This is the soundtrack to the 1947 English film of Offenbach’s great work. It’s sung in English in an okay translation, the score is cut somewhat (even from the edition in use before the 1980s, when much more was discovered), and the performance is nicely theatrical. Robert Rounseville is a good Hoffmann, very expressive as he gets deeper and deeper into despair. Bruce Dargavel is a dark-toned set of villains, and he vocally characterizes each differently and colorfully. Dorothy Bond’s Olympia is just as fluent and pert as she should be (the role was danced by Moira Shearer in the film), and Ann Ayers’ Antonia is moving–but Margherita Grandi has trouble with Giulietta’s tessitura. The real star of the show is Thomas Beecham, who leads with great passion and understanding of Offenbach’s comic-serious musical world. The sound is acceptable mono. This is for specialists; hardly a first or only Hoffmann.
