Les oiseaux dans la charmille (Doll Song)

Les contes d'Hoffmann (Hoffmann's Tales) is an opera composed by Jacques Offenbach, based on three short stories by Ernst Hoffmann. It premiered on 10 February 1881 in Paris, four months after the composer's death.

The opera consists of five acts, sometimes counted as three acts with a prologue and an epilogue. The story tells about Hoffmann's three great loves who, as it turns out in the epilogue, are three aspects of the same woman, Stella, a prima donna he secretly loves.

The Doll Song is a coloratura aria from the first act (not counting the prologue) sung by Olympia, an automaton created by the scientist Spalanzani. Wearing magic glasses, Hoffmann believes her to be a real girl and falls in love. While dancing with her, they go faster and faster until he falls on the ground and breaks his magic glasses. Hoffmann then realizes his mistake, ridiculed by the crowd.

• Olympia
• Soprani & Tenors
• Basses