Les Contes d'Hoffmann - Jacques Offenbach

— By In partnership with France Musique

About the work

Podcast Les Contes d'Hoffmann

By France Musique
The reawakening of a monumental work

By Jean-Christophe Keck

Partners

Exclusive Timepiece of the Paris Opera

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Sponsor of Les Contes d'Hoffmann

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Sponsor of the Paris Opera initiatives for young people and of the avant-premières

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Sponsor of the Paris Opera's audiovisual broadcasts

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With the support of AROP

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Ce spectacle fera l’objet d’une captation audiovisuelle

Une co-production Opéra national de Paris et Fra Productions avec le soutien du CNC et la participation de France 5, réalisée par François Roussillon.
Diffusion en direct au cinéma le 15 novembre, diffusion sur Culture Box à partir du 16 novembre.
Diffusion sur France 5 ultérieurement et sur France Musique le 27 novembre.

Media and technical partners

Fra Production
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Cinema distributor

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