Offenbach's The Tales of Hoffmann
John Schlesinger (stage director), Evelino Pidò (conductor) – With Vittorio Grigòlo (Hoffmann), Thomas Hampson (Lindorf et al.), Sonya Yoncheva (Antonia), Christine Rice (Giulietta), and Sofia Fomina (Olympia)
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Cast
John Schlesinger — Stage director
Daniel Dooner — Revival director
William Dudley — Set designer
Maria Björnson — Costume designer
David Hersey — Lighting designer
Eleanor Fazan — Choreographer
William Hobbs — Fight director
Simon Johns — Revival fight director
Vittorio Grigolo — Hoffmann
Thomas Hampson — Lindorf/Coppélius/Dappertutto/Miracle
Sofia Fomina — Olympia
Christine Rice — Guilietta
Sonya Yoncheva — Antonia
Kate Lindsey — Nicklausse
Christophe Mortagne — Spalanzani
Eric Halfvarson — Crespel
Vincent Ordonneau — Andrès/Cochenille/Pittichinaccio/Frantz
Program notes
“An extraordinary work...insanely sumptuous, near-definitive…” exclaimed The Independent in 1980 about Oscar-winning film director John Schlesinger’s recent production of The Tales of Hoffmann. In 2016, this revival production passed any test of comparison to the original production with flying colors, featuring a spectacular cast of stars (including Vittorio Grigòlo, Thomas Hampson, and Sonya Yoncheva) who together brought to life the many fascinating characters of Hoffman’s three autobiographical tales, all set in a typical 19th-century German tavern.
Jacques Offenbach composed the score of this "fantastical opera" during the last ten years of his life and left it unfinished: its 1880 premiere included numerous modifications, with each successive production following in that mold until eventually a definitive version entered the operatic canon. Offenbach considered the opera his musical testament, suffusing it with lush melodies that remain unsurpassed to this day.
