The Tales of Hoffmann

Fantastic Opera in Five Acts (1881) by Jacques Offenbach Based on the play of the same name by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré Over a hundred stage works were composed by Jacques Offenbach, most of them characterized by special wit and satirical sharpness, original and clever. At the end of his brilliant Parisian career spanning nearly five decades, he dedicated himself to his most ambitious piece of music theater, the "Opéra fantastique" Les Contes d'Hoffmann , based on a play that premiered in 1881. The audience is drawn into a world filled with strange characters and situations, of fantastic nature and with many demonic moments and rich, vibrant music. The title character, modeled after the multifaceted romantic poet E. T. A. Hoffmann and finding himself amidst his stories again, is fascinated by art as well as love, attracted by female figures and betrayed by adversaries. Director Lydia Steier, along with her team and conductor Bertrand de Billy, will create opulent scenic and musical images. External Content For the protection of your privacy, we do not automatically load the external content " Playlist - Les Contes d'Hoffmann ". Loading external content may transfer personal data to the respective third-party providers. More information can be found in our Privacy Policy . External Content For the protection of your privacy, we do not automatically load the external content " Trailer Les contes d’Hoffmann ". Loading external content may transfer personal data to the respective third-party providers. More information can be found in our Privacy Policy . The great poet Hoffmann is at the end. Where once a much-admired artist was, there is now a broken man – a wreck, who finds his only support in alcohol and in his fixed idea of Stella, the idea of an otherworldly woman. Although the world has long since written him off, two figures are still fighting for his soul: the angelic Muse and the Devil, Hoffmann's eternal adversary. She wants to save, purify, lead him to the good. He wants to push him definitively into those abysses that Hoffmann himself has summoned up. Hoffmann's Soul Drama begins in Luther's Cellar, a tavern filled with smoke and wine where artists drown their dreams and failures. There is nothing left for him but to drink eternity beautifully. Where did he go wrong in his life? Who has been good to him and who has been bad? Who has he loved well and who has he loved poorly? To find answers, Hoffmann returns to his most heart-rending love experiences: Olympia, Antonia and Giulietta.