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Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann / Lopez-Cobos, Terfel, Swenson, Shicoff

Offenbach / Shicoff / Terfel / Lopez-cobos
Release Date: 10/26/2010 
Label:  Arthaus Musik   Catalog #: 107027  
Composer:  Jacques Offenbach
Performer:  Béatrice Uria-Monzon,  Ruth Ann Swenson,  Michel Sénéchal,  Bambi Floquet,   ... 
Conductor:  Jesús Lopez-Cobos
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Paris National Opera Chorus,  Paris National Opera Orchestra
Number of Discs: 2 
Recorded in: Stereo 
In Stock: Usually ships in 24 hours.  

Notes and Editorial Reviews

Jacques Offenbach
LES CONTES D'HOFFMANN

Hoffmann – Neil Shicoff
Lindorf / Coppélius / Dr. Miracle / Dapertutto – Bryn Terfel
La Muse / Nicklausse – Susanne Mentzer
Olympia – Désirée Rancatore
Antonia – Ruth Ann Swenson
Giulietta – Béatrice Uria-Monzon
Andrès / Cochenille / Frantz / Pitichinaccio – Michel Sénéchal
La Voix de la mère – Nora Gubisch
Maître Luther / Crespel – Alain Vernhes
Spalanzani – Christian Jean
Nathanaël – Jean-Luc Maurette
Hermann – Josep Miquel Ribot
Schlémil – Nigel Smith
Stella – Bambi Floquet

Paris National Opera Read more Chorus and Orchestra
Jesús López-Cobos, conductor
Robert Carsen, stage direction

Recorded live from the Opera national de Paris, 2002.

Three stories of passionate affairs, lost loves and the illusions of an artist! Hoffman, a musician and poet, recounts his love for the automaton Olympia, the singer Antonia and the courtesan Giulietta. In his only grand opera, Offenbach created a fantasy- filled, dreamlike atmosphere. The opera, which culminates with the immortal „Barcarolle“ Belle nuit, ô nuit d‘amour „, is considered to be one the most successful in the French repertoire. Arthaus Musik presents a DVD of Robert Carsen’s celebrated staging of Les contes d’Hoffmann at the Opéra Bastille. The award-winning Canadian is one of the foremost opera directors of today, well known for his exquisitely crafted productions and the classic beauty of his opera interpretations. He first produced Les contes d’Hoffmann for the Opéra de Paris in March 2000, and because of its great success, this production returned to the stage in October 2002, when this DVD was recorded. The film captures this vibrant staging, oscillating between the famous chorus scenes at Luther’s inn and the intimate moments of Hoffmann’s tragic tales. The great American singer-actors Neil Shicoff and Susanne Mentzer as Hoffmann and his friend Nicklausse lead through the three stories with highly versatile acting, while famous Welsh bass-baritone Bryn Terfel plays and sings the four evil characters with awe-inspiring conviction. The DVD also includes three interviews as bonus tracks.

Picture format: NTSC 16:9
Sound format: PCM Stereo / Dolby Digital 5.1 / DTS 5.1
Region code: 0 (worldwide)
Menu language: English
Subtitles: English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Chinese
Running time: 173 mins
No. of DVDs: 2
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Works on This Recording

1. Les contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach
Performer:  Béatrice Uria-Monzon (Mezzo Soprano), Ruth Ann Swenson (Soprano), Michel Sénéchal (Tenor),
Bambi Floquet (Voice), Neil Shicoff (Tenor), Bryn Terfel (Bass Baritone),
Susanne Mentzer (Mezzo Soprano), Alain Vernhes (Bass), Nora Gubisch (Mezzo Soprano),
Désirée Rancatore (Soprano)
Conductor:  Jesús Lopez-Cobos
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Paris National Opera Chorus,  Paris National Opera Orchestra
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1881; Paris, France 

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