Les Contes d’Hoffmann
by Jacques Offenbach
Offenbach died without having completed Les Contes d’Hoffmann, and there have been a number of different versions of it performed over the years.
A synopsis of the version performed by the Metropolitan Opera can be found at http://www.metopera.org/synopses/hoffman.html
Recordings
A popular recording of the opera stars Joan Sutherland, Plácido Domingo, and Gabriel Bacquier, with L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande conducted by Richard Bonynge. Available from amazon.com
My favorite recording uses the latest version of Michael Kaye’s edition of the opera. The recording stars Roberto Alagna, José Van Dam, Natalie Dessay, Leontina Vaduva, and Sumi Jo, with the Orchestre et Choeur de l’Opéra National de Lyon conducted by Kent Nagano. Available from amazon.com
DVD
The Tales of Hoffmann--Criterion Collection
"As adaptations go, this 1951 film is the best
compromise currently available on video and will always be a classic in
its own right, even when a more faithful treatment becomes available. It
drops some of Offenbach's music and includes some that is spurious, and it
changes the plot (Hoffman's beloved Stella is made a dancer--Moira
Shearer--not a singer). But at least it treats the story with affection,
imagination, and technical expertise. The music presents only highlights
of the score, but it is in the hands of a great conductor, Sir Thomas
Beecham. The movie is essentially the work of the same team that produced
The Red Shoes (directors Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger); it
has the same kind of imaginative appeal and its technical resourcefulness
is still exciting, still on the cutting edge despite its age. I expect
eventually to add a more faithful Tales of Hoffmann to my video
collection, but I will never stop enjoying this one. "--Joe McLellan
at
amazon.com
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Reproduction of 1951 movie poster
1951 movie The Tales of Hoffmann on video at amazon.com