01/31/15 – Les Contes D’Hoffmann – 1:00PM
Metropolitan Opera
Les Contes d’Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach
Libretto by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann.
Approximate running time 3 hrs. 25 min.
Vittorio Grigolo and Matthew Polenzani take turns playing the tortured poet and unwitting adventurer of the title. The roles of the three heroines are shared by an impressive lineup of singing actresses, including Hibla Gerzmava, Susanna Phillips, Erin Morley, Audrey Luna, Christine Rice, and Elena Maximova. Thomas Hampson sings the Four Villains, and James Levine and Yves Abel conduct Offenbach’s sparkling score.
Sung in French.
Cast/Crew
Olympia: Erin Morley
Antonia/Stella: Hibla Gerzmava
Giulietta: Christine Rice
Nicklausse: Kate Lindsey
Hoffmann: Vittorio Grigolo
Four Villains: Thomas Hampson
Set Designer: Michael Yeargan
Costume Designer: Catherine Zuber
Lighting Designer: James F. Ingalls
Choreographer: Dou Dou Huang
Photo credits: Marty Sohl/Metropolitan Opera