The Real Tales of Hoffmann: Origin, History, and Restoration of an Operatic Masterpiece

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Of all operas in the standard repertory, none has had a more complicated genesis and textual history than Offenbachs Tales of Hoffmann. Based on a highly successful 1851 play inspired by the short stories by the German Romantic writer E.T.A. Hoffmann, the work occupied the last decade of Offenbachs life. When he died in October 1880, the work was being rehearsed at the Opra-Comique. At once cut and rearranged, the work was performed from the start in versions that ignored the composers final intentions. Only a few decades ago, when previously unavailable manuscripts came to light, it became possible to reconstitute the score in its real form. Vincent Giroud and Michael Kayes The Real 'Tales of Hoffmann' tells the full story for the first time in English.

After discussing how the work of Hoffmann became known and influential in France, the book includes little-known sources for the opera, especially the complete Barbier and Carr play, in French and English. It describes the genesis of the opera. The annotated libretto is published in full, with the variants, for the two versions of the opera: with spoken dialogue or recitatives. Essays explain what was done to the opera after Offenbachs death, from the 1881 Opra-Comique production to more recent restoration attempts. There is also a survey of Les contes dHoffmann in performance from the 1970s to the present, and supplementary information, including discography, filmography, and videography.

The Real 'Tales of Hoffmann' is intended to appeal to anyone interested in the work, specialists or non-specialists. Audiences, musicologists and students of French opera and opra-comique will find it of particular interest, as will opera houses, conductors, singers, directors, and dramaturgs involved in performances of the opera.

Reviews

The book could be helpful to performers and conductors in choosing how to interpret the roles, cast the show, and choose an edition . . . Historians and others interested in the creation and development of the work, however, will find the listing of performances fascinating, especially since Kaye explains the edition choice, the casting, and other relevant details pertaining to the different stage production . . . Overall, this book will appeal to a wide audience that is interested in learning more about Hoffmann, the librettists, Offenbach, and the various iterations of his most popular opera. * Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association *
The Real Tales of Hoffmann is a commendable collaboration of the opera historian par excellence, Vincent Giroud and Michael Kaye, who is something of a geniusa tireless researcher, an original thinker, a musicological historian unencumbered with prefabricated aesthetic prejudiceswho has given the world rare, often revisionary, always profoundly valuable insights into the mind of Jacques Offenbach and the circuitous creation (also re-creation over time) of Les contes dHoffmann. They have earned unbridled admiration and gratitude from all who seek broadened horizons regarding the universal presentation of conventional, also unconventional, music and theater. -- Martin Bernheimer, Pulitzer Prize-winning former music critic of the Los Angeles Times
This scrupulously historical reconstitution of the origins and destiny of Les contes dHoffmann, perhaps the most misunderstood work in the operatic repertory, and certainly one of my favorite operas, will be a revelation to musicians and to everyone who has ever fallen under the spell of Offenbachs immortal masterpiece. -- Neil Shicoff, internationally renowned star-tenor and one of the 20th centurys foremost interpreters of Hoffmann
The authors of The 'Real Tales of Hoffmann' have performed an invaluable service to all opera theaters, audiences, and scholars by presenting in one volume so much information about Offenbachs masterpiece and important source material that is not readily available. Stage directors, designers, dramaturgs, conductors, and singers will also find the advice on choosing a version particularly illuminating. -- Ronny Dietrich, Dramaturg and Director of Publications of the Salzburg Festival (20122016)

Author Bio

Vincent Giroud is professor at the University of Franche-Comt, Besanon (France), former curator of modern books and manuscripts, Beinecke Library, Yale University, author of French Opera: A Short History, Nicolas Nabokov: A Life in Freedom and Music, and contributor to the Oxford Handbook of Opera and the Oxford Handbook of Faust in Music.

Michael Kaye, eminent American musicologist, author of The Unknown Puccini, translator of Giacomo Puccini Catalogue of the Works, editor of works by numerous composers performed and recorded by major artists and orchestras, lecturer, educator, radio commentator, producer and opera administrator, annotator for major recordings, former member of the musical and artistic staffs of opera companies in the United States and Europe, including the Metropolitan Opera.