Ghost of Sunday Classics: The poet Hoffmann and the legend of Kleinzach

"Le nom de la première était Olympia"




Nicolai Gedda, tenor; Paris Conservatory Orchestra, André Cluytens, cond. EMI, recorded 1964

Richard Tucker, tenor; Metropolitan Opera Orchestra, Pierre Monteux, cond. Live performance, Dec. 3, 1955

Léopold Simoneau, tenor; Orchestra of the Concerts de Paris, Pierre-Michel Le Conte, cond. Philips-Epic, recorded 1958

Plácido Domingo, tenor; Orchestre National de France, Seiji Ozawa, cond. DG, recorded 1986

Francisco Araiza, tenor; Staatskapelle Dresden, Jeffrey Tate, cond. Philips, recorded 1987-89

by Ken

I don't think I have, but it may be that you've heard music more hauntingly beautiful than this tiny bit -- the final half-minute of the Prologue to Jacques Offenbach's Tales of Hoffmann, as the drunken poet Hoffmann offers a tavern's worth of adoring students, hanging on his every word, his promised account of the first of his promised three "mad loves." I've gathered five distinctly different performances, plain and fancy, but all, I think, decently haunting. (Any preferences?)

I've painted myself into a corner here. For a good part of this week it was seeming like the time for the giving up the Sunday Classics ghost. However, while we already had, goodness knows, lots of loose ends that will be left dangling, one that I added just last week is strikes too close to home for me. I explained that last week's assortment of operatic (mostly) drinking songs touches me too personally. (There are times when Hoffmann is my favorite opera.)

I THOUGHT POSSIBLY I COULD SIMPLY
THROW OUT HOFFMANN'S DRINKING SONG

Starting by going just up to the point where something clearly goes wrong with the song.

THE TALES OF HOFFMANN POSTS

"The poet Hoffmann and the legend of Kleinzach" (Sept. 14)
Preview, "The name of the first was Olympia" (Sept. 20)
"Hoffmann just can't get over is 'three mistresses'" (Sept. 21)
Preview, "Our Frantz knows it's all a matter of technique" (Sept. 27)
"Who is the author of Hoffmann's misfortunes?" (Sept. 28)

By way of explanation, we're in a German tavern, Master Luther's, where the drunken poet and fantasist is holding court with his adoring student fans. and when he exhorts them to drink, sing, and laugh, they charge him with leading off with a song. Young Hermann proposes "The Song of the Rat" (the song that Wagner in Gounod's Faust began before being given the hook by Méphistophélès in favor of his "The calf of gold"?), but Hoffmann is tired of that and counterproposes "The Legend of Kleinzach," a proposition that is heartily accepted.

OFFENBACH: The Tales of Hoffmann: Prologue, Song, Hoffmann with Students, "La Légende de Kleinzach," interrupted

HOFFMANN: There was once, at the court of Eisenach . . .
STUDENTS: At the court of Eisenach . . .
HOFFMANN: . . . a misbegotten little creature named Kleinzach . . .
STUDENTS: Who was named Kleinzach.
HOFFMANN: On his head he wore a felt cap,
and his legs, his legs went click-clack.
Click-clack, click-clack,
there was, there was Kleinzach.
STUDENTS: Click-clack, click-clack,
there was, there was Kleinzach.

HOFFMANN: He had a hump by way of a stomach . . .
STUDENTS: By way of a stomach . . .
HOFFMANN: . . . His splayed feet seemed to come out of a sack. . .
STUDENTS: Seemed to come out of a sack.
HOFFMANN: His nose with black with tobacco,
and his head, his head went crick-crack.
Crick-crack, crick-crack,
there was, there was Kleinzach.
STUDENTS: Crick-crack, crick-crack,
there was, there was Kleinzach.

HOFFMANN: As for the features, the features of that face . . .
STUDENTS: As for the features of that face . . .
[HOFFMANN stops and seems to become little by little absorbed in his dream.]
HOFFMANN [very slowly]: As for the features of that face . . .
[He stands up.]

-- translation (mostly) by Lionel Salter

Plácido Domingo (t), Hoffmann; Choeurs de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Seiji Ozawa, cond. DG, recorded 1986

Francisco Araiza (t), Hoffmann; Leipzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle Dresden, Jeffrey Tate, cond. Philips, recorded 1987-89


OF COURSE WE COULDN'T LEAVE IT THERE

Let's go back to the start of Hoffmann's third stanza of Kleinzach.

The Tales of Hoffmann: Prologue, Song, Hoffmann, continuation, from "Quant aux traits de sa figure" ("As for the features of that face")

HOFFMANN: As for the features, the features of that face . . .
STUDENTS: As for the features of that face . . .
[HOFFMANN stops and seems to become little by little absorbed in his dream.]
HOFFMANN [very slowly]: As for the features of that face . . .
[He stands up.]
Ah! That face was charming. I can see it,
lovely as the day when, in hot pursuit
I left my father's house like a madman
and fled over hill and dale!
Hair in dark braids
cast its warm shadow on an elegant neck;
eyes of deep azure
turned a cool, pure gaze all around.
and as our carriage smoothly bore
our hearts and our loves along, that soft, vibrant voice
flung to the listening heavens that all-conquering song
whose echo forever resounds in my heart.
NATHANAËL [touching his shoulder]: O bizarre mind!
Who the devil are you painting there? Kleinzach?
HOFFMANN: Kleinzach? I'm speaking of her.
NATHANAËL [touching his shoulder]: Who?
HOFFMANN [coming out of his dream]:
No! Nobody! Nothing! My mind was troubled.
And Kleinzach is worth more, deformed as he is.

When he'd drunk too much gin or arrack . . .
STUDENTS: Gin or arrack . . .
HOFFMANN: . . . you had to see his coattails floating . . .
STUDENTS: His coattails floating . . .
HOFFMANN: . . . like weeds in a lake.
And the monster, the monster went flick-flack.
Flick-flack! Flick-flack!
There was, there was Kleinzach!

Plácido Domingo (t), Hoffmann; Choeurs de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Seiji Ozawa, cond. DG, recorded 1986

Francisco Araiza (t), Hoffmann; Leipzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle Dresden, Jeffrey Tate, cond. Philips, recorded 1987-89


I SUPPOSE WE COULD PUT IT ALL TOGETHER --

The Tales of Hoffmann: Prologue, Song, Hoffmann, "La Légende de Kleinzach" ("The Legend of Kleinzach"), complete


Plácido Domingo (t), Hoffmann; Choeurs de Radio France, Orchestre National de France, Seiji Ozawa, cond. DG, recorded 1986

Francisco Araiza (t), Hoffmann; Leipzig Radio Chorus, Staatskapelle Dresden, Jeffrey Tate, cond. Philips, recorded 1987-89

Richard Tucker (t), Hoffmann; Metropolitan Opera Chorus and Orchestra, Pierre Monteux, cond. Live performance, Dec. 3, 1955


BUT THAT DOESN'T EXPLAIN THE POWER AND
POIGNANCE OF THE MUSIC ATOP THIS POST

And I don't think I'm prepared to leave it at that. A quandary.

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