Les Contes d'Hoffmann

May 15, 2006

3h 5m

★ 0.0

Overview

Giancarlo Del Monaco's passionate and intelligent production of Jacques Offenbach's magnum opus creates a climactic kaleidoscope of deep and convincing emotions. A highly credible incarnation of the pitiable Kleinzach he sings about, Aquiles Machado is the poet who loses his romantic idealism, his reflection and finally his soul to a 'trio of charming enchantresses'.

Genres

Music

Production Companies

Opus Arte

Les Contes d'Hoffmann Trailers

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Cast

Hoffmann

Aquiles Machado

Nicklausse

Katharine Goeldner

Olympia

Milagros Poblador

Antonia

María Bayo

Giulietta

Valentina Kutzarova

Lindorf / Coppélius / Dapertutto / Miracle

Konstantin Gorny

Voix de la mère d'Antonia

Itxaro Mentxaka

Hermann / Schlémil

Marco Moncloa

Spalanzani

Christian Jean

Conductor

Alain Guingal

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0.0

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0.0

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0.0

H.M.S. Pinafore

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7.0

Manon Lescaut

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8.0

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10.0

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0.0

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0.0

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Richard Strauss's opera, from the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden.

10.0

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Live performance at the Metropolitan Opera in 2000.

0.0

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0.0

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0.0

The Metropolitan Opera: L’Amour de Loin

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Robert Lepage’s dreamlike production, with its thousands of twinkling LED lights stretching across the stage to represent the sea, encapsulates the mystic feeling of L’Amour de Loin, Saariaho’s haunting opera of distant love. Eric Owens is Jaufré Rudel, a troubadour in 12th century France who has become tired of his hedonistic life and longs for an idealized love. Enter the Pilgrim (Tamara Mumford) who tells him his perfect love does, in fact, exist, far across the sea. She is Clémence, Countess of Tripoli (Susanna Phillips). The magic of the characters’ inner lives as they explore the meaning of love, longing, life, and death is heightened by Saariaho’s hypnotic and bewitching score, conducted by Susanna Mälkki.

7.5

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0.0

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Renée Fleming stars in the title role of one of Handel’s greatest dramas, seen in Stephen Wadsworth’s 2004 Met premiere production. Rodelinda is faced with an impossible dilemma: With her husband Bertarido believed dead, she either has to marry the despised Grimoaldo (the elegant Joseph Kaiser), who has usurped her husband’s throne, or see him murder her son. But Bertarido (leading countertenor Andreas Scholl) is alive and eventually reclaims both throne and wife—and makes peace with his enemies. Stephanie Blythe is marvelous as Eduige, Bertarido’s sister, who is betrothed to Grimoaldo but turns against him. Baroque authority Harry Bicket conducts.

0.0

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10.0

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7.7

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8.0

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8.0

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