The Tales of Hoffmann
The Tales of Hoffmann
The Tales of Hoffmann
Four women: four curious love stories.
Juan Diego Flórez and Leonardo Caimi lead a fantastic cast in Offenbach's dream-like opera.
Juan Diego Flórez and Leonardo Caimi lead a fantastic cast in Offenbach's dream-like opera.
Opera Australia, Opéra National de Lyon and Fondazione Teatro La Fenice di Venezia
Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust
David Fransen, Philipp Freise, Charles Holloway OBE, Huo Family Foundation, The Tales of Hoffmann Production Syndicate, Royal Ballet and Opera Young Philanthropists, the Royal Ballet and Opera Friends and an anonymous donor
A FANTASTICAL JOURNEY THROUGH MEMORY AND LOVE
Through the haze of the years, a poet remembers the women he loved. But when it comes to matters of the heart, nothing is as it seems. Particularly when the devil himself is involved…
Journeying back to his school days, Hoffmann relives his childhood romance with Olympia, a model student in every sense. Doomed love follows him into adulthood, where the dancer, Antonia, is taken from him too soon. Meanwhile, the sensual courtesan Giulietta has her own secret agenda. As memory and fantasy becomes increasingly blurred, will Hoffmann find the enigmatic Stella before it is too late?
Background
Olivier award-winning director Damiano Michieletto (Carmen, Cavalleria rusticana/Pagliacci) returns to The Royal Opera for a new, Olivier Award-nominated production of Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann. Conductor Antonello Manacorda, with whom Michieletto previously collaborated on Carmen, leads Juan Diego Flórez and Leonardo Caimi, who share the role of the poet E.T.A. Hoffmann, Alex Esposito as the Four Villains, Julie Boulianne as Nicklausse and Ermonela Jaho, Olga Pudova and Marina Costa-Jackson as Hoffmann’s unforgettable trio of lovers.
Popular tunes
Offenbach's best-known musical work may be the 'can-can', but The Tales of Hoffmann has its own fair share of popular tunes, including the lilting Barcarolle. Traditionally sung by Venetian gondoliers, Offenbach's take, ‘Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour’ (Beautiful night, oh night of love), is a duet for soprano and mezzo-soprano, featuring the courtesan, Giulietta, and Hoffmann’s loyal companion, Nicklausse. Olympia’s Song is a dazzling showcase for the soprano voice at its most acrobatic. In the original opera libretto, she is a living doll who runs out of power part-way through her song, and requires ‘winding up’ to resume her performance.
Join us for Insights: The Tales of Hoffmann where cast and creatives discuss their interpretation of Offenbach's opera, based on three short stories by E.T.A. Hoffman.
Cast and Creatives
Creatives
Reviews
Access
There is lift access and step-free routes to over 100 seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony and Amphitheatre. There are 10 steps or fewer to some seats in the Stalls Circle, Balcony, Amphitheatre and the Donald Gordon Grand Tier. All seats in the Orchestra stalls are accessed by 9 steps or more. A handheld bell is rung by Front of House staff to signal guests to take their seats before a performance. The bell is loud and can be startling. The bell is rung approximately ten minutes before the show starts and at each interval.
We have an assistive listening system available to use. This opera is sung in French with English surtitles. Captions and translations in English will be displayed on screens above the stage and around the auditorium.
Audio described guides to The Tales of Hoffmann are available on The Royal Ballet and Opera SoundCloud.
Join our Access Scheme for priority access performance tickets and to personalise your account for your access requirements.
Donate
The Royal Ballet and Opera is a charity and relies on your support. No matter the size, every gift is critical to our work and helps us to secure the future of ballet and opera.
Your donation will enable us to keep extraordinary work on our stages, inspire the next generation and support the Royal Ballet and Opera's community of artists, technicians and craftspeople.
Culture, crafted by contribution
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales (Company number 480523) Charity Registered (Number 211775)