December 16, 2006: Werther in Munich

2006-12-16 Werther (Massenet), Bayerische Staatsoper, Munich

Werther = Marcelo Alvarez
Albert = Christopher Maltman
Le Bailli = Christoph Stephinger
Schmidt = Kevin Conners
Johann = Franz-Josef Kapellmann
Brühlmann = Marc Pujol
Charlotte = Sophie Koch
Sophie = Adriana Kucerova
Käthchen = Anaik Morel

Daniel Oren, conductor

Werther
Jules Massenet
Edouard Blau, Paul Milliet,
Georges Hartmann after Johann Wolfgang von Goethe


Conductor Daniel Oren
Production, Set, Lighting Concept
and Costumes Jürgen Rose
Production Staff Franziska Severin
Lighting Michael Bauer
Children Chorus Stellario Fagone
Dramaturgy Ingrid Zellner

Werther Marcelo Alvarez


The Bavarian State Orchestra

And then in the evening another Premiere with Marcelo Alvarez, in 2004 I was in Bayerische Staatsoper for the premiere of Romeo et Juliette... What can I say? Sophie Koch has a beautiful mezzo soprano voice and was wonderful as Charlotte. Marcelo Alvarez was a passionate Werther. The production that I had heard was wonderful, I did not like it. Luckily act 3 and 4 was great enough. Not that the production was bad, it was just not good enough, it made me yearn for the Vienna production which had better ideas. Sophie was in this production just a silly girl, I though we had evolved from that. Sophie is much better, more relevant if she is near Charlotte in age (almost said height) and light-hearted but not silly... The scenography, why update Werther, silly...

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October 2, 2004: Werther in London

2004-10-02 Werther (Massenet), Royal Opera House London

Werther = Marcelo Alvarez
Charlotte = Ruxandra Donose
Albert = Ludovic Tézier
Sophie = Sally Matthews
Le Bailli = Jonathan Veira
Schmidt = Gilles Ragon
Johann = Darren Jefffery

Antonio Pappano, conductor



One week after my travel to Berlin/Zurich, which came out very differently because of trouble with airplane and then trouble with Norwegian air-space. This time I went to London by Ryanair, so this was also from Sandefjord Torp, both ways... I felt more familiar this time. And everything went smoothly. The London Airport was Stansted,
and I took the Stansted-express both ways.

And in London I decided never to go somewhere (esp. London) without a hotel reservation. I was first looking around Paddington station, either it was full or the room was I felt not safe enough. Then I went to King's Cross where I was lucky to get a room that was OK, 50 pounds, but as I later discover the breakfast was not up to par. English breakfast but I think the English would object to that.

As I went out of the tube at Covent Garden it had started raining, I believed it was a flood from the Heavens. Quite wet was I when I walked into the Opera House, standing in a line to get my ticket, then browsing in the Opera store there. And then the rain stopped. I went out of the building believing to have forgotten my memory card
for my camera, I started looking around. Having some hours before the opera it wasn't that stressful... But when the doors opened in Royal Opera House I found that I had my memory cards with me. Relieved I went inside and left my jacket and my umbrella at the wardrobe. I went to the bar and had something to eat. Then it was opera-time.

Massenet's opera Werther is one of my favorite operas but not one I have had the pleasure of seeing often, first time was actually in Zurich in 2000 with Francisco Araiza and Carmen Opriseanu. This was the full Werther with all the small characters in Schmidt & Johann, Brühlman & Käthchen. And Marcelo Alvarez was an ideal Werther, and Ruxandra Donose was great as Charlotte. Reading the critics saying about this production made you believe things that were not true. One critize the age of the children, the same age he thought. Not so where I sitting but that Sophie and Charlotte was some years older than the younger siblings and why not, having children with a minimal time in-between was not unusual at the time of Goethe / Werther.
Charlotte having the same dress all the time, not so. That Sophie was a boring character, not in this production. That the background on the stage did not change during the whole opera, not so.

So how was it. Brilliant... From the prelude to Werther's death. Wonderful sung and acted from the whole company. A classic. The light setting, the setting. I think this production can live on for many years. But you need a great Werther, vocally who can act too and the same for Charlotte. And if a Werther should be really great you need
a Sophie who can make you understand that there is depth in this characters who is often reduced to just happy girlish girl. But she is smart, caring for her father, her sister and her other siblings, and she is truly in love with Werther, so this is a tragedy for her too. But Sophie has decided to see the good and happy thing in all. This Sophie had depth. And of course we were lucky to have Ludovic Tezier who made Albert an almost interesting and sympatric character.

After the opera I was at the stage door, and Marcelo Alvarez and Donose and Tezier all came out and talked and photographs being taken. "Sophie" was there too probably but no one recognized her.

And then back to my hotel. And when I came to Liverpool street (in th morning), the Stansted express was replaced by buses. I don't know why. When in Norway, Sandefjord Airport Torp I could get an earlier bus to Oslo. Probably because of a bunch of Italian students who were going to Oslo. Anyway that only meant more hours to wait in Oslo for my night bus home.

Director:
Benoit Jacquot

Set Designs:
Charles Edwards

Costume Designs:
Christian Gasc

Lighting:
Charles Edwards




Co-production
with Opéra de
Monte Carlo

OD Travel + Photos

June 28, 2005: Werther in Turin, Italy

2005-06-28 Werther (Massenet), Teatro Regio Torino

Werther = Roberto Alagna
Charlotte = Kate Aldrich
Albert = Marc Barrard
Sophie = Nathalie Manfrino
Bailli = Michel Trempont
Schmidt = Leonard Pezzino
Johann = Armando Gabba
Brühlmann = Alessandro Inzillo
Kätchen = Ivana Cravero

Alain Guingal, conductor



Werther

Libretto di Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet e
Georges Hartmann
dal romanzo Die Leiden des jungen Werther
di Johann Wolfgang Goethe

Musica di Jules Massenet


Gli altri figli del borgomastro, voci bianche
Stefania Costa, Fiammetta Fanari,
Roberta Nobile, Miriam Schiavello,
Giulia Voghera, Carlo Alberto Italia,
Alberto Occelli, Giulio Sanna


Direttore d’orchestra Alain Guingal
Regia e scene David Alagna e Frédérico Alagna
Costumi Louis Désiré
Maestro del coro Claudio Marino Moretti
Orchestra e Coro del Teatro Regio

Elementi del Coro di voci bianche del Teatro Regio e del Conservatorio
“G. Verdi”

Nuovo allestimento Teatro Regio.

Bravo Roberto Alagna!!!!!
Bravi David & Frederico Alagna!!!
Bravi tutti!

Even, bravi dog and horses!!!

First time in Torino for me. The Alagna brothers made this production a feast for the eye and ear. And with Roberto Alagna, their big-brother as the star of the evening it was absolutely magic. Schmidt and Johann visited the home of the Bailiff with a real dog. The dog acted admirably even when the singing was near. Naturally the dog was in a leash and all took care of the big dog. The carriage was with a real horse that took Charlotte and Werther to the ball and back. When Sophie came to the church she was on horseback, not the same horse that had carried the carriage. And was it disturbing the opera in any way? No. It was all perfectly done.

Roberto Alagna et al. was wonderful in their singing and dancing. The children, too. The sets and costumes was beautiful and totally right for Werther. Roberto Alagna was perfect as Werther. Kate Aldrich was totally convincing as Charlotte, which was wonderfully sung. Sophie was also quite marvelous as were Albert. This production with its use of red lightning at special moments in Werther was truly amazing and wonderful...

The perfect Werther!

OD Travel + Photos

June 26, 2006: Werther in Vienna

2006-06-26 Werther (Massenet), Wiener Staatsoper

Werther = Marcus Haddock
Albert = Morten Frank Larsen
Le Bailli = Janusz Monarcha
Charlotte = Elina Garanca
Sophie = Ileana Tonca
Schmidt = Benedikt Kobel
Johann = Clemens Unterreiner

Marco Armiliato, conductor



Werther (Massenet), Wiener Staatsoper
Dirigent: Marco Armiliato
Inszenierung: Andrei Serban
Bühne: Peter Pabst
Kostüme: Peter Pabst, Petra Reinhardt
Choreinstudierung: Ernst Dunshirn


Beginn: 19.30
The tenor Marcus Haddock looked quite like Marcelo Alvarez and acted as him too. His singing was not at the level as Marcelo Alvarez. The costumes looked false on him, and I could not understand how anyone could fall in love with him. I am sure Alvarez would have made one forget the costumes which was OK for all the others but Werther. Elina Garanca has the most gorgeous mezzo soprano voice. She was absolutely wonderful. Ileana Tonca sang Sophie also wonderfully, Albert was great. But then it was the direction which I think really made this Werther production something I cannot like. It was the Postmodern Ironie. Werther is an idiot, he should more be poetic. Charlotte was just a BIG EGO, she should really care for the children, instead she is more looking in the mirror, making her make-up perfect. Sophie is the one really tending the children, but she should be the second care-taker of the children. There is too many children in that household.

The singing was wonderful, but the REGIE was just about reading WERTHER the false way. Here you have great singers that can act well but chose to make most of what people say into falsehood. It was really depressing. This opera doesn't need that kind of help.

OD Travel

June 25, 2000: Werther in Zurich

2000-06-25 Werther (J. Massenet), Opernhaus Zurich

Werther = Francisco Araiza
Albert = Alfred Muff
Le Bailli = Rudolf A. Hartmann
Charlotte = Carmen Opriseanu
Sophie = Dawn Kotoski

Jacques Delacôte, conductor



Musikalische Leitung JACQUES DELACÔTE
Inszenierung nnd Bühnenbild MARCO ARTURO MARELLI
Spielleitung CLAUDIA BLERSCH
Kostüme DAGMAR NIEFIND-MARELLI
Lichtgestaltung ROBERTUS CREMER
Chor JÜRG HÄMMERLI


KINDER CHOR DES OPERNHAUSES ZUSATZCHOR OPERNHAUS ZÜRICH STATISTENVEREIN AM OPERNHAUS
ORCHESTER DER OPER ZÜRICH
Solocello Claudius Herrmann
Solovioline Ada Pesch
Musikalische Assistenz
und Einstudierung KELLY THOMAS, HERVE MAHE
Organisation und
Betreuung der Kinder SUSY SIEGRIST, CHRISTINE KRISZUN
lnspizienz SUSANN ZAHLER
Souffleuse URSULA MORI
Verlag. Editions Heugel, Paris
Sonntag, 25. Juni 2000UBS-Abo
Pause nach dem 2. Akt
Beginn: 14.00 Uhr Ende: ca. 16.30 Uhr

Opernhaus Zurich, Werther, Francisco Araiza, Carmen Opriseanu
Act 1 - Spring
Act 2 - Summer
Act 3 - Autumn
Act 4 - Winter.
Another version of Werther, some persons was deleted from the opera, only the principals remained, (deleted: Schmidt, Johann, Brühlmann and Kätchen). Colorful production.

OD Travel + Photos