The Tales of Hoffmann (French: Les contes d'Hoffmann) is an opéra fantastique by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work; he died in October 1880, four months before the premiere.
Original Name
Les contes d'Hoffmann
Librettist
Jules Barbier (Based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann)
Premiered
1881, February 10th
(Opéra Comique)
in Paris, France
Angelika Kirchschlager as Nicklausse with Marcus Haddock as Hoffman in "Les contes d'Hoffmann" (The Tales of Hoffmann) - Orange Festival, 2000.
Beautiful aria "Vois sous l'archet fremissant" :)))
Offenbach - Barcarolle , from 'The Tales of Hoffmann'
Title : Jacques Offenbach , Barcarolle , from 'The Tales of Hoffmann'
From Wikipedia ,
Les contes d'Hoffmann (in English: The Tales of Hoffmann) is an opera by Jacques Offenbach. It was first performed in Paris, at the Opéra-Comique, on February 10, 1881.
The libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E.T.A. Hoffmann. E.T.A. Hoffmann himself is a character in the opera just as he often is in his stories. The stories upon which the opera is based are Der Sandmann,Rath Krespel, and Das verlorene Spiegelbild.
The opera contains a prologue, three acts and an epilogue. Offenbach did not live to see his opera performed, since he died on October 5, 1880, just over four months before its premiere. Before his death, Offenbach had completed the piano score and orchestrated the prologue and the first act. Since he did not entirely finish the writing, many different versions of this opera emerged, some bearing little resemblance to the original work. The version performed at the opera's premiere was that by Ernest Guiraud, who completed Offenbach's scoring and wrote the recitatives.
The Barcarolle
The most famous aria from the opera is the "Barcarolle" (Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour), which is performed in Act 2. Curiously, the aria was not written by Offenbach with Les Contes d'Hoffmann in mind. He wrote it as a ghost-song in the opera Les fées du Rhin (which premiered in Vienna on February 8, 1864 as Die Rheinnixen). Offenbach died with Les contes d'Hoffmann unfinished.
Ernest Guiraud completed the scoring and wrote the recitatives for the premiere. He also incorporated this excerpt from one of Offenbach's earlier, long-forgotten operas into the new opera.
The Barcarolle has been incorporated into many movies including Life Is Beautiful and Titanic.
Offenbach - Barcarolle from 'The Tales of Hoffmann' - Anna Netrebko and Elina Garanca
Offenbach - Barcarolle from 'The Tales of Hoffmann' - Anna Netrebko and Elina Garanca
A barcarolle is a folk song sung by Venetian gondoliers, or a piece of music composed in that style.
Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour (Beautiful night of love)
Anna Netrebko (soprano)
Elina Garanca (mezzo-soprano)
Prague Philharmonic Orchestra; Conductor: Emmanuel Villaume
Prague Philharmonic Choir; Chorus Master: Lukas Vasilek
From the Deutsche Grammophon album:Anna Netrebko: Souvenirs, 2008
Video scenes from Vienna Waltzes by New York City Ballet
Der Rosenkavalier: erste Walzerfolge performed by Stephanie Saland, Adam Lüders, and ensemble (This was considered Stephanie Saland's retirement performance).
Videotaped in performance at New York State Theater, New York, on June 27, 1993, during New York City Ballet's Balanchine Celebration, by Robert Score.
Lyrics & Translation
Belle nuit, ô nuit d'amour
Souris à nos ivresses
Nuit plus douce que le jour
Ô,belle nuit d'amour!
Le temps fuit et sans retour
Emporte nos tendresses
Loin de cet heureux séjour
Le temps fuit sans retour
Zéphyrs embrasés
Versez-nous vos caresses
Zéphyrs embrasés
Donnez-nous vos baisers!
Vos baisers! Vos baisers! Ah!
Belle nuit, ô, nuit d'amour
Souris à nos ivresses
Nuit plus douce que le jour,
Ô, belle nuit d'amour!
Ah! souris à nos ivresses!
Nuit d'amour, ô, nuit d'amour!
Ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah!
Translation:
Lovely night, oh, night of love
Smile upon our joys!
Night much sweeter than the day
Oh beautiful night of love!
Time flies by, and carries away
Our tender caresses for ever!
Time flies far from this happy oasis
And does not return
Burning zephyrs
Embrace us with your caresses!
Burning zephyrs
Give us your kisses!
Your kisses! Your kisses! Ah!
Lovely night, oh, night of love
Smile upon our joys!
Night much sweeter than the day
Oh, beautiful night of love!
Ah! Smile upon our joys!
Night of love, oh, night of love!
Ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah! ah!
Jacques Offenbach - Barcarolle from "The Tales of Hoffmann" Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour
Info: https://gr.afit.pl
Polish Nationwide Music Schools' Symphonic Orchestras Competition 2014
Julia Pietrusewicz - soprano
Katarzyna Radon - mezzo-soprano
Artur Wrobel - conductor
Symphony Orchestra of the Ryszard Bukowski Secondary Music School in Wroclaw
Ogólnopolski Konkurs Orkiestr Szkolnych Szkół Muzycznych II stopnia
Julia Pietrusewicz - sopran
Katarzyna Radoń - mezzosopran
Artur Wróbel - dyrygent
Orkiestra Symfoniczna Państwowej Szkoły Muzycznej II stopnia
im. Ryszarda Bukowskiego we Wrocławiu
#Offenbach #BelleNuit
Barcarolle - Anna Netrebko & Elina Garanca - Offenbach Barcarola
Anna Netrebko & Elina Garanca - Offenbach Barcarola.
http://www.agoravox.tv
http://www.agoravox.tv/auteur/juasugi
http://www.agoravox.tv/auteur/stupeur
http://www.agoravox.fr
Barcarolle d'Offenbach, par Anna Netrebko (soprano) et Elina Garanca (mezzo-soprano).
Deutsche Grammophon http://www.youtube.com/user/deutschegrammophon1
http://www.elinagaranca.com/
http://www.annanetrebko.com/