Les contes d'Hoffmann is based on a number of romantic tales by the multi-talented E.T.A. Hoffmann. The eponymous Hoffmann relates three true-to-life love stories and tells of the demons with whom he constantly struggles. Director Yannis Houvardas, who has in previous seasons staged several operas by Richard Strauss at the Gothenburg Opera House, views Hoffmann as a lonely, impotent misfit of an artist, who has a hard time dealing with women. He suffers from split personality and seeks refuge in a warped imaginary world populated with idealised and stereotypical female personae.
"Hoffmann is first and foremost a very lonely man. The second thing is that he's an artist. And the third thing is that he's a special kind of artist; the kind of artists who feels alienated from society – some sort of misfit who retracts into a make-belief realm to avoid confronting the real world." Yannis Houvardas, Director.
Conductor Marc Soustrot will lead the Royal Danish Orchestra and the Royal Danish Opera Chorus. Soustrot has formerly appeared at the Royal Danish Theatre when in 2005 conducting Massenet's Werther. Soustrot alternates with Australian Alexander Briger who has appeared with orchestras as Mozarteum Orchestra, Salzburg, Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, London Philharmonic and Academy of St Martin in the Fields. Among his appearances as opera conductor are The Rape of Lucretia at Covent Garden, Rigoletto and Makropoulos Case at ENO, Die Zauberflöte at Glyndebourne Festival and Jenufa, Madama Butterfly and Cosi fan tutte with Opera Australia.
The title role as Hoffman will be performed by Austrian tenor Nikolai Schukoff, a very promising talent on the international opera stage. He will alternate with the Royal Danish Opera's Johnny van Hal. The three women of his dreams, Olympia, Antonia and Giulietta, will be performed by Louise Fribo/Mia Karlsson (Olympia), Anne Margrethe Dahl (Antonia) and Gitta-Maria Sjöberg/Tina Kiberg (Giulietta). Lindorf, Coppelius, Dr. Miracle and Dappertutto will be performed by Kjeld Christoffersen alternating with Per Høyer. And the muse Niklausse will be performed by Hanne Fischer/Elisabeth Halling.
Set designer Herbert Murauer has created the sets that combine images of a bar and a peepshow cinema. Furthermore, Karin Erskine has created the costumes and Torkel Blomkvist has created the lighting design. Choreography is by Signe Fabricius.
Performance dates are:
17|19|21|27|30 September
8|11|26|28|31 October
3|07|10|19|21 November 2007. -- www.kglteater.dk
Pictures for this story
