(Photo: © Theater Lübeck – Olaf Malzahn) The idea of this abridged “Les Contes d’Hoffmann” (seen June 5) may alarm some opera lovers, yet this two-hour, intermission-free version proved surprisingly convincing. The cuts were mostly judicious, streamlining secondary material without seriously damaging the dramatic flow, though the absence of the Venetian septet “Hélas! mon cœur s’égare encore!” remained a real {…}