Werther : Version Pour Baryton Inclus Livre

Description

Werther by Jules Massenet is one of the masterpieces that were overlooked at their premiere. Sketched in the 1880s, the score was rejected by the director of the Opéra-Comique and had to settle for a first performance in German, far from Paris, before finally being heard in Paris in 1893. It gradually established itself as one of the composer's most personal works, showcasing Massenet as both a fine colorist and a master of the "leitmotif" technique. Massenet and his librettists adapted Goethe's novel by giving more importance to the character of Charlotte, thus placing the struggle between duty and desire at the center of the narrative. The role of Werther, assigned to a tenor, was also sung by the baritone Mattia Battistini with the author's approval. Provided the artist knows how to use his mixed voice palette, this version brings a melancholic color that is ideal for characterizing the hero's suicidal temperament. Tassis Christoyannis excels in this approach, alongside the moving and modest Charlotte portrayed by Véronique Gens. Together, they give the text the prominent place that French opera tradition assigns to it.