This was a remarkably thoughtful and stimulating production. The central character has always been seen as ‘an artist’ with a spectacularly unsuccessful love life, a reflection of his character’s naivety and emotional needs.
In this ‘take’ he is a simply a creative artist (archetype?) who is shown as working in different areas – in Act 1 the world of modern art with Olympia as the artistic creation, in Act 2 as a music producer with an infatuation with a doomed young singer and in Act 3 as a film producer, using, I think, his own life and experiences as the direct source of his art.
The set is dominated by a large video screen on which we see, initially, his ‘muse’ Stella while at other times we get a different perspective, sometimes from directly overhead as in the third act, of the action that is happening on the stage OR, towards the end, it is used as a confessional by the artist drawing attention to the split between appearance (on the screen) and reality (what is actually happening in real life).
The prologue set up this scenario with the germ-phobic artist isolated in his apartment (prescient staging or what?!) The saturnine not to say devilish nemesis made his first appearance here as an elegant barman – of normal-looking appearance but, as the story unfolded, he became more and more fearsomely grotesque-looking in each act. I am not sure if we ever really know WHY this character is always thwarting Hoffman’s wishes and desires. I can see in one interpretation that he could be seen as an aspect of Hoffman himself who always self-sabotages his relationships. Wonder if a production has been done that takes that view?
In this prologue we were given the strong impression that Hoffman has difficulty in distinguishing his own real emotions and cannot at times see the difference between appearance and reality, this being largely suggested by the use of the video screen. It was a riveting if at times initially baffling Prologue that set the mood and tone for the superb rest. It seems that it is life as performance. I thought having three identical doll-like dancer figures as almost permanently on stage, here and in other acts was a neat way of reminding us of the trajectory of Hoffman’s experiences.
In the first act we are in the world of modern art with a very characteristically dressed audience on stage impassively watching the demonstration of Spalanzani’s and Coppelius’s skills. However their presence was important as in all other subsequent scenes – and they were not always just passive viewers. Olympia’s appearance, before her performance was very creepy indeed – she looked something like a robot sex doll covered in a latex-like material. Her constant moving of her fingers was particularly uncomfortable although when performing she had been made far more natural looking. It was another excellent touch that the ‘magic spectacles’ that Coppelius was selling were actually eyes…
As with much else in the production, much use was made of a free-standing microphone behind which the performers performed – natural here for Olympia but its use throughout emphasized the importance of art and performance – and the implicit fact that artist performers are pretending when they perform.
The one person who was ‘real’ in this and the other worlds of fantasy of Hoffman was Niklausse who was grounded in reality and acted in a way like a chorus, viewing and occasionally communicating with the various worlds that were depicted throughout the opera. Her costume emphasized this in being simple and in black as opposed to the variety of spectacular and colorful costumes that was always visible on the stage.
The same singer played all four roles (as is dramatically essential I think) and given the very different voices required, did superbly; always the singing at the service of the drama and if the Olympia aria was not the best technically, well that was right. Again I think a case could be made for it being sung NOT perfectly as a way of indicating that the creation is not real. But it might be difficult to persuade the singer of the role as to this! Here the singing had as well a slightly disturbing quality to it, a sense that something was not quite right – and the breakdowns of the ‘machine’ were actually very disconcerting…
A tremendous act and one that promised all that was then delivered in subsequent ones.
In Act 2 we are in the world of a music producer (and where Frantz’s song was, miraculously, not incredibly irritating) the duet between Hoffman and Antonia had a very effective and somewhat chilling air of desperation about it as if time was running out – which of course it was - and her death was very powerful and affecting. Dr Miracle’s appearance was distinctly more sinister with a slightly exaggerated and vivid red mouth. Niklausse was a resigned (and helpless) watcher of the action unfolding unable to change events as they happened.
The Act 3 continued the promise of the preceding ones = the opening barcarolle duet was very tenderly sensual and Dappertuto had now, in appearance, gone ‘full Joker’ with garish slash of a red clown mouth, blackened eyes and a spectacular wig. In the duel with Schimel made excellent use of the screen, giving an overhead view of the action and, to a degree, distancing us from what was happening and perhaps getting us to question reality – was the image on the screen as real as what was happening on the stage? Or vice-versa?
But the most spectacular moments were the conclusion where towards the end of the epilogue, the curtain came down and we were at an Oscar’s ceremony (in English) where Stella comes on to receive her award, begins her speech, and is interrupted by the drunken Hoffman, heartbreakingly reminding the audience of how much he has achieved (and how much money he has made them – nice touch) and asking for the chance to carry on creating his films and art. This was stunningly powerful, a totally left-field action and something that provided a wonderful and incredibly moving climax. A definite nod to A Star is Born I think – and apparently the director is known for his cinematic allusions, some of which I may have missed in this.
The final image at the very end was of Hoffman, back in isolation kneeling on front of a camera that projected him and his muse on the screen, desperate to carry on with his art but perhaps unable to distinguish it from reality.
So, a stunning performance and while all performers were characteristically of European-opera-house-excellence as singing actors, the Hoffman was remarkable; not surprising he looked shattered during the curtain calls!
Hoffmann: ERIC CUTLER
Olympia, Antonia, Giulietta, Stella: PATRICIA PETIBON
Nicklausse, La Muse: MICHÈLE LOSIER
La voix de la tombe: SYLVIE BRUNET-GRUPPOSO
Le conseiller Lindorf, Coppélius, Le docteur Miracle, Le capitaine Dapertutto: GÁBOR BRETZ
Spalanzani, Nathanaël: FRANÇOIS PIOLINO
Luther, Crespel: SIR WILLARD WHITE
Frantz, Andrès, Cochenille, Pitichinaccio: LOÏC FÉLIX
Schlémil, Herrmann: YOANN DUBRUQUE
Wolfram: ALEJANDRO FONTE
Wilhelm: BYOUNGJIN LEE
Conductor: ALAIN ALTINOGLU