 Ernst Theodor Amadeus Hoffmann (1776-1822), better known by his pen name E. T. A. Hoffmann, was possibly the most original and influential fiction writer of the German Romantic era. Known today primarily for his literary works, Hoffman was also a lawyer and composer. He changed his middle name to Amadeus due to his great admiration for the music of Mozart.
Hoffman’s unusual, fantastical stories and supernatural art fairy tales inspired many artists, including Wagner’s Tannhauser, Delibes Coppelia, Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker, and Jacques Offenbach whose opéra fantastique Les Contes d’Hoffmann immortalized his stories, and fictionalized Hoffmann himself, as a hero drunk on love and wine who tells his tales to the best of his ability in a neighborhood tavern. Jacques Offenbach (1819 – 1880) was a composer who created a type of light burlesque French comic opera known as the opérette, which became one of the most characteristic artistic products of the period. He was called by Gioachino Rossini “our little Mozart of the Champs-Elysées”. Offenbach’s fame and fortune as Napoleon III’s musical “court jester” ended in 1870 with the Empire’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian War. Suddenly, Offenbach’s star began to fade with the changing political climate and public tastes. During the twilight of his career, his major preoccupation became the completion of his final opera, the “opéra fantastique” Les Conte d‘Hoffmann. In 1880, while working on the completion of the score, Offenbach’s health deteriorated significantly, and he died from complications of the gout and heart. At the request of his family, the final shaping of the score was undertaken by Ernest Guiraud. Siegfried Kracauer observed
His only grand opera, Les Contes d’Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann), remained unfinished at his death. It was orchestrated and provided with recitatives by Ernest Guiraud, who also introduced the famous barcarolle. The basic plot is straightforward: The opera diva Stella has asked Hoffmann to meet her in her dressing room after an opera performance. The evil Lindorf intercepted the letter and now intends to replace him. Hoffmann arrives at the tavern and tells his friends about his three great romances. The first love was Olympia, a mechanical doll created by the scientist Spalanzani; Hoffmann, however, did not know that she is a doll until warned of this by his friend (and Muse) Nicklausse. Coppelius, who represents Hoffmann’s nemesis, suggests that he wear magic glasses so that Olympia appears like a real woman. Hoffmann dances with Olympia but falls on the ground and breaks the glasses, thereby realizing that she is not real. Coppelius destroys her to get revenge on Spalanzani for not giving him the credit of being the creator of Olympia. The second love is Antonia, whose father Crespel does not want anything to do with Hoffmann. Antonia has inherited her mother’s singing voice, but a mysterious illness prevents her from singing. When Crespel leaves the house, Hoffmann arrives and declares his love for her. But Crespel returns with Dr. Miracle who is Hoffmann’s nemesis in this story. Hoffmann learns that singing can cause death. He asks Antonia to give up her artistic dreams. But Dr. Miracle, ready to heal her, persuades her to sing. He conjures a vision of her dead mother who induces her to sing. Antonia dies. Hoffman’s third love is the courtesan Giulietta. Clementine Margaine plays her as simultaneosly repulsive and charming. She isn’t interested in Hoffman. She has been told to seduce him by Dapertutto, who wants her to steal Hoffmann’s reflection from a mirror in return for a diamond. Hoffmann gives her the reflection, but she abandons him. Dapertutto plans to give Nicklausse poison, but Giulietta drinks the poison and dies. Hoffmann and Schlemil duel for the dressing room key, Schlemil is mortally wounded. During an epilogue, Hoffmann laments his fate as a lover and notes that the three women are but parts of the person for whom he waits – Stella. Nicklausse reveals himself to be his muse and urges Hoffmann to become a poet. I am baffled by this opera. Each part, singing, acting, costume, scenery, the music is performed brilliantly. Conductor Marco Armiliato, one of my favorite conductors, works with his characteristic intelligence and dynamism. French tenor Benjamin Bernheim creates a believable seedy degenerate alcoholic would-be writer, smitten by his so-called loves. Erin Morley’s Olympia reaches Olympian stature on a par with Kathyrn Lewek’s Queen of the Night for top soprano tour de force. Pretty Yende creates a sympathetic Antonia and Stella. Christian Van Horn outdoes himself as Hoffman’s recurring nemeses. Vasilisa Berzhanskaaya is delightful as Hoffman’s Muse of Poetry and best friend Nicklausse Eve Gigliotti returns to the Met stage to give a definitive performance of Antonia’s deceased mother. Michael Yeargan’s scenery was . as always, splendid as were Katherine Zuber’s costumes. Bartlett Sher ‘s dark stage directing tended toward the soft pornographic but that is a recurring problem with this director. Perhaps a different director could have whipped the parts into a compelling whole. And Offenbach’s music was appropriately charged with high drama. But after over four hours I just didn’t care about any of these characters. Offenbach’s writer Hoffman is no match for Puccini’s writer Rodolfo and his one Mimi is more significant than Hoffmann’s three loves.
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[i] Siegfried Krakauer, Jacques Offenbach and the Paris of His Time Princeton, N.J. :Princeton University Press, 2016.
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