Thursday 2 April 2015

From Milano to Munich, Bizet-Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann 2015-03-31

From hot weather in Milano to cold weather in Munich via Frankfurt. A Sunday flight to Frankfurt from Linate airport and it is Summer time in Europe. I thought it would be time enough to go to the opera and it wasn't really because I was really tired so I just ate and slept in Frankfurt. Monday morning eating breakfast at McDonald's. Then by train to Munich. Monday was my shopping day. 

It was not just because of Rolando Villazon.

2015-03-31 Les Contes d'Hoffmann (Jacques Offenbach), Bayerische Staatsoper (Munich)

Olympia = Jane Archibald
Giulietta = Brenda Rae
Antonia = Serena Farnocchia
Cochenille, Pitichinaccio, Frantz = Kevin Conners Lindorf, Coppélius, Dapertutto, Miracle = Christian Van Horn
Nicklausse/Muse = Angela Brower 
Stimme aus dem Grab = Qiu Lin Zhang 
Hoffmann = Rolando Villazón 
Spalanzani = Ulrich Reß 
Nathanaël = Dean Power 
Hermann = Andrea Borghini 
Schlémil = Christian Rieger 
Wilhelm = Petr Nekoranec 
Crespel = Peter Lobert 
Luther = Peter Lobert

Constantin Trinks, conductor
Chor der Bayerischen Staatsoper Orchester Bayerisches Staatsorchester 

Inszenierung - Richard Jones
Bühne - Giles Cadle 
Kostüme- Buki Shiff 
Choreographie - Lucy Burge 
Licht - Mimi Jordan Sherin 
Dramaturgie - Rainer Karlitschek 
Chor - Sören Eckhoff

Having seen this opera before with Placido Domingo and Agnes Baltsa as Hoffmann and Giulietta, the video recording from Royal Opera House Covent Garden, I was not overly optimistic. The only part I could really enjoy was the Giulietta act and even Domingo could not make me enjoy the whole opera. The parts with Placido was always the best and with Agnes Baltsa too, it became magic.

Rolando Villazon was the best actor for this role and a good tenor, too. His voice is not as it used to be, they say. In this performance I saw a promise to come back to greatness with some care. Villazon was a great Hoffmann and by his side the true wonder of the evening Angela Brower as Nicklausse. The 3 sopranos was great. Jane Archibald was the most amazing Olympia. Serena Farnocchia was the most wonderful Olympia. Brenda Rae was Giulietta. This time I did not love the Giulietta act more the rest. It was just the most perfect production.

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