By Jim Farber
Jacques Offenbach’s final opera, “The Tales of Hoffmann,” got off to a rocky start. First, the composer died before it was completed, leaving others to finish the project in no definitive manner. Then, shortly after the curtain came down on its second performance in Vienna (Dec. 7, 1881), a gas explosion destroyed the theater, 400 people died, and portions of the only existing complete score were lost in the flames.
It’s no wonder “Hoffmann” gained the reputation of being “a bad luck opera.”
Fortunately, the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion did not burn down on Saturday when Los Angeles Opera presented a revival production of “The Tales of Hoffmann,” with some spirited direction by Marta Domingo and energized conducting by her husband, and oft-time collaborator, Plácido Domingo. The production did not, however, avoid its “bad luck” curse.
As originally announced, German soprano, Diana Damrau, was going to sing all four of the opera’s episodic heroines. Then an extended bout of bronchitis put an end to that plan. It was decided that Damrau would only make one major appearance as Hoffmann’s final doomed love interest, Antonia, and a cameo as the diva, Stella.
Perhaps because Damrau is married to French baritone Nicolas Testé, who was slated to sing the opera’s quartet of villains — Lindorf, Coppélius, Dapertutto and Doctor Miracle — he also came down with bronchitis. His incapacitation developed so close to opening night no replacement could be found to both sing and act the roles. The solution the company settled on was an awkward compromise. Wayne Tigges, a resilient baritone who’d appeared in several LA Opera productions, would sing FROM THE PIT while, Testé, like an erstwhile Marcel Marceau, would pantomime the parts on stage.
It all began with Plácido Domingo coming out before the curtain, microphone in hand. “When the conductor comes on stage before a performance,” he told the audience with a meek smile, “you know something is wrong.” He then explained about the silent star and his disembodied voice, apologized, begged the audience’s understanding and returned to the podium.
As they say, the show must go on. And from that point it did, in rather triumphant style perhaps buoyed on a wave of pure adrenalin. The Tigges/Testé solution proved reasonably convincing when body and voice were in close proximity. It was less effective when Tigges’ singing came from one side of the stage while his physical manifestation was on the other. Neither man could have been very happy about the situation, but they made the best of it.
Fortunately, there was a lot of other singing going on driven by a star-turn performance by Vittorio Grigolo as Hoffmann. Grigolo, who hails from Arezzo, is, without a doubt the hottest hunk of tenorial splendor to appear with LA Opera in some time, certainly since the stellar rise of Rolando Villazon.
From his first reeling appearance as the drunken poet, to his final elevation into the Arcadian realm of the gods, Grigolo owned the role. He has a voice that can explode like a canon, ring like a bell and purr like a pussycat. He totally embodied the part, vocally, dramatically and visually, and clearly had a grand time doing it. Catch him if you can.
With Damrau’s first appearance postponed until the third act, focus shifted to the two sopranos performing the roles of the mechanical love doll, Olympia, and the sultry Venetian courtesan, Giulietta.
A few months ago, So Young Park lit up the stage in LA Opera’s production of Mozart’s “The Abduction from the Seraglio.” On Saturday, she dazzled again as the wind-up automaton, Olympia (the same role that provided a memorable LA Opera debut for another South Korean soprano, Sumi Jo).
There is something irresistibly charming about Park. Add a voice that is pin-point perfect no matter how high the notes go, and it’s clear why she is a rising star. With her wonderful herky-jerky movements, flashing eyes and bright orange fright wig, Park almost steals the show.
For her part, Kate Aldrich proved more flouncy than seductive as Giulietta. Surrounded by her court of Venetian revelers, she crooned the strains of the opera’s most famous melody, the Barcarole, as stars twinkled and gondolas cruised by.
When Damrau finally did appear, the reason she had chosen to focus on the role of Antonia became clear. It is by far the most dramatic and Damrau is a fine actress. Torn between her love for Hoffmann and the desire to sing, which she has been told will bring about her consumptive demise, Damrau used the darker shadings of her voice, as well as her powerful upper register, to produce scenes with Grigolo that were exceptional.
The large supporting cast was ably led by mezzo-soprano Kate Lindsay as the poet’s long-suffering companion and muse. Christophe Mortagne appeared in four roles as Andrés, Cochenille, Pitichinaccio and Frantz. Rodell Rosel was Spalanzini. Daniel Armstrong sang the role of Schlémil. And Nicolas Brownlee played Antonia’s father, Crespel.
In 1988, Plácido Domingo starred on stage as Hoffmann. On Saturday, Domingo conducted a performance that was filled with energy and vibrant coloration. The LA Opera Chorus was prepared by Grant Gershon. This is latest (and probably longest) version of “The Tales of Hoffmann” to be assembled. It was compiled from recently discovered material by Michael Kaye and Jean-Christophe Keck. It’s too bad we will never know what it might have sounded like had all gone according to plan. Blame the “bad luck” curse.
Jim Farber is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer.
‘The Tales of Hoffmann’
Rating: 4 stars.
Where: Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 135 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles.
When: 7:30 p.m. Thursday and April 6 and 15; 2 p.m. April 2 and 9.
Tickets: $24-$259.
Length: 3 hrs. and 35 mins., including two intermissions.
Suitability: For adults and mature children.
Information: 213-972-7219, www.laopera.org.
