The opening night of Werther started for me at 6pm with France Musique, "le magazine en direct" from the amphitheatre. I was glad to at last be able to see a journalist I have been listening to for years on the radio, Lionel Esparza, and it was also a pleasure to have that kind of friendly talk before the opening night of Werther.
His guests were of course Serge Dorny, the director of the Lyon Opera house and the artists of the cast, together with the much-awaited new stage director Rolando Villazón. It was a great pleasure to see them so generously sharing their thoughts about all the work they had been doing for this opening night, all of them praising (when Rolando Villazón was not present yet) the qualities of their stage director.
A. C. Gillet (Young Sophie in the opera) pointed out that it was marvelous for them to be coached by a singer who really cares for musicality and singing and made a point of having the singers always sing at the front of the stage, facing the audience (while in motion) .
And that was confirmed later during the show, they all sang beautifully from the front of the stage. A miracle!
The Magazine can be attended at the site France Musique, There are lots of photos, including where I can see myself, from the back and facing Rolando Villazon. (I could not help laughing when he exclaimed 'tequila' lifting the glass in front of him, and later on pulling his tongue out as you can see!)
Charlotte - Karine Deshayes, and Werther - Arturo Chacon- Cruz, did not come to this friendly discussion, and I can understand why: It was the first role of Charlotte for Karine Deshayes, and for the Mexican tenor Arturo Chacom Cruz, it was his first appearance in France. So they were certainly concentrating before coming on stage. As it was, Charlotte was the first to appear on stage at the curtain raise while the ouverture was being played, she had a long Harlequin like dress, went to a black gown lying at the middle front stage and stroke it.
A strange setting, almost like a fairy tale:
A poetical atmosphere (balloons, paper flowers, lovely children, clowns and colourful costumes and make-up) which worked well at the beginning.
It was a strange discovery of the elements of the staging: from a golden yellow gown hanging from the clock, almost like a coat-hanger, to the tree, the steel skeleton of a huge lime tree, with beautiful curves and shiny plastic leaves of a very pale green which will turn white lately with unhappiness. The lights participate in the general musical and psychological atmosphere of this very sad tale. Two of the characters were clowns throughout the opera, Schmidt and Johann, but they sang their parts. The other real couple of clowns puzzled me and I did not feel that they added any sense to the 'subjectivity'
This is part of what Rolando Villazon wants to make visible for all : the subjectivity of the musical language, through symbols. But I do not really know if all these parallel stories are useful with what the music tells from the inside, striking our subjectivity, after all, we have our own patterns of recognition. Is it useful to always try to make sense with another language, here miming?
Miming has its codes and stands by itself.
I can compare this kind of never empty stage with clowns taking part in the drama to Achim Freyer's Eugene Onegin.
But here it is not the whole cast which is transformed into miming masked characters like in Eugene Onegin, only the couple of clowns are miming.
The main characters seem to be transformed when they put on coloured gowns, with three striking colours for fairly obvious symbols, black for death and duty, golden yellow for creativity, youth, joy and warmth like sunshine, red for love and pain: Werther's scarf becoming the love tie, a bond like a rope where they never manage to pull the ends to get nearer to each other and join. It becomes blood in Charlotte's hand, the blood shed by Werther and she is horrifed and throws the scarf away. Does this gesture imply she has blood on her hands too? then at last her red coat.
As for Werther, he has his double, his ghost, a young boy like a prince in a shiny golden, bright yellow long suit,(he reminds me of Le petit Prince, the same waistcoat) who will accompany him? He will even strangle the young ghost standing in front of him (I felt awful...when I saw this gesture) when he took his decision to quit. Charlotte can see Werther's ghost and even strikes it. Is it the infant soul which we always keep ? Has Charlotte only maternal feelings towards Werther? His long red scarf passes on to Charlotte. He will end in a simple black shirt and trousers, writing his last words leaning against the clock. All the furniture elements are white and with the appearance of wire or thin bars. The cushions are red. The laces are red.
A strange vision of the characters:
The two sisters appeared in a lovely kind of ballerina white short dresses and according to the words and music put on the black or yellow long gowns over their lovely light dresses. Does that mean that we all are children at heart and only wear our roles according to life and duty as we grow?
Sophie - A. C Gillet (she told us at "the Magazine" that she has played this role five times already, and she is marvellously light and dancing through her aria 'Je suis comme un oiseau') puts on the black gown with a sort of repulsive grin when her sister goes to the ball.. although she tells Charlotte she will replace her with pleasure... the dead Mother's ghost is here from the very start with this black gown...And the bright red gown is Charlotte' s last attire.
Albert is not so bad after all according to this vision:
I have probably said a lot against this baritone character, even in Goethe's Letters.
Albert (like Charlotte's father) never wears an overall either back or yellow. He wears plain clothes of the late century, greyish and black shades.
Does it mean he has no dual personality? No alternative thoughts ? A one-track mind in all circumstances?
Here, he looks a bit more jolly, less pompous.
When he comes back after the tragic orchestral thunderstorm, the cage had collapsed, underlined by a blue neon light; in act III he does not call Charlotte twice, and almost calls her with apprehension, softer tones, not with the authority I have always resented previously. He gives the pistols to the servant himself. Charlotte takes them out of the case (it will be transformed into a coffin at the end), hands them over to her husband, then he gave them to the servant, who here is the clown Schmidt. Schmidt seems to mean more than a drunkard jolly fellow. He implies the comforting thoughts of this religious community, who hates disturbances and changes as long as they can carry on living as they have always done.
Why is he a clown? But why should he pass the pistols to Werther?
Together with Johann they make a silly pair, with even a clown's joke, the smoke effect which reveals the sort of people they both are...
These two artists, J-P Fouchécourt and Nabil Suliman, gave a rather striking vision of what is conformism from a male point of view: drinks, and vulgar jokes, both had these vocal abilities and knowledge of such roles, on the comic fringe. It is very often rather average vocally, and in this production they gave a new life to their scores, with trumpets and fun-fair accents more noticeable than usual.
Is it necessary to have Charlotte pointed at by the community and at last by her sister who loves Werther? Or is it her vision of herself being externalized?
Karine Dehayes acted beautifully and sang with her heart. I rejoiced at every bit of her singing.
So did I at Arturo Chacon-Cruz 's sunny voice, rather easy tops, less exhuberant than Rolando Villazon in the same role. He gave a fine rendition not disturbed by the miming double language and his young ghost following him.
Now the cage!
For loving birds, either one imprisoned inside, but never two in the cage; love cannot be shared here.
Karine starts reading Werther's letters, act III, in the cage, then goes out and with her arms makes the gesture of hanging herself at the cage bars. This is quite a strong message.
And her singing was even more moving at that point.
Then the exit of the white grand piano, which is carried looking like a huge coffin followed by the funeral crowd of this bourgeois community of Wetzlar. Is it the funeral which Werther knows he will not get having committed suicide? Which character fancies this with the music which does sound like a funeral march?
Act I full setting
Côté jardin
the big bird-cage, then the table, red mats piled in a big laced cylindar looking like a drum, the grand piano, the clock right at the end côté cour.
Cheerful atmosphere.
Children singing and playing. Lots of colours. Balloons.
Magical tour!
The white banner and the paper flowers! Tea around the table. The red cushions being thrown at each child.
The paper flowers and the children, what a splendid rush with the music!
Act II
Same elements.
The table goes in the cage.
And the space is transformed on the ground like a church nave, the red cushions forming the seats. And pillars appear.
The community celebrates the vicar and his wife anniversary.
The little Prince in golden yellow suit sleeps under the table in the cage.
Act III
A rectangular box sticks out at the front of the stage right in the middle.
Collapse of the cage.
Exit of the grand piano transformed into a long coffin.
The light goes blank.
The tree leaves turn white.
Act IV
Dreadful pillars or prison bars golden and red appear. I did not count them. The whole stage is barred.
The clock works according to the last gasps of Werther's life.
They are separated through the whole scene until the very end.
He pulls the trigger to his temple several times.
She sings to his golden gown.
He is writing, and singing his last letter with his will. Beautiful aria.
I do not remember now what happened to the red scarf, has she put it round her neck?
The clock goes on.
she put the scarf in the rectangular box -coffin, or else I thought she did it?
She sang like a cello. She was extremely intense and so rich in her medium , with heartbreaking outburst where it would be great to burst into tears. This Charlotte has gone further in the role, more than Werther did.
France Musique will broadcast the opera on this site, but the date is not known yet.
http://sites.radiofrance.fr/francemusique/em/soirees_lyriques/avenir.php?e_id=26
It was a rather unusual evening where the orchestra and the singers gave a real beautiful rendition which I am hoping to listen to on the radio soon.
As I was sitting behind Mister Serge Dorny, and as a group of young people working at the opera house where literally running out any time they spotted someone taking a photo, I did not dare chancing it, and I was also too intrigued by what was going on on the stage to think of bothering with the camera.
The colours of the costumes in this Werther, above all the lights, were beyond description. The young group of children sang nicely and moved with grace. A real feast when they displayed the flowers on their long stems. The language of poetry suited the musical beauty of the orchestra under Leopold Hager and a special mention to the chords, cello and violin.
Last image.
If only I could see this refreshing Werther another time to have a more coherent vision of it?
My photos are as usual of poor and authentic quality...
I did not feel like hanging out at the stage door. I would have liked to say hello and many thanks to Karine Deshayes. She was touching and very musical as always. A young and tormented Charlotte is born, and she sounds really good with the light and refreshing voice of her sister Sophie- Anne-Catherine Gillet.
I loved them all, really.
But I would have liked less happenings from other groups on the stage.
Too many cooks spoil the broth...
Photos from the Opera house now the opening night is over.
A useful link to understand this new Werther
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