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Operawire, Jun 22, 2023 |
By Mike Hardy |
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Massenet: Werther, London, 20. und 23. Juni 2023
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Royal Opera House 2022-23 Review: Werther |
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Aigul Akhmetshina Steals Limelight from Jonas Kaufmann in Breathtaking Turn |
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The origin of this opera, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s famous novel, “The
Sorrows of Young Werther,” is based on a true story. The first half is based
on Goethe himself, and the second half is based on his friend’s life. It was
among the most popular books of the latter half of the 18th Century, almost
100 years before Massenet adapted it for his work here.
The tale
epitomises to perfection, the quintessential requirements of verismo opera:
passion, jealousy, love, tragedy and inevitable death.
The love here
isn’t exactly unrequited but the object of the poet Werther’s passions and
desires, Charlotte, has promised her dearly departed mother that she will
marry another, Albert. Naturally, our intrepid hero isn’t best pleased and
engages in several implorations designed to change her mind, including the
threat of his own demise if she doesn’t acquiesce. Whilst she does relent in
the end, she does so only on the realization that her paramour is, indeed,
intent on ending it all and leaves it too late to save him, having to cradle
him in her arms whilst she assuages his dying breaths with her protestations
of her love for him.
Quite. All very tragic indeed….
Ostensibly, such a dark, morose tale makes it difficult to imagine it could
ever be made into a work of much beauty. Whoever said truth is stranger than
fiction might well have been commenting on “The Sorrows of Young Werther,”
from which Massenet created this opera. Werther is an individual who
personified exactly the flourishing Romanticism embraced and advocated by
Goethe himself and which subsequently pervaded throughout Europe. His book
resonated with and affected so many young people to such an extent that they
allegedly killed themselves in significant numbers, in sympathy with Werther
creating something of a most macabre fad or vogue.
The Main
Attraction Had primo tenore Jonas Kaufmann been alive in the time of
Massenet, then on this showing I have no doubt he would have written the
role of Werther specifically with the German tenor in mind. Much has been
made recently of the superstar tenor’s voice, particularly with his
propensity to resorting to sing inordinately long periods in his unique,
floated pianissimo style, what some unkind critics have referred to as a
“half-voiced croon,” but I found him here to be musically secure and
evocative. Yes, he punctuated a lot of his passages sotto voce but I found
that approach to totally befit the overly melancholic, dark character he was
portraying, resulting in him delivering a most engaging and, at times,
spell-binding performance that commanded absolute attention, drawing one in
and empathising with his heartache.
It’s true that his voice
occasionally failed to surmount the orchestral crescendos, and he noticeably
stepped forward, at times, in his attempts to better permeate the theatre
with his upper register at key moments, but I believe any vocal foibles here
to be as a result of a slight illness he may be carrying rather than the
doom-laden suspicions of some that Kaufmann may be approaching the cessation
of his reign at the top.
His Act two ‘Un autre est son époux!’ was
truly mesmerising. His exclaimed ‘It is I whom she could have loved’
genuinely endears one to his turmoil and evokes sympathy for his plight, no
mean feat considering his somewhat self-absorbed, and occasionally selfish
behaviour.
His Act three keynote aria, ‘Pourquoi me réveiller?’ was
delivered with passion and sensitivity, the first ‘ô souffle du printemps?’
sung on the one, single breath, although I did detect some difficulty in him
executing the top ‘A’s. Again, I consider this symptomatic of a bug or cold
rather than genuine vocal decline.
The Star of the Show No matter,
even a top form Kaufmann would still have done well to surpass the
extraordinary performance given by Russian Mezzo-Soprano Aigul Akhmetshina.
She has already been hailed as ‘The new Netrebko’, and whilst her voice is
genuinely redolent of Netrebko at her most potent, I genuinely believe she
has the gifts to surpass the achievements and acclaim of her fellow Russian.
From her opening line, ‘Eh, bien, Père, es-tu content d’eux?’ to the
final utterance, ‘Werther! Ah! Tout est fini!’, she delivered a
mesmerizingly beautiful voice of wide-ranging palette. Her instrument is a
remarkably rich, creamy, and seductive mezzo, penetrative but beautifully
resonant. Her rendition in Act three of ‘Werther! Qui m’aurait dit … Ces
lettres!’, was sublime and the house agreed, delivering the only
in-performance applause of the evening. Her interpretations of surrogate
mother to her siblings in Act one, through loyal, dutiful spouse to Albert
in act two, to remorseful, subjugated lover of Werther in the final act was
entirely convincing, such is the conviction of her acting and the
expressiveness of her voice.
The applause at her curtain call was
tumultuous and unparalleled, and Kaufmann, literally, lifted her off her
feet in visible jubilation, acknowledging her achievements. A luminary of
the distinguished Jette Parker Young Artists Programme, Akhmetshina’s
stardom has been forecast for a while now, having garnered five-star reviews
for performances as “Carmen,” Rosina in “Il Barbiere di Siviglia”,
Elisabetta “Maria Stuarda” and as Lola in “Cavalleria Rusticana” as well as
in other performances. I confidently predict that on this performance, her
star is well and truly born.
British soprano and Cardiff Singer of
the World finalist Sarah Gilford makes her debut here as Sophie, a
delightfully sweet soprano who positively enchants and entrances. Her
entreaties to Werther in Act two, ‘Du gai soleil, plein de flamme’ were
utterly endearing, delivered with an almost ‘Snow-White’ charm and
sweetness, whilst still managing to avoid saccharinity. Her gentleness and
joie de vivre are almost palpable and one is left wondering how even
Werther, entrenched as he is in his misery, could decline a dance with this
beauty.
Likewise, her interactions with Charlotte in Act three after
the latter has finished reading the letters from Werther, her compassion and
concern for her older sister is tangible and she sings here with wonderful
poignancy.
Werther’s foil, in the shape of Albert, is performed here
by Canadian bass-baritone Gordon Bintner. Handsome in stature, looks and in
voice, his sonorous baritone was most pleasing, surmounting even the most
ardent orchestral passages. His ‘Elle m’aime…elle pense à moi!’ was
impassioned and assertive. His strong presence, charm and character almost
leave one wondering why Charlotte might wish to usurp him with Werther!
Royal Opera House veteran British bass Alastair Miles gets to grips with
the role of Le Bailli, Charlotte’s father. His bass has an opulent warmth, a
vibrant yet pleasing assuredness. His role of the widowed father of a large
family could easily fall prey to cliché but he produces an accomplished and
convincing performance here as compassionate guardian to his children.
The start of Act two sees some much-needed comedic interjection,
courtesy of the local village drunks, Johann and Schmidt, friends of the
Bailli, played by James Cleverton and Christophe Mortagne, respectively.
Their animated and comical life observations, delivered courtesy of their
‘Vivat, Bacchus – Semper vivat!’, was genuinely funny. Curiously, tenor
Mortagne is the only naturally French speaking artist in the production.
Old But Sturdy Benoît Jacquot’s production here is almost twenty
years old, but ostensibly, it appears as though it could be much older. Set
and lighting designer Charles Edwards seems almost to pay homage to
Jacquot’s expansive film-directing career, employing moody, cinematographic
lighting that created looming, almost foreboding shadows, fitting for such
an unavoidably gloomy tale.
The sets in the first two acts are
expansive yet minimalist, act one depicting a simple garden/courtyard with a
running water fountain and wall-climbing foliage that creates a rather
austere scene. It is this restrained set that introduces the chief
protagonists in the tale and establishes the stories framework, ending with
Werther himself in front of the fallen curtain at the cessation of the act,
symbolising his increasing isolation and desperation. Act two presents a
large backdrop, somewhat naïve in its artistry, a mere expanse of blue sky
behind a low, ornate wall that does little by way of enhancing any of the
highly emotive occurrences taking place here.
Act three is a more
convincing affair; a house interior, that of Charlotte and her husband,
Albert. Its effectiveness is greater compounded when the rear facing door
opens to reveal falling snow against the blackness of the night at the end
of the act, as Charlotte steps out, preluding the imminent tragedy about to
unfold.
The final act, in stark contrast to the sets of the other
acts, is quite brilliant in its concept and almost as brilliant in its
execution. The curtain rises to reveal Werther, mortally wounded with a
self-inflicted pistol shot, in a half-seated, half-laying position in his
abode, set as far back as the stage permits. Slowly, like a barely
perceptible camera zoom or dolly shot, the set becomes larger as a
combination of unseen stagehands and mechanics gradually propels him towards
the front of the stage. I say ALMOST perfect in its execution because there
were clear difficulties in maintaining a constant motion. There was a period
where the set stopped advancing completely and a couple of very loud
clunking noises where obvious issues with the set mechanism occurred. It did
little, however, to detract from what was a most effective and quite
engrossing effect.
Last word must go to the magnificent and
accomplished orchestra of the Royal Opera House. Antonio Pappano has made no
secret that “Werther” is amongst his favourite operas, “Perhaps my most
favourite”. He has a most beautiful piece of art to work with here in the
form of Massenet’s divine score and he elicits the most exquisite sounds
from this orchestra. Particularly of note were solos in the first act,
involving violin and cello, but Pappano produced sheer magic here with these
amazing musicians throughout all four acts, always somehow managing to
moderate the orchestration to allow the voices to permeate through. I
believe the end of his tenure here will represent a huge, if not
irreplaceable, loss to the opera house.
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