The Tales of Hoffmann
Jacques Offenbach's opera "The Tales of Hoffmann," based on stories by E.T.A. Hoffmann; it premiered in 1881 at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, after the composer's death.
After our theatre had staged two comic operas in a row, by Mozart and Donizetti, we wanted something completely different. A thriller of some kind. Offenbach's «The Tales of Hoffmann» suited this genre very well. The plot has many elements of mysticism: the devil, ghosts, poison, a mirror that steals reflections… And a great many characters, just right for our theatre.
Wonderful music! The score turned out to contain "bits" and intonations of future operas and musicals (by Tchaikovsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Gladkov).
All that was left was the translation into Russian. Sadovnikov had no English crib "at hand," and Alexei had never learned French.
So the text came out our own again, homemade. The author shifted the emphasis. The red thread on which the plot is "wound" is the argument between the Devil and the Muse about the essence of the Poet, and of Hoffmann in particular.
It is pleasing to know that this season such talented performers as Alex Katser, Tanya Patrick, and Yura Anisimov joined our company.
Cast
| Role | Cast A | Cast B |
|---|---|---|
| Гофман | Alex Katser | |
| Дьявол (Коппелиус, Миракль, Дапертутто) | Igor Muratov | Roman Gafiteanu |
| Муза (Никлаус) | Irina Martineau | Marina Nikiforova |
| Олимпия | Natasha Bondar | Madlen Gafiteanu |
| Спаланцани (изобретатель) | Violetta Sorokina | Igor Zavarskii |
| Антония | Nadia Sokolova | Kira Stakhovskaya |
| Креспель, её отец | Andrei Baboulevitch | Vadim Ryvkin |
| Призрак матери | Sveta Perminova | Marina Chechetkina |
| Джульетта | Natasha Jons | Tanya Patrik |
| Буфетчик, Кушниль, Франц, Шлемиль | Igor Plotnikov | Aleksei Sadovnikov |
| Помощники дьявола | Irina Gorbatova | |
Playbill