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Opera

Fails to ignite: Royal Opera’s Tales of Hoffmann reviewed

16 November 2024

9:00 AM

16 November 2024

9:00 AM

The Tales of Hoffmann

Royal Opera House, in rep until 1 December

Ruddigore

Grand Theatre Leeds, and touring until 21 November

I couldn’t love anyone who didn’t love Offenbach’s The Tales of Hoffmann. Everything – everything – is stacked against this opera. Offenbach left the score unfinished when he died, tormented with gout and pilloried by bores, at the age of 61. Some of its best-loved numbers were upcycled from his earlier hits, and at least one isn’t by him at all.

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