Les Contes d'Hoffmann

Les Contes d'Hoffmann is an opera with Prologue, three Acts and Epilogue with music by Jacques Offenbach and libretto by Jules Barbier and Michel Carre that was produced by PACT Opera in October & November of 1995. The opera is based on the fantastic tales of ETA Hoffmann.

The opera

Les Contes d'Hoffmann is an opéra fantastique by Jacques Offenbach. The French libretto was written by Jules Barbier, based on three short stories by E. T. A. Hoffmann, who is the protagonist of the story. It was Offenbach's final work.

Production

Conducted by Eve Queler and directed by Neels Hansen. The assistant staging directer was Johan Spies, decor and costumes were by Andrew Botha and lighting was by Stan Knight. The repetiteurs were Susan Steenkamp-Swanepoel and Galina Ryjikova, the stage manager was Amanda van Zyl, the French coach was Lize Thomas and the fencing instructor was Henk van Garderen. The PACT Chorus was under the direction of chorus master Rachelle Jonck.

The cast

The cast included Hans van Heerden ("Lindorf" and "Dr Miracle"), Tsepo Desando ("Andres"), Andre Strijdom ("Hermann"), Jannie Moolman ("Nathanael" and "Cochenille"), Carl-Rudolph Kaiser ("Luther"), Keith Ikaia-Purdy ("Hoffmann"), Hanre Lass ("Nicklausse" and "The Muse of Poetry"), Anton Stoltz ("Spalanzani", "Frantz" and "Pittichianaccio"), Rouel Beukes ("Coppelius" and "Crespel"), Hanli Stapela ("Olympia), Mauri Mostert ("Antonia"), Marita Napier ("Giulietta"), John Fletcher (Schlemil), George Stevens ("Dapertutto"), Sam Moraneng ("Wilhelm") and Karin Engelbrecht ("Stella").

Sources

Theatre prorgramme for Les Contes d'Hoffmann, October-November 1995

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