Loading…
- Offenbach, Jacques
- Guiraud, Ernest
Duration: 2 minutes
Description: LES CONTES D’HOFFMANN (THE TALES OF HOFFMANN) was written betweem 1876 and 1880 and is the final work composed by Jacques Offenbach (1819-1880), who died four months before the premiere, a fear that Offenbach expressed from a premonition, writing to impressario Léon Carvalho, “Hurry up and stage my opera. I have not much time left, and my only wish is to attend the opening night.” The opéra fantastique is in five acts (originally in four acts in the Ernest Guiraud completion), with a Prologue and an Epilogue acting as bookends and the stories’ framing-device. The plot, based on a similarly named play by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré, tells of the poet Hoffmann and his love for a prima donna named Stella, while the poetry Muse, under the guise of Hoffmann’s friend Nicklausse, attempts to regain his attention and abandon all other loves. An evil Nemesis named Councillor Lindorf, seeks to keep Hoffmann from the prima donna so that he can have her for himself, and asks Hoffmann to tell the crowd in a tavern the stories of his three great loves: Olympia, the automaton (Act 1); Antonia, the singer (Act 2); and Giulietta, the courtesan (Act 3). All three loves represent different aspects of Stella, the Nemesis plays a role in each as a different enemy to Hoffmann’s love, and the Muse as Nicklausse tries to help Hoffmann in each. An abridged performance occurred at Offenbach’s house on May 18, 1879, but the full premiere of the Guiraud four-act version took place on February 10, 1881, at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, Jules Danbé conducting. The five-act version most-performed today per Offenbach’s intent was published finally in 1907. The famous “Barcarolle: Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour,” is one of the most beloved and recognizable melodies in all of opera. Set in the Venetian act of the opera, the duet is sung by Giulietta, the courtesan who ensnares Hoffmann, and Nicklausse, Hoffmann’s Muse in disguise. The lilting 6/8 rhythm evokes the gentle rocking of a gondola on the canals, perfectly capturing the sensual atmosphere of a moonlit Venetian night. While the text praises the beauty of love and nighttime, the context of the opera contrasts this idyllic mood with the darker undercurrents of seduction and betrayal. Today, the Barcarolle is often performed independently in concerts and recordings, admired for its shimmering beauty and graceful charm, and has become one of Offenbach’s most enduring contributions to the repertoire. Instrumentation: 2.2.2.2: 4.0.0.0: Perc(1): Hp: Str (4.4.3.3.3 in set): Soli Sop.MzSop: Mx Chor. Reprint Edition.