Les contes d’Hoffmann – Air d’Olympia

At the end of his life Offenbach composed his opera ‘Les contes d´Hoffman’, but unfortunately he was not able to finish it. The plot tells the story of the poet Hoffmann telling three of  his amorous adventures, every time ending with a refusal of his proposing. The aria ‘Les oiseaux dans la charmille’ (The birds in the arbor, nicknamed ‘The Doll Song’) became one of the opera’s most famous arias. It is sung in the first act by Olympia, a mechanical doll, during which she runs-down and needs to be wound-up before she can continue.

Arranged for symphony orchestra (1111/1110/Timp+1/Hp/Pf/Str) and soprano.