Jules Massenet’s ‘WERTHER’ An opera in 4 acts.

‘Va! Nous mentions tous deux en nous disant vaiqueurs
de l’immortel amour qui tressaille en nos coeurs!’

(Yes! We both lied when we declared ourselves victorious
over the immortal love that thrills in our hearts!)
-Werther (Act III)

This RCA Red Seal complete opera CD set is a 1998 studio recording of Jules Massenet’s opera (premiered in Vienna 1892).

Set in 1780 outside of Frankfurt, this epitome of French opera is based on Goethe’s ‘The Sorrows of Young Werther’.
Werther the sensitive poet and Charlotte the idealistic proper girl love each other, but when Charlotte chooses to uphold the promise given to her dying mother to marry Albert and take care of her 7 sisters, Werther commits suicide with the gun delivered to him by his own beloved on her husband's order (is there anything more ironically tragic than this?).

The book is very eloquently dark and brooding (and reportedly sparked an out break of suicide among young Europeans soon after its publication). The opera is just as dark (shouldn’t be surprising considering how jolly old Goethe and Massenet were.... not!). It has the stylized melodic sweep characteristic that is French from the first note to the last. There are some jolly parts (like the opening scene with the chorus of kids being taught to sing carols) but the music never let up in its steady build up of foreboding tragic ending to come (the ending with the misplacedly jolly chorus of the kids chanting ‘Noel! Noel!’ outside is very much wonderfully sickening considering the scene inside). I’m not quite keen on the moral of the story, but musically, I think the descriptively sensitive melodic quality of this opera represents Massenet at his best.

MAIN CAST:
Charlotte (loves Werther but properly marries Albert): Vesselina Kasarova (Mezzo-soprano)
Werther (A poet who really loves Charlotte to death): Ramon Vargas (Tenor)
Albert (Charlotte's jealous husband... with a cause): Christopher Schaldenbrand (Baritone)
Sophie (Charlotte’s younger sister, fancies Werther): Dawn Kotoski (Soprano)
Le Bailli (The Bailiff father of Charlotte and Sophie): Umberto Chiummo (Bass)

Conductor: Vladimir Jurowski / Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin
Chorus Master: Karl - Ludwig Hecht / Knabenchor Berlin

This is a fine performance of this charmingly somber French opera. Maestro Jurowski gives a precise lyrical background from the orchestra pit. It is a strangely unemotional read; however, quite a contrast with his 2 very emotional lead singers. In a way it works in painting an orchestral background of the cold and unforgiving world the 2 passionate main characters exist in, though I would have preferred that Maestro Jurowski had accented in support of his singers more.

The singing performance is highly recommendable, with a note that the sung French is not idiomatic (none of the main cast are French, so they pronounce things funny.... and not entirely in a consistent manner). This shouldn’t matter to non-French speakers, of course. But to those that do it might be a bother in this rather linguistic opera where much nuance is given in its poetic language.

Vesselina Kasarova has made Charlotte one of her signature roles of late. The voice here is captured in a fine shape, and she is as committed to the role as ever (one of the most dependable performers around in that regard). This Charlotte is psychologically older than her own voice. Very fitting of the original character of a young lady forced to bear heavy psychological burdens for her years. Frau Kasarova’s Charlotte is cool and in control (though this voice has an uncanny knack for hinting at a turmoil lying beneath the calm surface) until the Letter Scene that begins Act III breaks her. Then her shrill hysteria is unnerving (Werther! Qui m’aurait dit? - Je vous ecris de ma petite chambre). From that point on her Charlotte is such a bundle of nerve that it is amazing that she retains perfect control of her voice to the end. Her French diction may not be perfect, but her feel for the music is.

Ramon Vargas also gives a stellar read in the title role of the poet Werther. His is also a young lyrical voice fitting of the sensitive poet. He shows quite a surprisingly fine sense for Massenet’s music and highlights all the right passages in his very touching renditions of Pourquoi me reveiller? and Un autre est son epoux. His death scene is a wonderful study in how to sing softly without compromising any dramatic intensity (that helps in making you forget the weirdness of Werther taking such a long time to expire after having shot himself... I've found myself, in lesser performances, wondering at the Werther... aren't you dead yet?). A beautiful performance from one of the most reliable lyric tenors of his generation.

Albert is sung by Christopher Schaldenbrand. His noble read may annoy some who think of this character as the ‘bad guy’ of the story, but I like it. As rigid as this Albert sounds we know that he really loves Charlotte, as a touch of softness creeps into his voice when he sings of/with her (until it becomes clear to him that his wife’s heart belongs to someone else, that is). So this layered portrayal is a welcoming change from the usual heartless ones on many other records. After all, Albert’s only questionable deed in the opera is in granting Werther’s request even though he senses his friend’s suicidal intention. That comes close to the end of the opera, and Schaldenbrand’s read does get darker there. Before that scene; however, Albert is just about the only morally spotless character whose wife was being courted by his own friend. Dawn Kotoski does a fine job singing Sophie. She is sympathetic and optimistic at the same time, ably conveying Sophie’s sunny disposition to contrast Kasarova’s introspective Charlotte.

All in all, this is a superb recording of this opera and will stand up well against the other sets available (yep, even with the ones with Alfredo Krause as Werther). Highly recommended.

2 CD, Sung in French, Play time: 130 mins. Booklet contains synopsis, short history of the work and bios of lead singers, libretto in French, English & German

Recommended: Yes

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