ROHLive: Les Contes D"Hoffman
Vittorio Grigolo in the title role leads an excellent cast including Thomas Hampson, Sonya Yoncheva, Christine Rice and Sofia Fomina in Offenbach’s fantastical operatic drama. Opera in three Acts with prologue and epilogue.
Opera in three Acts with prologue and epilogue
The Royal Opera's lavish production of Les Contes d'Hoffmann (The Tales of Hoffmann), Offenbach's masterpiece, is a favourite with audiences. Created by Academy Award-winning film director John Schlesinger, this production brings alive a 19th-century world of romance, comedy, mystery and menace.
At the centre of these extraordinary tales of clockwork dolls, magical glasses, ghostly voices and sensual courtesans is the vivid imagination of the drunken Romantic poet Hoffmann. Charismatic young tenor Vittorio Grigolo is Hoffmann – compelled to tell the story of his lovers who, he believes, have all been stolen by a succession of arch villains. Superb baritone Thomas Hampson performs all four villains.
The music includes the famous ‘Barcarolle’ and the stunning showpiece numbers are perfect vehicles for the vocal virtuosity of Sofia Fomina as the clockwork doll Olympia, Christine Rice as the courtesan Giulietta, and Sonya Yoncheva as Hoffmann's last love Antonia.
Approximate running time 3 hours 30 minutes to include two intervals
Sung in French with English subtitles
HOFFMANN VITTORIO GRIGOLO
VILLAINS THOMAS HAMPSON
OLYMPIA SOFIA FOMINA
GIULIETTA CHRISTINE RICE
ANTONIA SONYA YONCHEVA
MUSIC JACQUES OFFENBACH
CONDUCTOR EVELINO PIDÒ
DIRECTOR JOHN SCHLESINGER
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