from Act III of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Antonia, a sick woman, one of Hoffmann's loves

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: lyric soprano

Setting: A room in Crespel's house, Munich, 19th century

Synopsis: Antonia sings of her sorrow over a lost lover. She wishs that he would return to her.

from Act I of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Coppèlies, a magician, one embodiment of Hoffmann's enemy

Voice Part: bass-baritone       Fach: bass-baritone

Setting: The parlor room of Spalanzani the scientist, 19th century

Synopsis: Coppèlies declares that he has the eyes for Olympia the mechanical doll.

from Prologue of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Councillor Lindorf, a councilor of Nuremburg, one embodiment of Hoffmann's enemy

Voice Part: bass-baritone       Fach: bass-baritone

Setting: Luther's tavern, Nuremburg, 19th century

Synopsis: After having intercepted a note from Stella to Hoffmann asking him to join her after her opera performance, Lindorf sings that he will win over Hoffmann because of his strength and because people fear him. He is old, but he is alive!

from Act II of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Dapertutto, a magician, one embodiment of Hoffmann's enemy

Voice Part: bass-baritone       Fach: bass-baritone

Setting: Giulietta's palace, Venice, 19th century

Synopsis: Dapertutto sings of his diamond ring with which he controls Giulietta. He hopes that he can use the ring and Giulietta to capture Hoffmann.

from Act III of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Frantz, the servant of Crespel

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: buffo tenor

Setting: A room in Crespel's house, Munich, 19th century

Synopsis: After Crespel tells Frantz to remain with his daughter, Frantz sings of how he likes to sing.

from Act I of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Hoffmann, a poet

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: lyric tenor

Setting: The parlor room of Spalanzani the scientist, 19th century

Synopsis: Spalanzani the inventor and Coppélius the magician have created Olympia, a human-like mechanical doll. From afar, Hoffmann has seen Olympia and, not knowing that she is a mechanical doll, he falls in love with her. He describes how they will share their love, asking her to open her heart to love's rays.

from Act II of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Hoffmann, a poet

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: lyric tenor

Setting: Giulietta's palace, Venice, 19th century

Synopsis: After Nicklausse and Giulietta sing a melancholy duet about love and the beauty of the night, Hoffmann sings them a happier tune of drinking and laughter.

from Prologue of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Hoffmann, a poet

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: lyric tenor

Setting: Luther's tavern, Nuremburg, 19th century

Synopsis: During the intermission of Stella's opera, Hoffmann and a group of students come into Luther's taproom for a drink. The students ask for a story and Hoffmann responds with the legend of Kleinzach, a dwarf whose incredible ugliness he begins describing. Midway through, though, he begins to reminisce about the beauty of a woman he used to know.

from Act II of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Hoffmann, a poet

Voice Part: tenor       Fach: lyric tenor

Setting: Giulietta's palace, Venice, 19th century

Synopsis: After Giulietta warns Hoffmann that he should go to avoid a confrontation with Schlemil (another of her lovers), Hoffmann confesses the full extents of his love for her.

from Act III of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Nicklausse, the friend of Hoffmann

Voice Part: mezzo-soprano       Fach: lyric mezzo

Setting: A room in Crespel's house, Munich, 19th century

Synopsis: Nicklausse sings of music and love, in an effort to persuade Hoffmann that artistic love is more important than romantic love.

from Act I of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Nicklausse, the friend of Hoffmann

Voice Part: mezzo-soprano       Fach: lyric mezzo

Setting: The parlor room of Spalanzani the scientist, 19th century

Synopsis: After Hoffmann tells Nicklausse that he has fallen in love with Olympia, Nicklausse (who knows that Olympia is a mechanical doll) sings him a warning song telling the story of a mechanical doll that looked human that fell in love with a copper bird.

from Act I of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Nicklausse, the friend of Hoffmann

Voice Part: mezzo-soprano       Fach: lyric mezzo

Setting: The parlor room of Spalanzani the scientist, 19th century

Synopsis: Nicklausse sings this "cautionary tale" to Hoffmann to warn Hoffmann from falling too deeply in love with "la belle Olympia" who, Nicklausse implies very clearly, is not at all what she seems.

from Act I of the French opera Les Contes d'Hoffmann by Jacques Offenbach

Libretto: Jules Barbier

Role: Olympia, a doll, one of Hoffmann's loves

Voice Part: soprano       Fach: lyric coloratura

Setting: The parlor room of Spalanzani the scientist, 19th century

Synopsis: Spalanzani the inventor winds up Olympia the doll to sing for his guests. She sings this song about the birds and how they sing of the young girl of love.