The Tales of Hoffmann is based on fantastical stories by the German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann. The opera concerns the obsession of the poet Hoffmann for the female ideal, personified by Olympia, Giulietta and Stella, all of whom are unobtainable. Offenbach’s music is powerful, melodic and witty. This classic recording preserves the great Opéra-Comique tradition, which Offenbach himself helped to establish. The artists comprise leading singers of the inter-war and immediate post-war French opera scene, Opéra-Comique regulars many of whom also enjoyed illustrious international careers.