‘The Tales of Hoffmann’: An Opera About an Eccentric Writer’s Three Loves

Three stories in three acts enchant audiences everywhere.

The death of Antonia (act 2) in the original 1881 production. In front: Adèle Isaac; in back (L–R) Hippolyte Belhomme, Marguerite Ugalde, Pierre Grivot, Émile-Alexandre Taskin, Jean-Alexandre Talazac. Public Domain

There’s something about the creative process that is intriguing, especially to non-artists. Stories about writers, composers, and artists are popular subject matter for literature and the theater. Several operas are based on these creative individuals.

Jacques Offenbach (1819–80) based his French opera “The Tales of Hoffmann” (“Les Contes d’Hoffmann”) on the life of German author E.T.A. Hoffmann (1776–1822). Jules Barbier wrote the libretto and co-wrote the 1851 play on which it was based, “Les contes fantastiques d’Hoffmann,” with Michel Carré.