Offenbach's Opera - Les Contes d'Hoffmann

Published on Dec 21, 2012

Les Contes d'Hoffmann

Rating:

Genre: NCPA

Dates: January 31 - February 3, 2013

Venue: Opera House of NCPA

Prices: 160, 220, 280, 450, 550, 600, 680, 880


Features: Les contes d'Hoffmann is an famous opera by Jacques Offenbach. From January 31 to February 3, the NCPA's new production of Les contes d'Hoffmann by director Francesca Zambello will stage in opera house of NCPA.


BRIEF INTRODUCTION

Les contes d'Hoffmann, also named The Tales of Hoffmann, is the last opera by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the main protagonist in the opera (as he is in the stories).


Barbier, together with Michel Carre, had written a play, Les contes fantastiques d'Hoffmann, produced at the Odeon Theatre in Paris in 1851, which Offenbach had seen.


The stories upon which the opera is based are "Die Gesellschaft im Keller", "Der Sandmann" ("The Sandman", 1816), "Rath Krespel" ("Councillor Krespel", also known in English as "The Cremona Violin", 1818), and "Das verlorene Spiegelbild" ("The Lost Reflection") from Die Abendteuer der Sylvester-Nacht (The Adventures of New Year's Eve, 1814). The "Chanson de Kleinzach" aria in the Prologue is based on the short story "Klein Zaches, genannt Zinnober" (1819).


The opera was first performed in a public venue, without the 'Giulietta' act, at the Opéra-Comique on 10 February 1881. It had been presented in an abridged form at the house of Offenbach, 8 Boulevard des Capucines, on 18 May 1879, with Madame Franck-Duvernoy in the soprano roles, Auguez as Hoffmann (baritone) and Emile-Alexandre Taskin in the four villain roles, with Edmond Duvernoy at the piano and a chorus directed by Albert Vizentini. As well as Carvalho of the Opéra-Comique, the director of the Ringtheater in Vienna, Franz von Jauner, was also present, and a four-act version with recitatives was staged there on 7 December 1881, although a gas explosion and fire occurred at the theatre after the second performance.


The opera reached its hundredth performance at the Salle Favart on the 15 December 1881, but the fire at the Opéra-Comique in 1887 destroyed the orchestral parts, and it was not seen again in Paris until 1893 at the Salle de la Renaissance du Theatre-Lyrique when it received 20 performances. A new production by Albert Carré (including the Venice act) was mounted at the Opéra-Comique in 1911, with Léon Beyle in the title role and Albert Wolff conducting; this remained in the repertoire until the Second World War, reaching 700 performances of the piece at the theatre. Following a recording by Opéra-Comique forces in March 1948 Louis Musy created the first post-war production in Paris, conducted by André Cluytens. The Paris Opera first staged the work in October 1974, directed by Patrice Chéreau with Nicolai Gedda in the title role.


Outside France, the piece was mounted in Geneva, Budapest, Hamburg, New York and Mexico in 1882, Vienna (Theater an der Wien), Prague and Anvers in 1883 and Lvov and Berlin in 1884. Later local premieres included Buenos Aires in 1894, St Petersburg in 1899, Barcelona in 1905 and London in 1910.


Tickets for Offenbach's Opera - Les Contes d'Hoffmann are Available now!

TICKETS BOOKING

BOOKING INFORMATION

Booking From: Friday, Dec 21, 2012

Booking Until: Monday, Jan 28, 2013

Show Time: Jan 31 - Feb 3, 2013 / 7:30pm

Running Time: 2 hours 15 minutes

TICKET PRICES

  • 160
  • 220
  • 280
  • 450
  • 550
  • 600
  • 680
  • 880

Prices are in RMB (“×” Sold Tickets), Include Booking Fees

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Opera House of Beijing National Grand Theatre

Opera House of NCPA

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