Neil Shicoff - Les Contes d'Hoffmann - Kleinzack Aria

[SHICOFF1]

This really should really be released by he Met. on DVD. just a great performance in every way. Even the camera work is superb throughout the performance as was the singers. James Morris's wife was in the cast and did a fine job also.

[SHICOFF1]

He was the Best Hoffmann I ever saw and acted it out like nobody else!

[tamusya06]

Fantastic singer and actor. The best Hoffmann.

[shuber86]

What a great version of this aria! This is completely unrelated to the song, but does anyone else think Shicoff looks a little bit like Brent Spiner?

[SHICOFF1]

Just an opinion after seeing PD do it in the 80's in house but Neil fits the role better and not only can he act but his high notes for me are far better then PD. Bravo! Great singing actor.

[Detectivefiction]

Thanks for this video! TALES OF HOFFMANN is one of my favorites, and I like to compare different singers in it.  Mr. Shicoff's Hoffmann is superb -- no better than Domingo's, of course, but different , with more of an emphasis on the nervous side of the character.

Right after Neil starrred in LA JUIVE at the Met I sent him a fan e-mail, and he answered it!

[SHICOFF1]

@babs22hh yes later in the 90's he did wear them as far as I know but this Hoffmann as his radio Brdcst of it just weeks before with same cast are his greatest Hoffman's both artistic vocally and his acting are superb here. Glasses or not he was great in this role, one of his best IMO.

[floztenor]

love his version!

[babs22hh]

contacts?



[cakoley]

I think this has to be the best Hoffman! Although my friend and I disagree often times in taste we both agree: nobody can move around the stage like he can! When he pushes his student you can tell it was a real push! And I can only imagine how scary it would be for the directors when he jumps on and off the table at the end! The ability to get so into a role and have so much trust in your fellow actors is really incredible!

[cakoley]

I think this has to be the best Hoffman! Although my friend and I disagree often times in taste we both agree: nobody can move around the stage like he can! When he pushes his student you can tell it was a real push! And I can only imagine how scary it would be for the directors when he jumps on the table! The ability to get so into a role and have so much trust in your fellow actors is really incredible!

[luceroblanco]

I saw him live in Hoffmann several years ago at the MET. He was absolutely fantastic. Blew me away.

[SHICOFF1]

Nobody ever sang a better Hoffmann not anyone!

[DiegoAOMunoz]

Hard to choose between Domingo and Shicoff as best Hoffmann. Both of them seem to rule this role!

[JenMoore05]

Best Hoffman ever. Ever!

[SHICOFF1]

This and the one he did on a met Radio Brdcst just a few weeks Before this one on PBS TV where the two Favorite ones for me, both with the same cast. He also did a fine early one in Italy in the early 80's around 1982 with Malfitano that was excellent!

[brodsky96]

yes.... best Hoffmann ever!!! BRAVO Shicoff!!!

[mradkova]

@brodsky96 Wonderful! Thank you for sharing!... What a great singing actor Neil Shicoff is!!! And Hoffmann is one of his signature roles.

[QueenBoadicea]

@hinatarocks88888 He's 61 but I remember his singing the role of Eleazar in the 2003/04 season at the Met. He was stunning and a major reason the Met decided to mount the work, unperformed there for 67 years.

[StuartLou]

Shicoff- one of my favorite tenors. Exciting, passionate- more so than Pavarotti or Domingo. Yeah. Yeah. I know. Don't wanna argue but Shicoff's voice just "does it" for me!!

[halavey]

WOW! At least they have that on line, thanks.

[halavey]

Sensational singing here. He is the Hoffman! The met must be crazy not to release this one. I taped it also when he did it on the PBS Telecast. He also a few weeks before this one did the radio sat. brdcst. which was also sensational and nobody did it better. Mine is also worn.

[kittywithcurls]

It's available on the Met Player to watch online!!!

[grimmrad]

@ Don Palissimo - I saw him few years ago in the MET as Don Jose... He doesn't appear often but seems he does... Was very good btw

[DonPaolissimo]

It is so fulfilling to read that there are other Shikovians out there. A damned shame that he found it expeditious to leave the Met & the country during the very bloom of his career. He is undoubtedly the most exciting tenor since theretirement of Corelli --- Il Piccolo Franco!!!

[WolfofSega]

Sigh. My video copy of ths has developed a little burr in the sound, probably from being played so much. I would love to find somebody who had a really good copy and was able to put it on a DVD and then tell me how to get a copy. Neil has always been THE Hoffmann to me. I can't see why the Met felt they had to put away this wonderful set.

Shicovianista

[Shekhina01]

Wow!! I loved Domingo's Hoffman, but I don't think I'll ever see a Hoffman to rival this one. I've never been a Shicoff fan, but now I will definitely watch more of his earlier work. Thank you for posting this. If you have more of this production I'd be absolutely thrilled to see it!

[hightenor123]

Love Shicoff, greatest Hoffmann!

[kundertoe]

Incredible performance and his vocals!!! Meraviglioso!

[evilsushix]

Wow! What an actor... this is truly marvelous.

[Snowss]

Love Shicoff,best hoffman ever

[GermanOperaSinger]

He was much better than Domingo in this or anything, he had a more secure top, more attractive voice and a far greater mastery of the legato line and great phrasing and diction. Shicoff had a beautiful voice for the French repertory, he was a great actor too but I don't care about that. I just care about voice and vocal expression.

[Snowss]

do you think Offenbach tought the same as you when he composed this aria??? I dont think so.

Do you think Shicoff tought the same when he sung this aria? I dont think so.

Do you think people enjoy just vocie? Whe love shicoff because his voice and his sensibility...and his abilities in acting, of course.

I´m tired about this "I dont care about acting".

[GermanOperaSinger]

I can't believe how ridiculous you are. Why don't do try to start arguments with people who don't like Shicoff, not with people who like him for different reasons than you. Are you a Shicoff fan or not? Why are you bickering to me? I like Shicoff too. Read my comment more carefully.

[pearlmuth3]

i DON'T GIVE A CRAP THAT SOMEONE, A DOMINGO FAN OBVIOUSLY HE OR SHE GAVE ME A RED - FOR SAYING SHICOFF WAS BETTER IN THE ROLE THEN DOMINGO HE WAS AND HE ALWAYS HAD A BETTER TOP AND WAS A BETTER ACTOR. HE WAS AND FOR ME THE BEST ONE EVER WAS THE 1988 HOFFMAN AT THE MET IT WAS A GREAT PRODUCTION AND THEY ALL WHERE GREAT EVEN THE CAMERA WORK I HAVE SEEN MANY SINCE EVEN WITH NEIL BUT THAT ONE I HAVE ON A OLD VIDEO VHS TAPE IS THE BEST I TAPED IN THEN , 3/2/88 IT'S BETTER THEN THE DOMINGO ONE.

[Snowss]

please, dont shout!

[dancingdays72777]

I was in the audience for this at age 10...thrilling performance! Only live telecast I was ever in the house for. Terrific production too, I'm going to miss it.

[DougNederland]

Very enjoyable, thanks for this

[pearlmuth3]

I taped it then complete his greatest Hoffman and others did also surely but on VHS

[Dudewoah2]

Maybe if we all beg Peter Gelb he will finally bring this Hoffmann to DVD. It was promised years ago, and some people think it was briefly a commercial video but it never was. It's just that it probably was copied from homemade videos and sent to friends all over the country for years. Please, Mr. Gelb, do justice to this one, because it is a classic performance by everyone in the cast.

[pearlmuth3]

I MUCH PREFER HIM IN THE ROLE TO DOMINGO SAW BOTH OF THEM AND NEIL HAS THIS GREAT TOP AND IN FINE VOICE HERE, HIS ACTING IN THE ROLE WAS TERRIFIC. Domingo WAS A GREAT SINGER, STILL IS BUT AS HOFFMAN THIS IS ON MY TOP OF THE CLASS ACT.

[jeannef1968]

Nobody has ever topped Shicoff in Hoffmann!!! I saw him - heard him!- many times in Hamburg and London, his best performances were these in Jürgen Flimm´s Hoffmann in Hamburg, where he was playing, singing and crying his soul out and gave everything and even more, didn´t care of anything- he was a real ROCK STAR, he was just unbelievable. His voice was thrilling, his performance deeply moving. I love him!!!

[pearlmuth3]

it was the met of course and this is a 38 year old shicoff with terrific squillo in the house and a great lyric spinto tenor.

[pearlmuth3]

he was fantastic in this one and i taped it on vhs in 88 he was sweating and singing his heart out it gave me chills it was his best role. IMO

[nirbateman]

Stunning,do you have the entire production.

[girardje70]

Shicoff est un très bon acteur et un merveilleux chanteur, mais je préfère Placido Domingo. bravo

[BeauTenor]

Quite good...I'd love to see the O Dieu de Quelle Ivresse.