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Act 3,
Antonia
– The young Antonia lives in
Munich with her father, Councillor Crespel.
She has inherited her mother’s great singing
talent, along with a weak heart, which inspires
her father to keep her from both singing and so-
ciety. Antonia frets over her love for Hoffmann,
from whom Crespel keeps her hidden.
After a long search, Hoffmann tracks Antonia
down and manages to get into Crespel’s house.
Nicklausse again cautions Hoffmann against
headless amorousness, which he says paralyses
a man and befuddles his brain, but his warn-
ing falls on deaf ears. Hoffmann meets Antonia
and they have a long talk full of reminiscences,
mutual professions of love and enthusiastic
plans for the future. Antonia does not want her
father to see Hoffman, so she sends him away,
but Hoffmann hides in the house so as to finally
learn the reasons for Crespel’s behaviour.
Doctor Miracle arrives and offers to cure An-
tonia. Crespel is appalled, since his wife died
after receiving Miracle’s treatment. Crespel is
unable to expel Miracle from the house, how-
ever, and he is forced to watch Miracle under-
take an imaginary examination of Antonia dur-
ing which he persuades her to heal herself by
singing. Crespel resists, but Miracle is obsessed
with treating Antonia.
Hoffmann learns Antonia could die if she sings
too much, and he realises Miracle is endanger-
ing her life. He makes Antonia promise to give
up her artistic dreams in favour of their love
– Antonia reluctantly agrees, but she suspects
Hoffmann is in league with her father.
Doctor Miracle re-emerges and reminds Anto-
nia of everything she will have to give up – tal-
ent, glory, freedom…Antonia apprehends that
the Devil himself is addressing her, and she
calls upon her dead mother for help. Antonia’s
mother appears, and Miracle urges Antonia to
sing with her – she obeys and sings a passion-
ate duet with her mother, then collapses from
exhaustion. Crespel and Hoffmann try to revive
her, but she dies.
Act 4,
Giulietta
– Hoffmann is a guest of the Ve-
netian courtesan, Giulietta. Love now only means
transient bliss to Hoffman – no more dreams, no
more feelings but, as before, he ignores Nick-
lausse’s warnings. This time, Hoffmann’s rival is
Captain Dapertutto, who has promised Giulietta a
diamond in return for her seduction of Hoffmann;
he also wants Giulietta to filch Hoffmann’s reflec-
tion from a mirror, as she had previously stolen
for him the shadow of one of her admirers, Peter
Schlemil. Giulietta agrees.
Photos: Paphos Aphrodite Festival