Jacques Offenbach composed more than 100 stage works, most of which were particularly witty and satirical, original and witty. At the end of his brilliant Parisian career, which spanned almost five decades, he devoted himself to what was probably his most ambitious piece of musical theater, the "Opéra fantastique" Les Contes d'Hoffmann, based on a play that had been staged in 1881.
The audience is immersed in a world full of strange figures and situations, of a fantastic nature and with many a demonic moment and multi-faceted, vital music. The title character, modeled on the complex romantic poet E.T.A. Hoffmann and finding himself in the midst of his stories, is equally fascinated by art and love, feels attracted to female figures and betrayed by antagonists. Director Lydia Steier, together with her team and conductor Bertrand de Billy, will create opulent scenic and musical images.
Premiere November 16, 2025
Further performances: November 19, 21, 26 and 28, December 4, 2025, March 5, 8, 12, 14, 20 and 22, 2026
