SEEN AND HEARD INTERNATIONAL

Massenet: Werther: Soloists, Orquesta Sinfónica de Sevilla. Conductor: Michel Plasson. Teatro Maestranza de Sevilla. 10. 3.2008 (JMI)

Production from Teatro Regio di Torino

Director: David Alagna
Sets : David and Frédérico Alagna
Costumes: Louis Desiré
Lighting: Aldo Solbiati

Cast:

Werther: Andrew Richards
Charlotte: Jossie Pérez
Albert: Albert Schagidullin
Sophie: Ruth Rosique
Le Bailli: Michel Trempont


Werther is a infrequent title in many opera houses and the more so since Alfredo Kraus left us. If I am not mistaken, the last time we saw Werther in Spain was some four years ago in Santander in a lousy production, which was vehicle for the role debut of Aquiles Machado. If this opera is to be a great success it needs a great conductor and a first rate tenor in the title role. When Alfredo Kraus was active, nobody cared that much of who was de conductor, but in my opinion Werther is a very difficult opera to conduct, like many other Massenet operas. On this occasion in Seville we had a truly great conductor and a good, if not exceptional, tenor, together with an interesting production. Having said that, I regret having to add  that there were also some important mistakes in the casting, as it happened with The Flying Dutchman last month.

There are few conductors in the world today, so familiar with this opera as the veteran Michel Plasson. At 75 he is still able to conduct with intensity, gentleness and taste this Massenet masterwork.  Mr. Plasson was the undisputed genius in this performance  and although there were some comments after the premiere about a boring evening this is not what I heard in Seville last Monday. On the contrary, I attended a musical version full of strength and intimacy, where life and tension were never absent. Even the orchestra was much better than in Wagner last month. Thanks to Mr. Plasson I had the opportunity to listen once again to what I considered for years (until Valencia came into the picture) the best pit orchestra in Spain.

One of the main points of interest of this Werther was to see Roberto Aronica as the protagonist. Unfortunately he cancelled but was well replaced by American Andrew Richards. This promising tenor brought some very positive elements to the role, such as a beautiful voice, homogenous and well projected, and revealing no problems at all  in the upper range right up to the high B. He also showed a youthful and attractive figure and was a convincing actor. His biggest difficulty was his tendency towards some kind of verismo and he lacked a certain amount of elegance  in his aria “Ô, Nature”. He shone more, although there was still not too much emotion in his singing, in the second act  invocation to suicide, and “Pourquoi me reveiller ” was so convincing that he could have unleashed quite a bit of audience enthusiasm, if Plasson had decided to stop the orchestra, which he didn’t.  While once again Mr Richards was not particularly moving in the death scene he is,  in summary, a good and bright tenor, who should get deeper into the character with experience: his portrayal is  rather superficial as yet.

The young Puerto Rican mezzo soprano Jossie Perez was the biggest error in the casting. If Seville wanted to offer a young, credible and beautiful Charlotte, Ms. Perez had all of that, but Charlotte is a very demanding role for any singer and a light mezzo soprano voice  only works in  the first two acts of this opera. The third act is by far more dramatic and it needs a much heavier instrument than Ms. Perez’s. She could be a good Cherubino or Annio, but definitely not Charlotte. She has a pleasant voice in the middle register but lacks some volume and her  troubles really  begin with the inconsistency of her lower range and the fact that her upper voice is tight and somewhat shouted when forced.This  is what happened in the dramatic outbursts during the second half of the opera. She was certainly miscast in  the role.

Something similar could be said of the Russian baritone Albert Schagidullin. Albert is no more than a secondary role in the opera and nobody expects to have a first class vocalist taking it. But it seemed unnecessary to leave Spain to find a voice with such little interest, so badly projected and with such deficient French.

Ruth Rosique was a bright and lively Sophie in all senses, apart some high notes which were too open . The more than veteran Belgian Michel Trempont looked like Charlotte and Sophie’s grand father. He spoke more than  he sang the Bailli and it was hard to believe that his friends Johann and Schmidt could really be at least 35 years younger than him.

To finish this review I have to say something about David Alagna's production. Nepotism has never terribly  well accepted by the public and everybody knows that he is Roberto's brother and that Roberto sometimes protects both his younger siblings, when not actually imposing them on productions. Even so, I really enjoyed the work of David and Frédérico Alagna. This is an unusual production offering different sets in each one of the opera's four acts, which creates the problem of requiring two intervals and the need to make a short break between acts III and IV: hardly desirable from a dramatic perspective. During the prelude the production begins with Werther dying in  Charlotte's arm and Albert's arrival to collect his pistols, while his wife leaves the stage. Act I is set in a country house with a large roadway from the house gate, and it  has an actual horse-drawn coach, which Werther and Charlotte use instead of walking. The second act shows the side of a big church, while Charlotte’s room has a very attractive red coloured set which make a big contrast with Werther's white suit. The last act takes place in Werther’s room; full of bookshelves and a large window at the back of the stage. Everything is absolutely faithful to the libretto, offering outstanding costumes and good lighting. David Alagna’s   direction is also very careful and full of details which help understanding of  the plot. All in all, this is a very interesting production of a very reliable director.

The theater was full, as usual. There was no applause during the performace, as Mr. Plasson decided to offer a fluidly dramatic reading  without any breaks, except the unavoidable one caused by the change of scene between the  last two acts. The warmest final reception was for Andrew Richards and Michel Plasson. The program contained a very interesting article by Juan Antonio Llorente about the original details of Goethe’s Werther.

José M.Irurzun


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