| Werther | |
|---|---|
| drame lyrique byJules Massenet | |
 Grasset poster for 1893 French premiere ofWerther | |
| Librettist | |
| Language | French |
| Based on | Die Leiden des jungen Werther byJohann Wolfgang Goethe |
| Premiere | |
Werther is anopera (drame lyrique) in four acts byJules Massenet to a Frenchlibretto byÉdouard Blau,Paul Milliet andGeorges Hartmann (who used the pseudonym Henri Grémont). It is loosely based on Goethe'sepistolary novelThe Sorrows of Young Werther, which itself was based on Goethe's own early life. Earlier examples of operas using the story were made byKreutzer (1792) andPucitta (1802).[1]
Massenet started composingWerther in 1885, completing it in 1887. He submitted it toLéon Carvalho, the director of the ParisOpéra-Comique, that year, but Carvalho declined to accept it on the grounds that the scenario was too serious.[1] With the disruption of the fire at the Opéra-Comique and Massenet's work on other operatic projects (especiallyEsclarmonde), it was put to one side, until the Vienna Opera, pleased with the success ofManon, asked the composer for a new work.Werther received its premiere on 16 February 1892 (in a German version translated by Max Kalbeck) at the Imperial TheatreHofoper inVienna.[1]
The French-language premiere followed inGeneva on 27 December 1892.[2] The first performance in France was given by the Opéra-Comique at theThéâtre Lyrique on the Place du Châtelet in Paris on 16 January 1893, withMarie Delna as Charlotte andGuillaume Ibos in the title role, conducted byJules Danbé, but was not immediately successful.[1]
Werther entered the repertoire at the Opéra-Comique in 1903 in a production supervised byAlbert Carré,[1] and over the next half-century the opera was performed over 1,100 times there, Léon Beyle becoming a distinguished interpreter of Werther.[3]
TheUnited States premiere with theMetropolitan Opera took place inChicago on 29 March 1894 and then in the company's main house inNew York City three weeks later.[4] The UK premiere was a one-off performance atCovent Garden, London, on 11 June 1894[2] withEmma Eames as Charlotte,Sigrid Arnoldson as Sophie, andJean de Reszke in the title role.
Werther is still regularly performed around the world and has been recorded many times. Although the role of Werther was written for atenor, Massenet adjusted it for abaritone, whenMattia Battistini sang it inSaint Petersburg in 1902. It is very occasionally performed in this version, in which the changes affect only the vocal line for the title character. There are no other changes to the words, to the lines for other characters, or to the orchestration.
| Role | Voice type | Premiere cast, 16 February 1892[5] (Conductor:Wilhelm Jahn) |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte,aged 20 | mezzo-soprano | Marie Renard |
| Sophie,her sister, aged 15 | soprano | Ellen Brandt-Forster |
| Werther,a young poet, aged 23 | tenor | Ernest van Dyck |
| Albert,betrothed to Charlotte; aged 25 | baritone | Franz Neidl |
| Le Bailli,Charlotte's father; aged 50 | bass | Karl Mayerhofer |
| Schmidt,a friend of the Bailli | tenor | Anton Schlittenhelm |
| Johann,a friend of the Bailli | baritone | Benedikt Felix |
| Brühlmann,a young man | tenor | August Stoll |
| Käthchen,Brühlmann's fiancée of seven years | mezzo-soprano | Emma Karlona |
| Children of the Bailli – Fritz, Max, Hans, Karl, Gretel, Clara | children's voices | |
| Inhabitants of Wetzlar, guests, servants; off-stage women's and children's voices | ||
2flutes (2nd doublingpiccolo),2oboes (doublingEnglish horns),2clarinets inB-flat and A,alto saxophone,2bassoons,4horns in F,2cornets in B-flat and A,3trombones,tuba,timpani,percussion (1) (bass drum,triangle),harp,strings.
In July, the widowed Bailiff (a Magistrate, rather than one who comes to seize property), is teaching his six youngest children a Christmas carol ("Noël! Jésus vient de naître"). His drinking companions, Johann and Schmidt, arrive as Charlotte, the eldest daughter, dresses for a ball. Since her fiancé Albert is away, she is to be escorted by Werther, whom the Bailiff and his companions find gloomy. Werther arrives ("O Nature, pleine de grâce"), and watches as Charlotte prepares her young siblings' supper, just as her mother had before she died. He greets her and they leave for the ball. Albert returns unexpectedly after a six-month trip. He is unsure of Charlotte's intentions and disappointed not to find her at home, but is reassured and consoled by Charlotte's younger sister Sophie. He leaves after promising to return in the morning. After an orchestral interlude, Werther and Charlotte return very late; he is already enamoured of her. His declaration of love is interrupted by the announcement of Albert's return. Charlotte recalls how she promised her dying mother she would marry Albert. Werther is in despair.
It is three months later, and Charlotte and Albert are now married. They walk happily to church to celebrate the minister's 50th wedding anniversary, followed by the disconsolate Werther ("Un autre est son époux!"). First Albert and then Sophie ("Du gai soleil, plein de flamme") try to cheer him up. When Charlotte exits the church, he speaks to her of their first meeting. Charlotte begs Werther to leave her, though she indicates that she would be willing to receive him again on Christmas Day. Werther contemplates suicide ("Lorsque l'enfant revient d'un voyage"). He encounters Sophie but the tearful girl does not understand his distressing behavior. Albert now realizes that Werther loves Charlotte.
Charlotte is at home alone on Christmas Eve. She spends time rereading the letters that she has received from Werther ("Werther! Qui m'aurait dit ... Ces lettres!"), wondering how the young poet is and how she had the strength to send him away. Sophie comes in and tries to cheer up her older sister ("Ah! le rire est béni"), though Charlotte is not to be consoled ("Va! laisse couler mes larmes"). Suddenly Werther appears, and while he reads to her some poetry ofOssian ("Pourquoi me réveiller?"), he realizes that she does indeed return his love. They embrace for a moment, but she quickly bids him farewell. He leaves with thoughts of suicide. Albert returns home to find his wife distraught. Werther sends a messenger to Albert, requesting to borrow his pistols, explaining he is going on an extended trip. After the servant has taken them, Charlotte has a terrible premonition and hurries to find Werther. An orchestral intermezzo ("La nuit de Noël") leads without a break into the final Act.
"The death of Werther": At Werther's apartment, Charlotte has arrived too late to stop him from shooting himself; he is dying. She consoles him by declaring her love. He asks for forgiveness. After he dies, Charlotte faints. Outside children are heard singing the Christmas carol.
Act 1
Act 2
| Act 3
|
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A well-regarded recording of the complete opera was made in January 1931 by French Columbia with a French cast, led byGeorges Thill andNinon Vallin, with the orchestra and chorus of the Opéra-Comique under the direction ofÉlie Cohen. This was later released in a 2-CD set by EMI in its References series.[6]Alan Blyth of theGramophone magazine commented in his 1990 review, "If you want to hear just how thoroughly prepared, technically secure, idiomatic and deeply felt French singing could be between the wars, you need only listen to this wonderful performance, now brought to new life on an excellent EMI transfer to CD."[7] Henry Fogel ofFanfare magazine, writing in 1992, counted 14 complete recordings and considered it the finest of the lot.[8] This recording was later released by Opera d'Oro and Naxos in different transfers.[9]
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