Werther

Jules Massenet
Operas La grand'tante (1867) Don César de Bazan (1872) Le roi de Lahore (1877) Hérodiade (1881) Manon (1884) Le Cid (1885) Esclarmonde (1889) Le mage (1891) Werther (1892) Thaïs (1894) Le portrait de Manon (1894) La Navarraise (1894) Sapho (1897) Cendrillon (1899) Grisélidis (1901) Le jongleur de Notre-Dame (1902) Chérubin (1903) Ariane (1906) Thérèse (1907) Bacchus (1909) Don Quichotte (1910) Roma (1912) Panurge (1913) Cléopâtre (1914) Amadis (1922)
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Werther is an opera in four acts by Jules Massenet to a French libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet and Georges Hartmann based on the German epistolary novel The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

Although Massenet wrote and completed his opera in 1887, it did not receive any performance until it premiered at the Imperial Theatre Hofoper in Vienna on February 16, 1892, in a German version translated by Max Kalbeck.^[1] It had a great success. The French-language premiere followed in Geneva on December 27, 1892,^[1] and the first performance in France was at the Opéra-Comique, Paris on January 16, 1893.

The United States premiere at Metropolitan Opera took place in Chicago on March 29, 1894, and then in the company's main house in New York City three weeks later^[2]. The UK premiere was at Covent Garden, London, on June 11, 1894.^[1]

Werther is regularly performed and has been recorded many times. By general critical consensus, the finest and most idiomatic performance on disc remains the January 1931 French Columbia recording of the complete opera, sung by Georges Thill, Ninon Vallin and Germaine Feraldy, and featuring the Paris Opera orchestra and chorus under the baton of Élie Cohen. In addition, many of the greatest French and Italian singers of the past century or more have recorded individual arias from Massenet's masterwork.

Roles

Synopsis

Time: July to December 1780.

Place: The outskirts of Frankfurt.

Act 1

The widowed Bailiff teaches his younger children a Christmas carol, surprising his two neighbors, Schmidt and Johann, for it is July. Charlotte dresses for a ball. Since her intended, Albert, is away, she is escorted by Werther whom they find gloomy. Werther arrives and watches as Charlotte prepares her young siblings' supper, just as her mother had before she died. Werther greets Charlotte with a kiss, 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 here, but is reassured and consoled by Sophie. He leaves after promising to return in the morning. Werther and Charlotte return very late, and he is already enamoured with 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 despairs.

Act 2

It is three months later, and Charlotte and Albert are now married. They walk happily to church, pursued by the gloomy Werther. Sophie tries to cheer him up. When Charlotte exits the church, he speaks to her of their first meeting. Charlotte begs Werther not to try to see her again until Christmas day. Werther contemplates suicide, but leaves quickly when Sophie greets him. Charlotte comforts the tearful girl who does not understand his cruel behavior. Albert now realizes that Werther loves Charlotte.

Act 3

	"Va! laisse couler mes larmes" Sung by Charlotte in Act III. Sung by Jeanette Ekornaasvaag.
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Charlotte is at home alone on Christmas Eve. She spends time rereading Werther's letters to herself, wondering how the young poet is and how she had the strength to send him away. Suddenly Werther appears, and while he reads her poetry, he realizes that she returns 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 distraught wife. Werther has sent a message to Albert requesting to borrow his pistols, explaining he is going on an extended trip. A servant is sent to deliver the pistols. Charlotte has a terrible premonition and hurries to find Werther.

Act 4

At Werther's apartment, Charlotte has arrived too late. Werther is dying. She consoles him by declaring her love. He asks for forgiveness. After he dies, Charlotte faints. Outside children are heard singing a Christmas carol.

Noted arias

• Act I - Werther: "O Nature, pleine de grace"
• Act II - Sophie: "Du gai soleil, plein de flame"
• Act III - Charlotte: "Va, laisse couler mes larmes"
• Act III - Charlotte: "Werther! Qui m'aurait dit /Ces lettres!" (Letter Scene)
• Act III - Werther: "Pourquoi me réveiller?"

Selected recordings

DVD:

• TDK: Vienna State Opera 2005: P Jordan (M Alvarez, E Garanca, A Eröd)
• Virgin Classics:Paris-Chatelet 2005: M Plasson (T Hampson, S Graham, S Piau)
• Image Entertainment 1998 Film: L Pesek (P Dvorsky, B Fassbänder)

CD:

• Naxos 2000 (remastering of French Columbia discs of 1931): Elie Cohen (G Thill, N Vallin, G Feraldy)
• RCA Victor 1998: V Jurowski (R Vargas, V Kasarova, D Kotoski, C Schaldenbrand)
• Phillips 2004 (recorded 1980): C Davis (J Carreras, F von Stade, T Allen, D Bell, I Buchanan)
• EMI Int'l 1997 (recorded 1979): M Plasson (A Kraus, T Troyanos, Matteo Manuguerra, C Barbaux); and
• EMI Classics 1999: A Pappano (R Alagna, A Gheorghiu, T Hampson, P Petibon).
• EMI Classics 2003 (Recorded 1969): Georges Prêtre (N Gedda, V de los Angeles)

References

• Upton, George; Borowski, Felix (1928). The Standard Opera Guide. Blue Ribbon Books, N.Y.. pp. 187–88. 
• Kobbé, Gustav (1976). The Complete Opera Book. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons. pp. 864–869. 
• Werther at Bob's Universe
• Huebner, Steven (2006). French Opera at the Fin de Siecle: Werther. Oxford Univ. Press, US. pp. 113–134. ISBN 9780195189544. 

External links

• Werther: Free scores at the International Music Score Library Project.
• Werther: Full orchestral score at indiana.edu
• Werther: English libretto