Massenet’s Werther was telecast today in theaters around the world. Let’s begin with the end. It was mute. Shortly after Charlotte entered Werther’s room in the final scene of Massenet’s opera the sound was lost. It wasn’t found until after the curtain fell. I’ve already heard from a viewer in San Francisco that the sound was lost there as well. This loss was catastrophic because everything that proceeded it was great. In fact, had it closed intact it could have ranked as the best telecast in this series from the Met. I can’t remove the technical scar that marred this performance, but as a gesture here is the final scene taken from the performance of March 11 with the same singers that appeared in today’s telecast. Werther finale The Met owes its HD audience some sort of recompense. I’m not sure what, but that’s now their problem. (See the note below*). The loss of the sound while the picture continued was as shocking as watching the murder of Apollo. The Met seems determined to prove that nothing beats a live performance. [You can watch the final scene of the opera here. Of course, this does not make up for the destruction of the impact of the complete performance by the technical failure.]

Werther has an unusual history at the Met. More than 60 years separated its 10th from  its 11th performance by the company. They brought it back in 1971 for Franco Corelli who should have been singing Otello instead. And what did he do? He cancelled. He did do the 12th show. He did the part 23 times in New York. The first Met Werther was  the legendary Jean de Reszke. Placido Domingo, Alfredo Kraus, and Roberto Alagna have played Massenet’s lovesick tenor. Today’s performance was the 81st time the Met has staged the opera.

Kaufmann WertherWerther requires a tenor in the title role of unusual vocal flexibility and expression. Without a great tenor there’s no reason to present the opera. But when you have a singer with the artistry of Jonas Kaufmann, the work is compelling. Kaufmann’s vocal excellence and histrionic virtuosity make him the greatest tenor now before the public. His dusky sound would not seem ideal for a lyric French opera, but he sings with such nuance and expression that he inhabits Massenet’s unhinged “hero”. I’m not sure what Werther does for a living or why we should care for such a nut case, but these doubts fade to nothing when Kaufmann portrays him. He is a great artist at the zenith of his powers. The next five or so years should be his best. He’s so good that I’m almost sorry I skipped his Parsifal last season.

The object of Werther’s obsessive love, Charlotte, was sung by the French mezzo-soprano Sophie Koch who made her Met debut in this production. She has a pleasant light lyric mezzo that’s very well suited to her role. She is attractive and a very good actress. Charlotte promised her mother that she would marry the baritone (Albert); no wonder she’s conflicted. She complies with her dead mother’s wish even though it defies the natural order of the universe.

Albert was played by David Bižić who despite being Serbian has a very French sounding baritone voice. He was convincing as the stolid husband who while long on reliability is short on sex appeal.

The remaining principal role is that of Sophie, Charlotte’s younger sister. There appear to be eight siblings in this family which might explain why their mother died before the curtain rose. Lisette Oropesa was chipper and appealing in a part that is mostly on the outskirts of the action.

Alain Altinoglu conducted. He is French of Armenian descent. He led a very sensitive and incisive reading of Massenet’s diaphanous score. The Met’s orchestra as is its norm responded to his leadership with polish and meaning. Werther’s score accents every change in emotion that abounds in this delicate work. The entire musical package was a delight.

This leaves Richard Eyre’s new production. The British director moved the action from the 18th century to the end of the 19th. The action flowed naturally through its altered time. Rob Howell realistic sets beautifully supported the drama. The change from the garden to room full of dancers and then back again was a bit of effective stage magic. In Eyre’s staging we are to believe that Charlotte kills herself with the second of her husband’s pistols (the ones he sent to Werther) just after the curtain falls; an interesting conceit.

In summary, this was a staging of a difficult opera that came alive due to the combined efforts of its performers and production team. It was most memorable because of the brilliance of its protagonist – Jonas Kaufmann. He must now be added to the short list of the truly great tenors who have appeared at the world’s leading opera house. The technical failure was especially unfortunate because it came at the emotional and temporal climax of the opera. The Met (see note below) assures us that the repeat performance will contain all of the music.

 

Metropolitan Opera House
March 15, 2014 Matinee
HD Transmission/Simulcast

WERTHER
Jules Massenet-Edouard Blau/Paul Milliet/ Georges Hartmann

Werther………………..Jonas Kaufmann
Charlotte………………Sophie Koch
Albert…………………David Bižić
Sophie…………………Lisette Oropesa
Bailiff………………..Jonathan Summers
Schmidt………………..Tony Stevenson
Johann…………………Philip Cokorinos
Käthchen……………….Maya Lahyani
Brühlmann………………Christopher Job
Hans…………………..Richard Hausman
Gretel…………………Helena Abbott
Karl…………………..Seth Ewing-Crystal
Clara………………….Kiki Porter
Fritz………………….Daniel Katzman
Max……………………Thomas White

Conductor………………Alain Altinoglu

Production……………..Richard Eyre
Designer……………….Rob Howell
Lighting Designer……….Peter Mumford
Video Designer………….Wendall K. Harrington
Choreographer…………..Sara Erde
TV Director………….Gary Halvorson

*The Metropolitan Opera
We regret that due to a technical problem with the satellite carrying the audio feed, the sound in today’s transmission of Werther was interrupted for the last seven minutes of the performance, which affected the majority of U.S. theaters. The final part of the opera will be posted on the Met’s website tomorrow evening and the audio will be fixed for the encore presentation of Werther this Wednesday, March 19.