Exceptional philanthropic support from Royal Ballet and Opera Principal Julia Rausing Trust
With the generous support of Aline Foriel-Destezet Season Principal
Generous philanthropic support from Philipp Freise, Charles Holloway OBE, Huo Family Foundation, The Tales of Hoffmann Production Syndicate, Royal Ballet and Opera Young Philanthropists and Royal Ballet and Opera Friends
The role of Antonia is generously supported by The Kiri Te Kanawa Foundation
This performance will be broadcast on BBC Radio 3 on the 21st December 2024
A co-production with Opera Australia, Opéra National de Lyon and Fondazione Teatro La Fenice di Venezia
Music
Jacques Offenbach
Libretto
Jules Barbier
Conductor
Antonello Manacorda
Director
Damiano Michieletto
Associate Director
Eleonora Gravagnola
Set designer
Paolo Fantin
Costume designer
Carla Teti
Lighting designer
Alessandro Carletti
Choreographer
Chiara Vecchi
Muse of Poetry/Spirit of Antonia's Mother
Christine Rice
Stella/Wife/Nurse
Maria Leon
Nicklausse
Julie Boulianne
Lindorf/Coppélius/Dr Miracle/Dappertutto
Alex Esposito
Andrès/Cochenille/Frantz/Pitichinaccio
Christophe Mortagne
Luther
Jeremy White
Hermann/Schlemil
Grisha Martirosyan
Nathanael
Ryan Vaughan Davies
Hoffmann
Juan Diego Flórez
Spalanzani
Vincent Ordonneau
Olympia
Olga Pudova
Antonia
Ermonela Jaho
Crespel
Alastair Miles
Giulietta
Marina Costa-Jackson
Chorus Solo (La harpe)
Olle Zetterström
Young Antonia
Beatrice Hope Henley
Ballet Students
Lara Rose Ostroumoff, Alice Lily Whitty, Felicity Louise Plant, Lila Shayeghi, Emilia Ostroumoff
Dancers
Tobias Richards, Jack Thomson, Adam Dearman, Rosie Southall, Krystine Cunningham, Abigail Norrie, Natasha Trigg, Cameron Everitt
Stilt walker
Daniel Edwards
Chorus
Royal Opera Chorus
Chorus Director
William Spaulding
Orchestra
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Concert Master
Sergey Levitin
Sopranos
Celeste Gattai, Kathryn Jenkin, Elizabeth Roberts, Juliet Schiemann
Mezzo-sopranos
Maria Brown, Clare McCaldin, Jennifer Westwood
Tenors
Simon Biazeck, Andrew Busher, Jonathan English, Darrell Forkin, Andrew Friedhoff
Basses
Gavin Horsley, Simon Preece, Miles Taylor
Music Preparation
Christopher Willis, André Callegaro, Patrick Milne, Richard Fu
Assistant Directors
Johannes Stepanek, Sophie Gilpin
Assistant Choreographer
Andrea Spata
Language coach
Sonja Nerdrum
Patron
HM The King
Music Director Designate
Jakub Hrůša
Director of Opera
Oliver Mears
Director of Casting
Peter Mario Katona
Administrative Director
Cormac Simms
The Muse of Poetry descends among the Spirits of Wine. Stella, a beautiful opera star, has captivated the poet Hoff...
The Muse of Poetry descends among the Spirits of Wine. Stella, a beautiful opera star, has captivated the poet Hoffmann. The envious Muse orders the Spirits to help her dispose of Stella’s unwanted influence. She summons Nicklausse, as a companion for Hoffmannn.
A group of students arrives for refreshments during the interval of Don Giovanni. Hoffmann, preoccupied with his love for Stella, joins them, accompanied by Nicklausse. The students coax Hoffmann into telling the tale of Kleinzach. Tensions rise between Lindorf and Hoffmann: whenever the poet encounters Lindorf he is beset by misfortune. The poet relates the tales of his three loves.
The young Hoffmann is a pupil of the inventor Spalanzani. Hoffmann is in love with Olympia, whom he takes to be Spalanzani’s daughter. Coppélius the spectacle-maker arrives. Hoffmann gazes at Olympia through a pair of his glasses and is overcome by her beauty. Spalanzani makes a deal with Coppélius, to buy out his stake in Olympia.
Others arrive. Spalanzani presents Olympia to them as his daughter. Olympia sings, to great acclaim. Alone with Olympia, Hoffmann becomes convinced that she loves him. Coppélius returns, enraged that Spalanzani has cheated him. He takes revenge by destroying Olympia. Hoffmann realises at last that she was nothing but a mechanical doll.
Crespel has whisked his daughter, Antonia, away to Munich, far from Hoffmann. She is ill, and it could be fatal for her to perform. Hoffmann arrives unannounced, desperate to find out the reason for Antonia’s departure. She tells him that her father no longer permits her to perform. Hearing Crespel return, Hoffmann hides. Dr Miracle arrives, to Crespel’s dismay: he remembers the part Miracle played in the death of his wife.
Hoffmann now understands Crespel’s motives, but he keeps them secret. Instead, he urges Antonia to abandon hope of future glory as a performer. Miracle tries to lure Antonia into performing. She resists until he conjures up a spirit resembling her mother. Antonia gives way. Miracle accompanies Antonia while she performs. She collapses. Crespel accuses Hoffmann of causing his daughter’s death. Miracle returns to confirm that Antonia is dead.
In a Venetian Palace, Hoffmann declares he is through with love. Schlemil escorts the courtesan Giulietta into the gaming room. She invites the other guests to join her. The demonic Dappertutto uses a sparkling diamond to summon Giulietta. He commands her to seduce Hoffmann and steal his reflection (or soul). Giulietta’s conquest of Hoffmann is quick, yet when the poet realises what has happened, he remains infatuated with her.
Back in the tavern Hoffmann reveals that the three stories are different aspects of the same woman: Stella. Lindorf now realises that he has nothing to fear from his rival.
The Muse sings a song of reassurance: through his suffering Hoffmann's poetic art will flourish and he will eventually belong to her.
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