At the height of his fame, acclaimed for his inimitable comic operas and operettas, Jacques Offenbach began writing a grand fantastical opera inspired by romantic tales. In doing so, he contributed some of the most beautiful lyrical pages to the history of music: Kleinzach’s song, Olympia’s bird-like aria, and the famous barcarolle “Belle nuit d’amour”. The audience will be humming these melodies long after the curtain falls. Hoffmann, an idealistic dreamer, recalls his three great loves: automaton Olympia, singer Antonia, and courtesan Giulietta.
Back in Lyon, director Damiano Michieletto sees Offenbach’s favourite opera as a dreamlike reflection on three stages of life: childhood, adulthood, and maturity. Surrounded by imaginary figures, Hoffmann journeys back into his schoolboy memories to grieve the wounds of life.
This show is a profound and touching production about our memories and our desire to relive them — and their power to awaken deep emotions.