Tales of Hoffmann: by Offenbach

Pretty sure this was the opera with the dancing beer bottles. That being said, it should give you a clue that I do not recall a whole lot of the technical parts of the performance. I am pretty sure the opera is split into three story lines. Three different women Hoffmann loves.

Pros: Very neat opening song with the entire chorus. I do enjoy an opera with a chorus. It seems to add to the performance for me. Kinda a rousing entry to the show. The split into the three different story lines cause the opera to move swiftly and not become bogged down in any one section. This causes time to move quite swiftly and for me at least increases the overall enjoyment of the story.

Cons: There is no one true female "lead" in this story. There are three strong female parts but the opera is primarily a showcase of Hoffmann's vocal ability. And I find the strong female aria's to be a winning factor in any opera I see. Although the three different pairings of voices are quite enjoyable.

Must See Rating: ****