Offenbach Tales of Hoffmann

Offenbach’s last work combines fantasy, gravity and humour in an unexpectedly innovative synthesis of opera buffa, romantic opera and grand opera. This adaptation of three tales by ETA Hoffmann, with a sprinkling of Goethe’s Faust, portrays the German poet as both narrator and hero recounting his love affairs with Olympia, Antonia and Giulietta. Robert Carsen’s spectacular production highlights the melancholy genius of a man marked by life, with a coherence and dramatic sense remarkable for a work that leaves numerous questions unanswered. Under the baton of Philippe Jordan, tenor Ramón Vargas leads a cast that includes Nadine Koutcher, Kate Aldrich and Ermonela Jaho. Recorded November 2016. Sung in French with English subtitles