Despite a distinctively “French” presence and style to this recording from 1958, there’s not much to get excited about in this heavily cut (128 minutes) Hoffmann. Pierre-Michel Le Conte leads a tight, quick performance, the orchestra plays well, and the ensemble work is fine, but the sound is flat and so is the performance. Leopold Simoneau, that decade’s most elegant and admired French tenor, sings beautifully, but he doesn’t even attempt characterization; it’s as if it hadn’t dawned on him that this opera was about loss, struggle, sado-masochism, grief, and passion. It’s just pretty.
Mattiwilda (her real name, not “Mattwilda” as noted on this release) Dobbs scores as Olympia in a very common-coloratura way (E-flats galore–none of them pretty), but she lacks the weight for Antonia and gets nowhere near understanding the poor girl’s situation. Uta Graf is a good if lightish Giulietta, Nata Tuescher is a perky Nicklausse. Hans Rehfuss sings the villains with impeccable diction and nice tone, while Aime Doniat sings the four servants with verve and impeccable diction. This is so bland and goes by so quickly that it’s hard to recall a single moment. It’s almost an un-performance, but while listening it doesn’t hurt your ears. Go to Erato’s or Decca’s for commitment, excellent singing, and lots more music.
