Les contes d'Hoffmann

'Les Contes D'Hoffmann' may not quite be one of my favourite operas of all-time, but it has Offenbach's magnificent music-especially Dappertutto's "Scintille Diamant", Olympia's Doll Song and the Barcarolle- interesting characters especially Nicklausse and the four villains and a very intriguing story structure.

My favourite of Offenbach's operas that's for sure, as well as his most well-known. On DVD, 'Les Contes D'Hoffmann' is very much a mixed bag. With the Powell/Pressburger film and Placido Domingo and Neil Shicoff productions faring the best and the Giancarlo Del Monaco, Vincenzo Lo Scola and Opera De Lyon performances being the worst. This 2008 Olivier Py-directed Geneva production belongs with neither extreme, a lot of fine things but also a lot of problems.

A vast majority of the production is truly excellent on a musical level. Apart from the sad omission of "Scintille Diamant" the music is all intact and we're even treated to more (something that is definitely a point of interest with the production), with Nicklausse's role in particular being expanded. The orchestra play with quite ravishing tone and also with much energy and sensitivity. Pareick Davin's conducting is brisk, but lets the more intricate parts of the score like the Barcarolle breathe and showpieces like the Doll Song flourish. The chorus sing beautifully and seem engaged dramatically regardless of what has been thrown at them.

The performances on the most part are top notch, especially Stella Doufexis' elegant and richly sung Nicklausse and Nicolas Cavallier is superbly menacing in all the four villain roles, especially effective as Dr Miracle. Patricia Petibon is also a sheer delight as Olympia, singing with vocal beauty and technical brilliance as well as acting with a lot of character. Rachel Harnisch is an affecting Antonia, her big aria being very deeply felt. Secondary roles are well taken, with standout turns from Eric Huchet and Francisco Vas.

Not all the performances come off so well. While she undoubtedly sings beautifully, Maria Riccarda Wesseling is rather too voluptuous for Giulietta and lacks sexual allure. Worse is Marc Laho's Hoffmann, whose singing is dry and his acting practically anonymous.

Where the performance is most flawed is with the production values and staging. Even for its "le grand macabre" concept, the production just looks too dark, too grim and rather ugly. The concept is not inappropriate as such for 'Les Contes D'Hoffmann', but it just felt like too much of one mood dominating everything else that other elements don't come through. Having loved his 'Dialogues Des Carmelites' (one of the best productions of that opera on DVD) and being very impressed by his 'Lulu' (despite a few reservations), Py's stage direction really disappoints. It manages to be both too busy and sometimes disengaging, and it is never clear what he was trying to say or what the point of the opera is. Too much of the staging adds very little (especially the sometimes over-the-top and gratuitous nudity that doesn't really have any place in the opera regardless of the concept) and fails to bring clarity to the storytelling, actually confusing it. Olympia's act fares the best, having some entertaining moments, but Antonia's act is too darkly lit, the prologue drags badly and Giulietta's tale is often incomprehensible.

On the DVD, the production fares well. The video directing is natural and allows one to see the big-scale and small-scale of the action. The picture quality is clear and not unfocused, wobbly or blurred, and the sound allows one to enjoy the full impact of the music with good balance.

In conclusion, some fine things but while there are weaker Hoffmanns out there this didn't completely come together for me. 6/10 Bethany Cox