TALES OF HOFFMANN, THE

(Les Contes D’ Hoffmann) Composer: JACQUES OFFENBACH Book by JULES BARBIER and Michet Carré from three tales by K. T. A. Hoffmann First performance: Opéra Comique, Paris, February 10, 1881 Prologue, 3 acts, and an epilogue. Horrmann is telling his drinking companions, particularly his friend Nicklau e, in Luther’s Inn about his three disillusioning love affairs. In the first instance he fell in love with Olympia, a beautiful doll, created by Dr. Spalanzani. By equipping Hoffmann with special gla es the doctor has duped him into believing she is real. She sings and dances with Hoffmann though she does not answer his pleas to marry him. When Olympia’s inner mechanism begins to play out she dances out of the ballroom leaving Hoffmann the butt of laughter. Outside a crash is heard as Dr. Coppelius smashes Olympia because Spalanzani had given him a worthle check for his share in the doll. Next Hoffmann is disillusioned in Venice where he falls in love with Giulietta, beauty of renown. Compelled to fight a duel with Giulietta’s lover, Schlemihl, Hoffmann kills the man only to have Giulietta run off with another lover. Hoffmann is barely In the final instance Hoffmann saved from arrest by the faithful Nicklau e. has fallen in love with Antonia, the daughter of Crespel, a musician whose wife had died mysteriously years before. Antonia has a beautiful voice, but because of bad health has been instructed not to sing. Dr. Miracle, bent on killing Antonia as he did her mother, contrives finally to make Antonia sing herself to death. Dr. Miracle disappears, and Hoffmann is accused of killing the girl. Returning to Luther’s Inn, Nicklau e consols Hoffmann as two characters, Stella and Lindorf, are introduced to little more than extend the opera.