Drame lyrique in 4 acts
Libretto by Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet & Georges Hartmann
First performed February 16 1892, Imperial Hofoper, Vienna
This production opened in Frankfurt December 11 2005
Sung in French with German & English surtitles
Introductory talks (in German) in the Holzfoyer 30 mins before curtain up, available here shortly before opening night and everywhere where podcasts are to be found.
Werther John Osborn
Charlotte Bianca Andrew
Sophie Anna Nekhames / Karolina Bengtsson
Albert Sebastian Geyer
Johann Pete Thanapat
Le Bailli Franz Mayer
Schmidt Peter Marsh
An evening in July. The Bailli, a magistrate and widower, is trying to teach his children, and older daughter Sophie, a carol. His friends Johann and Schmidt try and persuade him to come for a drink but he says his eldest daughter Charlotte, who looks after the children, is going to a ball. Werther is Charlotte's escort because her fiancé, Albert, is away. Johann and Schmidt think Albert's an ideal husband for Charlotte – they find Werther, a serious-minded poet, rather strange. They leave, after making the Bailli promise he'll join them later. Werther arrives and finds the setting idyllic, a paradise. He hears the children singing – it seems to him that their souls are full of light. Werther's moved to see Charlotte tenderly caring for the large family. They leave for the ball. Sophie promises to look after the children and sends her father off to meet his friends. Albert returns unexpectedly, longing to see Charlotte. He asks Sophie what's been happening during his six months away. Sad not to find Charlotte at home, he asks Sophie to keep his return secret - he'll come back tomorrow. Charlotte and Werther return from the ball. They find it difficult to part. He says his soul has recognised hers, her eyes are his happiness, his hope. He mentions the children, which brings her back to reality. She hears that Albert's back and tells Werther that she promised her dying mother she would marry Albert. Horrified, Werther says she must keep her oath, even though it will kill him. ACT II 3 months later. Johann and Schmidt enjoy the glorious weather and sing Bacchus' praises. Charlotte and Albert are going to church. Werther's come back and sees them together. He's now obsessed by his love and the hopelessness of his situation. Albert sees that he's upset and feels guilty that he should be so happy when Werther's so sad at not having Charlotte’s love. Werther tells him he no longer loves Charlotte, that storms pass, friendship remains and this alone will be his happiness on earth. Bubbly Sophie comes in to ask Werther to dance with her, but he refuses. Werther again professes his love to Charlotte. She tells him that Albert loves her, and she's his wife, that he must leave and not see her again. The thought of not seeing her again is unbearable. She relents and says he may visit them at Christmas. The distraught manner of his departure makes it plain to Albert that Werther's in love with his wife. ACT III Christmas Eve. Charlotte's re-reading Werther’s letters. She realises that she loves him too. Sophie can tell she's been crying and tries to cheer her up, telling her to come and spend Christmas with the family. Werther arrives and they remember the happy hours they spent together. He asks for one kiss. She begs God to protect her from herself, and Werther. He begs her to admit that she loves him as he loves her but she manages to regain her self-control and orders him to go. Werther tells her she's pronounced his death sentence and leaves in great distress. Albert comes home and, sensing the tense atmosphere, guesses what's happened. He's heard that Werther's been seen nearby. A servant brings a message from Werther announcing his immediate departure „on a distant journey“ and asking his friend to lend him a pistol. Albert grimly orders Charlotte to give it to the messenger. Though horrified, she obeys. Driven by hideous foreboding, she hurries off to try and prevent the imminent tragedy. ACT IV Werther has shot himself. Charlotte arrives. He begs her not to call for help. There's nothing she can do except confess that she has loved him from the first moment and grant him their first, and last kiss. Children can be heard singing a carol. To Werther they sound like angels. At peace with himself at last, he dies in her arms.
Julies Massenet’s much loved opera Werther moves between ecstasy and resignation, dream and reality, sensual desire and the longing for death. Central to this feverish drama, based on Goethe‘s 1774 epistolary novel, are Werther and his impossible love for Charlotte, who promised her dying mother to marry dependable Albert. Charlotte repeatedly turns Werther down, although she shares his feelings. It ends with Werther taking his life on Christmas Eve.
Jules Massenet turned Goethe’s, scandalous in those days, novel into a lyric web of dramatic and grotesquely amusing moments. Willy Decker’s production, which has thrilled audiences here for 20 years, portrays Werther as a dreamer, drifting between realities. His initial euphoria turns into a nightmare.
