Offenbach: Les Contes d'Hoffmann Seattle 1970 Sutherland Alexander Hecht Bonynge BETTER SOUND

Today, I am very happy to present this jewl of a rare recording! I do hope that you find it as legendary as I do. Date is November 12 1970. This performance being opening night makes this the very first time Bonynge's version of Hoffmann has ever been heard, as well as Joan Sutherland's very first full performance of this opera. I've done pitch corrections to this recording, but unfortunately there are traces of wow and flutter. Of course, I've improved the sound as best I can. Now unfortunately, a small bit of the very beginning of the Olympia act is missing, it starts, but fades out and cuts right to dialogue. Also a tiny bit of the
beginning of the Barcarolle in the Giulietta act is missing. Perhaps someone forgot to press record
there. There were some odd gaps in random places that I've brought together, thus you may hear a click in those spots. And finally the first few notes of the epilogue are missing. All else is
hopefully alright. Even with its flaws, it's still a wonderful legendary jewl of a performance to listen to.
Enjoy!
Cast:
Hoffmann - John Alexander
Olympia - Joan Sutherland
Giulietta - Joan Sutherland
Antonia - Joan Sutherland
Coppélius - Joshua Hecht
Dapertutto - Joshua Hecht
Miracle - Joshua Hecht
Nicklaus - Huguette Tourangeau
Spalanzani - Jan Rubes
Frantz - Gerald Thorsen
Schlemil - Jan Rubes
Crespil - Jan Rubes
Andres - Gerald Thorsen
Cochenille - Gerald Thorsen
Pitichinacchio - Gerald Thorsen
La Mère d'Antonia - Huguette Tourangeau
Lindorf - Joshua Hecht
Stella - Joan Sutherland
Muse - Huguette Tourangeau
Conductor - Richard Bonynge

[@luiscar8945]

Thank you so so much. Your work on KZbin is just amazing.

[@eric644]

A treasure for Sutherland fans. She is at her vocal Niagara here. Floods of golden, radiant, beautiful tone. The top notes are prodigious and unmatched. Truly a tour de force of vocalism.

[@michaelparker719]

At long last, this Bonynge/Sutherland version with Dame Joan in superb voice. What a treat!

[@wotan10950]

This is a treasure. The Bonynge ‘Hoffmann’ was one of the first operas I ever saw. It was a few years after this, with Sutherland & Domingo at the Met. There were no subtitles, and I wasn’t sure what the hell was going on, but I loved it! Btw, rumor has it that the Met and Bonynge himself have a perfect copy of the intended telecast, but it has never been released because of union rules.

[@ahogbin2644]

Thanks so much for this! What a fabulous debut performance of all four roles. Of course she used to sing Antonia and Olympia at Covent Garden in the 1950s but only as single roles. The 1955 doll was, according to Bonynge, when the management finally woke up to what they had on the books!!! Domingo and Tourangeau also fantastic. In 1980, for the Offenbach anniversary, Covent Garden mounted a new production of the opera, they resorted to three sopranos when they could have had Dame Joan! Domingo was once again superb though. I still recall the trumpet-like voice in the part. Keep up the excellent work!

[@ahogbin2644]

My mistake: it was the excellent and under-rated John Alexander.

[@richardholmesmusic2128]

Thank you so much for this! I had an open reel copy of this many years ago (it was the first pirate tape I ever bought!) but it deteriorated about a decade after I bought it. I've been looking for it ever since. Thank you for all the work you have done on it! It's a historical document of great importance, showing La Stupenda at the absolute height of her vocal powers.

[@wotan10950]

Thank you again! A few more points: Norman Treigle was supposed to appear in Bonynge’s production, but he refused to learn the dialogue, as well as the new order of the numbers. He walked out in a huff. According to Kaye & Keck, Bonynge’s edition is completely off-the-mark, but well-intended, especially without all the material that was subsequently found. For me, it’s the most theatrical and engrossing version, far more entertaining than even the more accurate and informed edition by Kaye & Keck that were used for some recordings.

[@richardholmesmusic2128]

Kaye and Keck have single-handedly turned this opera into a monstrosity. The role of Nicklausse is now longer than Hoffman himself, and itheir version is a a conflation of great music and some 2nd and 3rd rate passages. The ending is a thudding bore. This is what happens when "great musicologists" put an opera together. Remember that Offenbach neither heard nor approved of the Kaye version.

[@wotan10950]

@@richardholmesmusic2128 I think their intentions were good, to provide conductors with the opportunity to use the validated information as they wish. But sometimes it can be a colossal bore, as you said.I bought an expensive copy of their book The Real Takes of Hoffmann. Fascinating, but all of the music can’t be used, or else you have a French Gotterdammerung. Bonynge’s version, while hardly authentic, is still thrilling.

[@cardinalbrownie1644]

Incredible. Thanks for this rarity, and for all your work on Sutherland's legacy.

[@davidhansel897]

Thank you for posting this! Prologue: 0:00 Act 1 (Olympia): 21:01 "Les oiseaux dans la charmille": 38:12 Act 2 (Giulietta): 54:43 "Scintille, diamant": 1:03:16 Act 3 (Antonia): 1:19:12 "Tu ne chanteras plus": 1:48:38 Entracte: 2:01:53 Epilogue (Stella): 2:09:18

[@OperaMyWorld]

Amazing rare recording!!!! Thank you!!!❤

[@michaelparker719]

Sutherland is superb and rest to the cast are very good. I love Bonynge’s edition. A treat!!

[@mstrsims2]

A spirited performance. Thanks for the post

[@delosmike2030]

I was in my first year of college when I attended this performance. Sutherland was a bit slow to warm up and I think Bonynge rushed the tempo of the Doll Song, which made it difficult to get all the notes out cleanly. They modified this in later performances. The consensus was that, in this pre-supertitles era, there was too much dialogue. She was superb as Giulietta, with very good french diction, and her Antonia was sublime. Of interest, this performance started about 15 minutes late because Elvis was appearing in the Seattle Colliseum in the same arts complex and there was a huge traffic jam, as HOFFMANN was completely sold out also. Treigle did not 'walk out' of the rehearsals. He cancelled long before they began. He subsequently sang with Seattle Opera in both FAUST and MEFISTOFELE - the single loudest male voice I ever heard in my life, and a superb actor. I'm especially glad to hear the document of Sutherland, for nostalgia's sake and also that it gives a fair idea of how huge her voice was in the theater.

[@petergraham8681]

Thanks for your comments here, Mike. I did not make it to these performances but I do remember that during this time I saw Sutherland in recital (Portland) & a couple years later in LUCREZIA BORGIA in Vancouver & both times also found her taking more than a bit of time to get her huge instrument in gear. Isolated performances, I realize, but as these were the only times that I ever heard her Live it was unfortunate. As for Treigle, I sang in the chorus for when he sang Mephistopheles in Seattle was amazed at the size of his instrument emerging from that spare body. Also a few months before he died he performed his Mephisto in the Boito version there. At that time I was in the audience & when he entered with AVE SIGNOR it was the most powerful sound I had ever heard Live from a male singer. I think it remains so, for me, to this day. Not a conventionally beautiful timbre but a unique, exciting & expressive one unlike any other in my experience. Treigle, to this day, remains in my memory as those who must have experienced Chaliapin back in the day. I look forward to sharing more memories such as these.

[@jondavwal13]

@@petergraham8681If you listen to the 1970 Met Norma that was recorded it is the same. By the end of Act 1 she is flying but it took 45 minutes to get there. It should be noted that in its review of her Met Debut as Lucia the reviewer notes the same issue although I can’t hear it from the recording that exists of that performance. He says by the sextet she was sailing over everything. I think it’s partially warming up and partially her always being aware of pacing herself. If it takes 30-40 minutes to sound like this and last for 40 years so be it. Better that than being basically finished at 35 because you trashed your instrument.

[@Faust1979]

Thank you!!

[@cadoh8143]

Bonynge recording of Hoffmann is, for me, the best.

[@josephcollins6033]

Thank you! Where is this?

[@AkaiGX]

Seattle

[@josephcollins6033]

@@AkaiGX Thanks!

[@michaelparker719]

Do you have the San Diego recital with Sutherland and Tourangeau in 1976 or 77?

[@AkaiGX]

Hi, I've got an Amsterdam one from 1977. I don't see a San Diego one in Sutherland's bio. Shoot me a PM on Facebook in the Joan Sutherland Appreciation Society group and I'll gladly send it to you!

[@highbaritone]

The first time I saw her. A year later I heard her in the rehearsal hall. I still don’t believe what I heard.