"The Tales of Hoffmann" is an opera composed by Jacques Offenbach, based on the stories of the German writer E.T.A. Hoffmann. The opera follows the character of Hoffmann, a poet who recounts his three failed love affairs, each involving a different woman who embodies a unique ideal. The work is structured in a series of acts, with each act representing a different tale: Olympia, a mechanical doll; Antonia, a singer with a tragic fate; and Giulietta, a seductive courtesan. The themes of love, loss, and the struggle between reality and fantasy are central to the narrative.