Offenbach : Les Contes d'Hoffmann
Royal Opera Chorus
Orchestra of the Royal Opera House
Evelino Pidò
John Schlesinger's production of Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann is another venerable Royal Opera production that is seeing its final outings this season, and is going out in something very close to a blaze of glory. I remember this one when it was first staged, it was given a television screening early in 1981, and the DVD is still in circulation. As they say, they don't make productions like this anymore, fully set, lavishly costumed, very detailed and very faithful to the score.
This production probably also marks the last time the 1908 Choudens edition will ever be performed in a major opera house more or less come scritto. Knowing schedules for houses like the ROH, Schlesinger was probably invited to stage Hoffmann a couple of years ahead of time, and at that point - let's say 1978, for argument's sake - the discovery of new material pertaining to the score was very recent. The Oeser edition was barely a couple of years old, and hotly contested; Michael Kaye had yet to produce his first new edition, and there have been at least three others since then. In short, the Choudens was the only one that could be practically considered at that point in time.
As it is, some time during the previous revivals of this production, someone decided to make an addition to Act 3 (the Munich act, here) in order to give Nicklausse "Vois sous l'archet frémissant" to sing, which is very welcome - it's arguably the single most significant restoration to the score - but the drawback is that part of the introductory (sung) dialogue between Hoffmann and Nicklausse makes it very clear that the Munich act is meant to follow the Paris act. In the interval chit-chat, Thomas Hampson said he preferred the order seen tonight (Paris - Venice - Munich), and thought it was the right one. I don't know if he was being diplomatic, if he finds it more comfortable vocally, or if he really means it, but I can't agree dramatically, just as Hoffmann's progress as a character makes more sense with the acts in their proper order. However, there's no doubt that musically, the Munich act is the strongest, and creates the biggest impact when placed at the end.
Editorial issues aside, it's still marvellous to see a production that is every bit as baroque as the story it's telling, with a stage rich in colour and texture, fantastical and imaginative, and everywhere you look, a picture, an image that imprints on the mind, and it will be a very hard act to follow. I just wish these performances had been entrusted to a conductor more in tune with his plateau, because while much of the music was very good, time and again, I was jolted out of the moment by slips between pit and stage, differing opinions of tempo, that I might have expected on a first night, but not by the third. The soloists were certainly worthy of the right sort of attention from their conductor.
The last Hoffmann I saw was the broadcast from the Met in January '15, and it shared four of the principals with tonight's performance, first and foremost, Vittorio Grigòlo as Hoffmann. Now, as then, it's the unflagging energy and the wealth of steady, golden tone he pours into the role that's truly impressive, along with appreciably good, clear French. Actually, everyone's French was really very good; Erik Halvarson's Crespel was the poorest in that respect, and his singing wasn't a great deal better, but it was still comprehensible. Thomas Hampson reprised the four villains, in much better voice than last year. I still think that both Coppélius and Dappertutto are a little low for him, but Miracle was properly sung all the way through this time, and his stage presence is magnetic. Kate Lindsey, too, is a strong presence on stage, though Nicklausse in this edition loses a certain amount of prominence. Nevertheless, she made every note count with her expressive, smoky timbre.
Olympia was sung by Sofia Fomina, whom I've not heard before. She certainly managed all the coloratura, and played the part well, but the quality of the voice seemed a little hard, and the aria wasn't rhythmically precise enough. Olympia's an automaton, you need to get a sense of that tick-tock mechanism from her at all times, and that means singing exactly on the beat. Christine Rice was the last 'repeat' from the Met, as Giulietta, and she was true to herself, with a seductive, honeyed voice that tantalised as surely as the magnificent red dress in which she was draped. Finally, Sonya Yoncheva sang Antonia with a creamy, lustrous tone, and while I could have done with a bit less gasping (when not singing, that is) during the final scenes, she well conveyed the ever-increasing intoxication of the moment as her song spins out of control to its fatal climax.
After a host of very successfully performed secondary roles, Halvarson's unstable Crespel was rather a let-down, and I did wonder if that was part of the reason we only got one round of the "Bottles" Trio. On the other hand, it was nice to see Kim Junghoon (now billed as David Junghoon Kim), the 2014 Toulouse competition winner, on stage as Nathanaël; he's currently a member of the ROH's Young Artists programme, and made a very good showing.
So it's farewell to a visual feast, and let's hope that its replacement, when it comes, isn't a famine!
[Next : 16th November]
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