10/12/13 – The Tales of Hoffmann – 1:00pm
San Francisco Opera
THE TALES OF HOFFMANN by Jacques Offenbach
Recorded Summer 2013, War Memorial Opera House.
Libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carré; Performing Edition based on the integral edition of the opera by Michael Kaye and Jean-Christophe Keck, by arrangement with Schott Music
A sensitive poet searches for love and repeatedly finds it lies just beyond his reach in this marvelously melodic masterpiece. Singing the title role is tenor Matthew Polenzani, who was praised by The New York Times as “coming into his prime…singing with increasing ardor, richness and power.” He is joined by the always-astonishing Natalie Dessay, who gave “a precise, luminous and impeccably controlled performance” (San Francisco Chronicle) in the title role of Lucia di Lammermoor (2008), as Antonia; Hye Jung Lee, who was praised for her vocally “fierce, gleaming beauty” (San Francisco Chronicle) as Madame Mao in Nixon in China (2012), sings Olympia; in their Company debuts, Irene Roberts as Giulietta and mezzo-soprano Angela Brower, is Nicklausse, The Muse; and charismatic bass-baritone Christian Van Horn performs the villains who thwart Hoffmann’s desires. Laurent Pelly (The Daughter of the Regiment, 2009) directs a new production of this richly imaginative, psychologically astute gem.
Sung in French
Approximate running time: 3 hours, 25 minutes including two intermissions
CAST/CREW
HOFFMANN: MATTHEW POLENZANI
THE MUSE/NICKLAUSSE: ANGELA BROWER *
COPPÉLIUS, DAPERTUTTO, DR. MIRACLE, LINDORF: CHRISTIAN VAN HORN
ANTONIA: NATALIE DESSAY
OLYMPIA: HYE JUNG LEE
GIULIETTA: IRENE ROBERTS *
STELLA: JACQUELINE PICCOLINO *
FRANTZ, ANDRÈS, COCHENILLE, PITTICHINACCIO: STEVEN COLE
NATHANAËL: MATTHEW GRILLS *
SPALANZANI: THOMAS GLENN
CRESPEL: JAMES CRESWELL *
HERMANN: JOO WON KANG
LUTHER, SCHLEMIL: HADLEIGH ADAMS *
CONDUCTOR: PATRICK FOURNILLIER
DIRECTOR: LAURENT PELLY
NEW LIBRETTO VERSION/DRAMATURG: AGATHE MÉLINAND
SET DESIGNER: CHANTAL THOMAS
COSTUME DESIGNER: LAURENT PELLY
LIGHTING DESIGNER: JOËL ADAM
PROJECTION DESIGNER: CHARLES CARCOPINO *
CHORUS DIRECTOR: IAN ROBERTSON
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR: CHRISTIAN RÄTH
* SAN FRANCISCO OPERA DEBUT
photo credits: Corey Weaver
