The Tales of Hoffmann at Seoul Arts Center

The Tales of Hoffmann, French Les Contes d’Hoffmann, opera by German-born French composer Jacques Offenbach, with a French libretto by Michel Carré and Jules Barbier, the latter of whom was a coauthor of the play of the same name, from which the opera was derived. The opera premiered in Paris on February 10, 1881. It was the last and easily the most serious of the many Offenbach operas. Its premiere came posthumously. Left unfinished at Offenbach’s death, the work was completed by the composer’s colleagues. The opera is perhaps best known for its barcarolle “Belle nuit, ô nuit d’amour,” originally a duet for soprano and mezzo-soprano, though often heard in instrumental transcriptions.