Fine singing and a convincing production for Oldenburg’s Les contes d’Hoffmann

GermanyGermany Offenbach, Les contes d’Hoffmann: Soloists, Chorus, Extra Chorus, Oldenburgisches Staatsorchester / Vito Cristofaro (conductor). Oldenburgisches Staatstheater, 6.5.2025. (DM-D)

Dorothee Bienert (Nicklausse/Muse) and Jason Kim (Hoffmann) © Stephan Walzl

There is so much material in and surrounding Offenbach’s Les contes d’Hoffmann that productions face the danger of becoming over-burdened and cumbersome. Not so this new staging in Oldenburg by soprano-turned-director Angela Denoke. With her design team she tells a cogent story of a man driven by the desire for happiness, and the women he encounters, strong women who guard their independence. Thus, Olympia was not a genuine doll, but a Marilyn-Monroe-lookalike, instrumentalised by her creator, Spalanzani and the men she encountered through him. In the end she freed herself from such depersonalisation, epitomised in the moment of kicking him in between the legs. Antonia freed herself from her father’s authority, despite the deadly consequences. Giulietta freed herself from Dapertutto and pursued her revenge against Hoffmann on her own terms. In some way, the Muse also developed her independence by openly revealing her love for Hoffmann. The design of set and costumes by Susana Mendoza supported Denoke’s emphasis on straightforward storytelling with its imaginatively functional approach. Spaces were demarcated by stage curtains, sometimes with projections onto them, and for some scenes, an angled staircase served as the central scenic element.

Jason Kim front, (Hoffmann), Penelope Kendros (centre, Olympia), Johannes Leander Maas (right, Spalanzani) and Chorus © Stephan Walzl

Ji-Woon Kim (replacing Jason Kim) sang Hoffman and is voice was reliable throughout, well-balanced across registers. It was pleasantly baritonal, and sound breath control allowed him to sing long legato lines. He reached his top notes with ease and without narrowing the voice.

The character of the Muse was given prominence in this production, with more material selected from the various versions of the opera than is often the case. Anna Dowsley sang this role and hers was a very smooth, agile, and particularly warm mezzo-soprano voice, young, vibrant, and meticulously balanced across registers and volume. Penelope Kendros excelled at the coloratura of Olympia, reaching the exposed top notes with a high level of clarity, precision and relish. Tetiana Miyus was very convincing as Antonia, particularly so in the outbursts of her hard-bought freedom. Her soprano was radiant, with a very strong lower register and well-rounded blossoming higher range. Adréana Kraschweski provided appropriate vocal difference to the other two sopranos as Giulietta, vocally exploring both the character’s femininity and her growing empowerment, with particularly impressive legato. Marija Jokovic was on a par with the other female singers as the voice of the mother.

Seungweon Lee sang the villains with his overall very robust baritone, still able to differentiate between them vocally and not just by wearing different costumes. Seumas Begg also gave his four characters individuality, with his voice shifting between character and lyrical tenor modes. Johannes Leander Maas made a good vocal mark in the small roles of Spalanzani and Nathanaël, while Irakli Atanelishvili was impressively sonorous as Luther and particularly as Crespel.

The chorus and extra chorus were well rehearsed by Thomas Bönisch and Felix Schauren, respectively. Conductor Vito Cristofaro brought out the subtleties of the score in perfect unison with the soloists and the chorus, demonstrating a particular awareness of the acoustics of the theatre.

Daniel Meyer-Dinkgräf

Creatives:
Director – Angela Denoke
Designs – Susana Mendoza
Lighting – Arne Waldl
Choreography – Fabio Toraldo
Dramaturgy – Antje Müller
Chorus director – Thomas Bönisch
Extra Chorus director – Felix Schauren

Cast:
Hoffmann – Ji-Woon Kim
Nicklausse / Muse – Anna Dowsley
Olympia – Penelope Kendros
Giulietta – Adréana Kraschewski
Antonia –Tetiana Miyus
Lindorf / Coppélius / Miracle / Dapertutto – Seungweon Lee
Andrès / Cochenille / Frantz / Pitichinaccio – Seumas Begg
Schlemihl – Arthur Bruce
Spalanzani / Nathanaël – Johannes Leander Maas
Luther / Crespel – Irakli Atanelishvili
Voice of Antonia’s Mother – Marija Jokovic
Wilhelm – Alwin Kölblinger / Andreas Lütje
Wolfram – Sandro Monti / Volker Röhnert
Hermann – Stephen K. Foster / Ryan Stoll
Stella – Eleonora Fabrizi

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