Of the more than 30 operas composed by Jules Massenet (1842-1912), Werther and Manon are his two most popular, both having earned their place in the standard repertoire. That said, the Canadian Opera Company last staged Werther a long 34 four years ago in the fall of 1992. To 21st-century sensibilities, the plot of the ill-fated love of Werther for Charlotte, leading to his eventual suicide, seems hopelessly old fashioned and doesn’t exactly resonate with a contemporary audience.
Reflecting the melodramatic style of high Romanticism and milking every ounce of pathos with a death scene that takes up a whole act might have been standard fare decades ago, but it doesn’t exactly endear itself to a modern audience. I had to stifle a laugh sitting in my seat during the last act when I heard a voice whisper the words, “Get on with it!”
It is undeniable that the score contains some of the most exquisite, melodically inspired music ever composed – especially in Acts Three and Four. The orchestral writing is also brilliantly powerful, with more than a hint of Wagner. When it is performed by fine singers and a great orchestra, in a beautiful production, Werther can be a most enjoyable evening at the opera. I can honestly say that the COC’s new production largely fulfills that promise.
Seen on opening night, the naturalistic set by Olivier Landreville was pleasing to the eye. French Canadian stage director Alain Gauthier’s vision was rather straightforward and noncontroversial in its interpretation.
American tenor and frequent COC guest artist Russell Thomas made his role debut as Werther. His naturally heroic tenor may not be an obvious choice for the role of Werther, but his firm technique allowed him to scale down his volume and achieve moments of lovely mezza voce, a must in this role. When the dramatic situation called for a more robust sound, the voice responded nicely.
Photo Credit: Michael Cooper
Simone Osborne, seen here with Robert Pomakov, was a “vocally sparkling” Sophie
Charlotte was Russian mezzo-soprano Victoria Karkacheva in her COC debut. She has previously sung this role at none other than Teatro alla Scala. Her dark-hued mezzo and slightly covered sound in the lower voice was not ideal, but her top register was beautiful, clear and big! She has beautiful stage presence and was a sympathetic Charlotte.
This opera has a large cast of supporting characters, here mostly taken by current and former COC Ensemble singers, several of whom have gone on to excellent careers in Europe. Top on the list was soprano Simone Osborne, who is a perfect Sophie, vocally sparkling and delightful dramatically. Her real-life partner baritone Gordon Bintner was an unusually sympathetic Albert. Also worthy of praise were Robert Pomakov (Baili), Michael Colvin (Schmidt) and Alain Coulombe (Johann).
The orchestra under COC music director Johannes Debus achieved a positively Wagnerian sound that was thrilling to the ear. A great deal has been written about Wagner’s influence on French music and literature. In the 2009 book, Wagner and the French Muse: Wagnerian Influences on French Musical and Literary Culture, 1870-1945 by Paul du Quenoy, the author mentions that Massenet was so devoted to Wagner’s musical style that he was given the rather uncomplimentary nickname of “Mademoiselle Wagner!” It’s all to the good as far as my ears are concerned.
There you have it – a wonderful final production of the COC season, not to be missed.
Photo Credit: Michael Cooper
The final act of Werther on Olivier Landreville’s naturalistic set
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