At the end of his life Offenbach composed his opera 'Les contes d´Hoffman', but unfortunately he was not able to finish it. The plot tells the story of the poet Hoffmann telling three of his amorous adventures, every time ending with a refusal of his proposing. The aria 'Scintille diamant' is sung in the 2nd act by Dapertutto, a magician, one embodiment of Hoffmann's enemy: Dapertutto sings of his diamond ring with which he controls Giulietta. He hopes that he can use the ring and Giulietta to capture Hoffmann.