Classical review: Met Live in HD

Omniplex, Mahon, Cork

The latest Met Live in HD presentation, Offenbach’s Tales of Hoffman was gorgeous… in every sense.

Michael Yeargen’s sets, Catherine Zuber’s costumes, and Bartlett Sher’s production sumptuously combined to complement the glorious tunes that make this opera such a great favourite.

One might question Sher’s OTT, surreal, Kafka-esque approach to Act I, but I found it helped me to sympathise somewhat with the alcoholic poet/artist/writer, Hoffman.

In the Prologue we find him in a beer hall, listening through the din to the voice of his ideal woman, Stella, who is singing Mozart next door, and telling of his failed love affairs.

In the three acts that follow, we find him hopelessly falling in love with a doll, a singer, and a courtesan.

In each case he has to contend with an evil influence, variously named as Lindorf, Dr Miracle, and Dapertutto (Thomas Hampson). His poetic Muse and Nicklausse, his best friend (Kate Lindsey), attempt to save him from himself.

There is so much popular music in the opera —‘Click-clack, Einsach’, the ‘Doll’s Song’, and the ‘Barcarolle’, to mention just three — that one cannot fail to enjoy it, especially when the cast is so good.

Best in his impassioned singing, Italian tenor, Vittorio Grigolo made an immediate impression and the three sopranos with whom he fell in love were equally impressive.

Erin Morley as the doll, Olympia, was charming and Christine Rice as the courtesan Giulietta (she and Nicklausse sing the barcarolle) was a perfect femme fatale.

Hibla Gerzmava, originally cast in all three soprano roles, decided to concentrate on that of the singer, Antonia and she was magnificent.

Thomas Hampson’s portrayal of Hofmann’s nemesis (listed in the programme as ‘Four Villains’) was suitably sinister.

His voice has, perhaps, lost much of its richness in the lower register but he is never less than wonderfully musical and, in the enthralling final ensemble (mysteriously, not very often heard) he perfectly balanced the other, seemingly bigger voices.