Now long regarded as Offenbach's masterpiece, Les contes d'Hoffmann was first produced at the Opéra-Comique on 10th February, 1881, in a version tastefully edited and orchestrated by Ernest Guiraud (1837–1892), based on Der Sandmann, Geschichte vom verlorenen Spiegelbilde and Rat Krespel, stories selected from E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776–1822), which its librettists Jules Barbier (1822–1901) and Michel Carré (1819–1872) had presented three decades earlier as a comédie at the Paris Odéon, in 1851. Instead of their original spoken dialogue, Guiraud added sung recitatives to this "fanciful opera" which, Gustav Kobbé reminds us, "offers an excellent frame for the music, bringing on the stage in their fantastic form three of the prettiest tales of the German story-teller, connected with each other in an ingenious fashion, with the contrasts which present themselves".

The narrative structure of Les contes d'Hoffmann is contrived by a Prologue and Epilogue. These provide a frame for three inter-connected vignettes in which Hoffmann pursues different incarnations of his beloved and is thwarted by his own evil genius: the first act object of his affections is the beautiful Olympia, a mechanical doll who finally falls to pieces at the whim of her creator; in Act 2, he is rejected by the courtesan Giulietta, and in Act 3, he falls for Antonia, a singer whose compulsive vocalizing only hastens her impending death.

The company on this 1948 comprises leading singers of the inter-war and immediate post-war French opera scene, Opéra-Comique regulars many of whom also enjoyed illustrious international careers.

After study in his native Canada, Quebec-born tenor Raoul Jobin (1906–1974) began singing there in concert in 1929 before embarking on further study at the Paris Conservatoire. After his operatic début at the Paris Opéra (1930), he returned in 1931 to his homeland for concert tours and subsequently appeared in opera in the United States with the San Carlo Opera. His Paris Opéra career took off from 1934, and in 1937, he made both his Opéra-Comique and Covent Garden débuts. He made his New York Metropolitan Opera début in 1940 as Des Grieux to Grace Moore's Manon, and was frequently heard there in a variety of lyric rïles until 1950.

Born in Toulouse in 1918, Géori-Boué studied at the Toulouse Conservatoire and made her début in that city as the Page in Meyerbeer's Huguenots in 1935. Her début at the Opéra-Comique as Marguerite in Faust in 1941 was followed by appearances in works by Lalo, Wagner and Verdi at the Opéra, where she was also a noted Thaïs.

A specialist in operetta and musicals, Fanély Révoil was born in Marseilles in 1910. Her reputation in Paris was first established at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in 1932 and later triumphs at the Châtelet and elsewhere made her one of the most sought-after French artists of her generation. An operetta star, she also sang soubrette parts at the Comique where, between 1936 and 1946 she was heard in works by Roussel, Hahn, Chabrier and Pierné.

The bass-baritone André Pernet (1894-1966) is perhaps best remembered as the Father in Abel Gance's 1939 film of Charpentier's Louise, starring Grace Moore and Georges Thill. After serving as an officer in World War I, Pernet studied at the Paris Conservatoire before making his début, in Massenet's Hérodïade, at Nice, in 1921. He sang in Paris at the Opéra from 1928 in a variety of rïles, including several premières. His parallel career at the Comique lasted from 1932 until 1948.

The husband of Géori-Boué and a star singer in his own right, high baritone Roger Bourdin (1900-1973) later won celebrity as a teacher at the Paris Conservatoire. Born in Lavallois he studied in Paris at the Conservatoire and made his début at the Comique in 1922 as Lescaut in Massenet's Manon. In 1930 he sang Pelléas at Covent Garden and from 1934 until 1954, often partnered by his wife, was heard regularly at international venues, including La Scala, Milan, the Barcelona Liceo and the Colón in Buenos Aires.

A noted French lyric-tenor who began his career with tenor leads and ended it playing comprimario rïles, René Lapelletrie (1884–1956) made his Parisian début at the Trianon-Lyrique, in 1908. His début at the Comique, as Werther, in 1919 was followed by a succession of rïles, including Hoffmann, Don José in Carmen, Des Grieux in Manon, Alfredo in Traviata and Cavaradossi in Tosca. A professor of singing at the Bordeaux Conservatoire from 1941, from 1946 his repertoire at the Comique comprised mainly buffo parts, notably Spalanzani.

Synopsis

Prologue

After the Prelude, the offstage strains of a drinking chorus are heard from Luther's Tavern adjacent to the Nuremberg opera house where a performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni is in progress, starring the opera-singer Stella, an old flame of the poet Hoffmann. The sinister Lindorf, councillor of Nuremberg, also enamoured of Stella, enters the tavern with Stella's manservant Andrès and intercepts the singer's letter of assignation, addressed to Hoffmann. Whilst acknowledging himself an unlikely suitor Hoffmann's 'evil genius' and alter ego Lindorf resolves to keep the assignation himself. A group of students enter and sing in praise of beer and wine.

Hoffmann and his friend Nicklausse enter. Having just watched the unattainable Stella in the opera, Hoffmann is at first forlorn but agrees to entertain his colleagues with a song. 'The Legend of Kleinzach', a quaint ditty about a dwarf, arouses first the students' enthusiasm then their incredulity as his romantic musings divert him from his tale to thoughts of his beloved. The students jog his memory, however, and finally, he returns to Kleinzach. The students complain about Luther's beer but the conversation soon turns to girls and, by way of diversion, Hoffmann agrees to relate the three great loves of his life. The first of these was Olympia.

Act 1 opens to the strain of a minuet upon the Parisian salon of the inventor Spalanzani who is awaiting the arrival of guests invited to the 'coming-out party' of Olympia, his lifelike mechanical doll. His pupil Hoffmann has fallen in love with the 'sleeping' Olympia, whom he takes for the inventor's daughter. Left alone, Hoffmann summons courage and declares his love. Nicklausse arrives and informs Hoffmann that Spalanzani is obsessed with physics and that Olympia is merely a doll, but Hoffmann is not convinced. Spalanzani's rival, the scientist Coppélius, arrives and sells Hoffmann a pair of magic spectacles through which Olympia appears even more beautiful. Spalanzani returns and Coppélius, who made her eyes, demands his share of the profit from the impending sale of the doll. Spalanzani obliges with a worthless cheque the guests arrive and Olympia is led out before the admiring assembly. She launches into a coloratura aria, which goes well until her mechanism winds down in mid-verse. Hoffmann, enchanted and still unwilling to accept reality, tries to accompany her to supper but is persuaded by the cunning Spalanzani to stay behind. Hoffmann sings to her and takes her hand but, doll-like, she gyrates in various directions and, to his dismay, disappears. Nicklausse, meanwhile, has returned and attempts to enlighten him, but still he will not listen. Coppélius enters and threatening revenge over Spalanzani's cheque conceals himself in Olympia's room as the guests reassemble for Olympia's dance. Hoffmann takes her as his partner and they whirl faster and faster around the room, until they are finally intercepted by Spalanzani. Hoffman falls and his magic spectacles are broken. He recovers, but his composure is soon replaced by disillusionment when, from the next room, the sound of breaking machinery is heard as the vengeful Coppélius destroys Olympia.

Act 2 is set in Venice, in a palace overlooking the Grand Canal. The scene opens with an enchanting Entr'acte, the famous Barcarolle, sung by Nicklausse and the courtesan Giulietta. She is loved by Hoffmann who, with the assembled company, next launches into a drinking song. Giulietta, who is currently attached to Schlémil, introduces Hoffmann to her lover and another admirer, Pitichinaccio.

The trio go off to play cards, leaving Hoffmann alone with Nicklausse, who advises his friend to be more discreet in his advances to Giulietta. As they leave, the sorcerer Dapertutto enters. By using Giulietta as his accomplice he has already enslaved Schlémil and now intends to capture Hoffmann, too. In an aria he tells of his intention to bribe Giulietta with a diamond into stealing Hoffmann's soul. She will captivate Hoffmann by making him gaze into the magic "mirror by which the lark is caught". Giulietta returns and agrees to do his bidding. As Dapertutto leaves, Hoffmann returns. He declares his love to Giulietta who, pretending to return it, also warns him of Schlémil's jealousy and advises him to leave Venice. Imploring him to look into her mirror, so that she may retain his likeness after he has gone, she promises to join him later. First in an aria then a duet, the mystified and enraptured Hoffmann sings of the passion which overwhelms him. Schlémil returns with Pitichinaccio and renounces Giulietta's infidelity and Dapertutto hands Hoffmann a mirror in which, horrified, he discovers that his reflection has vanished. As Nicklausse attempts to lead him away, Hoffmann declares his simultaneous love and hate for Giulietta and in an ensuing fight kills his rival Schlémil with Dapertutto's sword. Hoffmann rushes off to find Giulietta who now, in the arms of her new lover Pitichinaccio, sails away to the strains of the Barcarolle in a gondola. The disillusioned Hoffmann, Dapertutto's latest victim, is dragged away by Nicklausse.

Act 3 takes place in the house of Crespel, a councillor of Munich. After an Entr'acte his daughter, Antonia, who loves and is loved by Hoffmann, sings a disconsolate air to her own harpsichord accompaniment. Crespel enters, distressed that she has broken her promise never to sing (she has inherited from her late mother both a voice and a tendency to tuberculosis). Having brought her to Munich to escape Hoffmann's advances, he blames the poet for her disturbed state of mind. Antonia renews her promise not to sing and as she departs Crespel orders his deaf old servant Frantz to admit no one to the house. Left alone, Frantz sings a comic song and when Hoffmann arrives with Nicklausse, having misheard his master's orders, he admits them. Hoffmann heralds his arrival with a snippet of the love-duet he used to sing. Antonia enters and their voices blend in an impassioned duo. She again becomes faint and, hearing her father approaching retires to her room while Hoffmann hides. Frantz announces the arrival of the evil quack, Doctor Miracle, who enters and insists on treating Antonia. With spells and incantations he diagnoses her illness and prescribes a cure for Antonia, who again retires. Furious, Crespel, who is reluctant to see his daughter die at the hands of a charlatan, succeeds only after various attempts in expelling Miracle. Antonia returns to find Hoffmann who before leaving urges her to give up her ambition for singing. Reluctantly, she agrees before Miracle, as it were by magic, re-appears. Reproaching her for wasting such talent, he predicts for her a great career as a singer. Seeking guidance, Antonia gazes upon her mother's portrait which, to her astonishment, comes to life, Her mother bids her to sing, which she does, to Miracle's frenzied violin accompaniment. Her voice soars higher and higher and as Miracle vanishes and the maternal image again becomes a portrait, she falls lifeless to the floor. Crespel rushes in to his daughter's last words and when Hoffmann enters he blames him for the tragedy. Hoffmann instructs Nicklausse to call a doctor, whereupon Miracle re-appears and pronounces her dead.

Epilogue

After a short Intermezzo based on the Barcarolle, we return again to Luther's tavern. Hoffmann tells his friends that his tales are at an end. Distant cheers are heard for Stella (the performance of Don Giovanni has just ended) and Lindorf goes to meet her. Nicklausse explains that Stella is the apotheosis of Olympia, Giulietta and Antonia and all drink her health. Hoffmann, at first infuriated, proceeds to drown his sorrows. The students take their exit leaving him alone, slumped intoxicated over a table. In his stupor, the Muse of Poetry appears before Hoffmann and asks him to follow her, to which he willingly agrees. Stella enters and Nicklausse explains that Hoffmann is drunk and as Lindorf draws her towards him the students' voices are again raised in a rousing drinking-song).

Writer: Peter Dempsey