Offenbach: The Tales of Hoffmann: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) [Original recording remastered]

Beverly Sills (Artist), Stuart Burrows (Artist), Norman Treigle (Artist), Susanne Marsee (Artist), Nico Castel (Artist), Jacques Offenbach (Composer), Julius Rudel (Conductor), London Symphony Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Orchestra: London Symphony Orchestra
• Conductor: Julius Rudel
• Composer: Jacques Offenbach
• Audio CD (March 12, 2002)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Westminister
• ASIN: B000060P63
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,936 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #16 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Operettas

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Spectacular Studio Recording: The Best, February 5, 2004

By 

Rudy Avila "Saint Seiya" (Lennox, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Offenbach: The Tales of Hoffmann: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) (Audio CD)

This 1972 studio recording is the ultimate Tales Of Hoffman. The recording was originally an LP on the ABC label in the Westminster Legacy issues, but digitally remastered and edited for cd by Deutsche Grammophon. Deutsche Grammophone cd labels are famous for remastering legendary and classic recordings of classical music and opera and they have outdone themselves again with this one. It features virtuoso singers at the top of their game and the orchestra is directed under the baton of the seasoned conductor Julius Rudel. Singing the three heroines Olympia, Giuletta and Antonia is the incredible Beverly Sills whose dynamics are the real gem in this recording, singing the hopeless romantic Hoffman is lyric tenor Stuart Burrows and singing the diabolical villains is the unsurpassed baritone Norman Treigle. These same singers, among them mezzo soprano Susan Marsee in the role of Nicklausse and the Muse, have performed The Tales Of Hoffman many times and made it popular here in America, where it might have become obscure and neglected or rarely performed. But thanks to the efforts of Beverly Sills and her New York City Opera group, this opera is here to stay.

Jacques Offenbach's opera was drawn from three seperate stories by writer E.T.A. Hoffman ( a fantasy and horror novelist of the 19th century who was like the Stephen King of his day) The story follows the bohemian and unlucky-in-love poet Hoffman finally getting his one big chance at love when he receives a letter from the opera diva Stella to meet him at a bar. The scheming Councilor Lindorf (whom we are lead to believe is the Devil incarnate and who has ruined Hoffman's oppurtunities at love many times before) has intercepted the letter and decides to foil Hoffman's chance at love once more. Sure enough, Hoffman comes into the tavern and in his depressed mood, drinks himself under the table, but not before telling his melancholy tales of thwarted love. The first is a blind love with a robotic doll (Olympia)which is shattered when he realizes she was only an invention from the inventor he worked for, the second (Giuletta)with a materialistic Venetian courtesan who dumps him and the last, true love with the sickly daughter of a violin-maker and an opera diva (Antonia) who sings to her death.

Beverly Sills, Stuart Burrows and Norman Treigle are the real strength behind this recording. They had performed together before in 1965, when they first launched the opera to New York City and to American audiences, including New Orleans. Stuart Burrows as Hoffman is a perfect combination of romantic despair, tender love and "tenor di grazie" lyricism- just listen to Burrows singing "O Dieu De Quelle Ivresse" and all of his duets with Beverly Sills. Norman Treigle's dark baritone vocal style is similar to Samuel Ramey. In fact, Norman Treigle most influenced Samuel Ramey. Norman Treigle was the lead baritone of the New York City Opera, an evil, diabolical timbre to his voice, sinister laughter and snarl in his voice makes him the best interpretor of the villains- Lindorf, Coppelius, Dappertuto and Dr. Miracle. Just listen to Treigle on fire in the arias - "Dans le role de amoreux", "Scintille Diamant" and his part in the trio in which as Dr. Miracle, he casts a dark spell over Antonia, who together with the ghost of her mother, is spurred to sing to her fatal demise.

Last but certainly not least, Beverly Sills. She is the best interpretor of the heroines. Everyone is free to make their own picks for favorites and for their choice of the best. The threesome roles have been performed by such celebrated artists as Joan Sutherland and Edita Gruberova. Beverly Sills has got to be acknowledged. She knew the three heroine parts even as a very young girl, her French diction was perfect and even enhanced by the fact she was fluent in the French language, her versatility is proven in the different type of singing for the Hoffman women-mechanical, wooden, comedic and full of firework coloratura as Olympia, seductive and cruel as Giuletta and hapless, romantic and frail as Antonia (her version of Elle e fui La Turterelle and her Death Scene with Dr. Miracle is by far the best). Kudos to Deutsche Grammophon for resurfacing this brilliant recording.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Greater Hoffman Is Yet To Come, September 19, 2002

By 

Rudy Avila "Saint Seiya" (Lennox, Ca United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Offenbach: The Tales of Hoffmann: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) (Audio CD)

Julius Rudel conducting this timeless opera, starring the bel canto and coloratura diva Beverly Sills is an odyssey through opera's most beautiful moments. Many fine interpretations have been made of this recording, such as the versions with Placido Domingo singing the role of Hoffman, but this is ultimately the best. Although the "unfinished" opera that Offenbach would have wanted is not this, it has its moments. Offenbach's contemporaries revised the opera and added new arias and scenes, of which only a new aria for the Venetian courtesan Giuletta is added in this recording. But true to Offenbach's request, a single soprano sings all three roles of Hoffman's loves, and no one can surpass Beverly Sills in this arena. She sings as Olympia, the doll that breaks and breaks Hoffman's heart, she stars as Giuletta the courtesan and as Antonia, the sickly opera singer. Norman Treigle provides us witha terrific tryptich of villains and the tenor singing Hoffman is a believable romantic whose sad story we listen to with sympathy. I suggest you purchase this recording if you are on the search for the perfect Tales of Hoffman, which is the perfect French opera. And true to my heading, a greater Hoffman is yet to come. What would that be you ask ? A digitally powerful recording of a fully revised "special edition" version, with all the new scenes and arias, and a single soprano singing the three loves of Hoffman, a single baritone singing the three villains. This would make the best recording, but until then enjoy this triumphant masterpiece.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Greater Tales Of Hoffman Is Yet To Come, September 18, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Offenbach: The Tales of Hoffmann: Complete Opera (with full libretto and translation) (Audio CD)

Undeniably the greatest Tales Of Hoffman. There is much debate regarding this title however. Originally, Jacques Offenbach (operetta extraordinaire, brilliant French composer and inventor of the famous Can-Can) intended a single diva to sing all three heroines- Olympia, Giuletta and Antonia. This is Beverly Sills at the peak of her career, singing the three roles to perfection and proving to the world that she is a soprano that will go down in history. As for Stuart Burrows as Hoffman, he provides us with a sympathetic and believable performance as a love-struck, disillusioned and heartbroken artist. Norman Triegle is a terrific tryptich of villains, cynical, bombastic and you have to love to hate him. Conductor Julius Rudel, who championed Beverly Sills career in the New York City Opera, is superb at the baton, effectively creating a musical score that is ebullient and festive,, but also dark and tragic. This recording is a must have , especially for a fan of Beverly Sills, whose extraordinary performance surpasses those of other sopranos who have tried the threesome role of Hoffman's love interests, including Joan Sutherland. True at least to part of Hoffman's requests, this opera contains no "never before heard scenes" and makes use of no new arias except Giulettas's coloratura aria which is in fact a faint reminder of Olympia's Doll Song. A greater recording, with digital sound, a brilliant diva singing the three roles, and fantastic sound effects that do not get in the way of the moving experience and the entire "unfinished" opera of Offenbach finally restored. But until that recording comes, this is the one to have, if only to hear the magnifenct orchestration of Rudel, the fine cast and of course- Beverly Sills, who has astonished the world already with bel canto heroines as Lucia Di Lammermoor and all three of Donizetti's Tudor Queens. The story will leave you with a tear to your eye, the music will uplift you and surround you with sadness, as we, as if in the tavern where the students gather to drink champagne, listen to Hoffman who has loved and lost and become greater with his suffering and the aid of his ever faithful and eternal Muse. A Must Have For Opera Lovers.