Unrequited love that leads to tragedy is the theme for this week's Sunday Opera (9/7 3:00 p.m.) in a production of Jules Massenet's "Werther" from Paris’ Theatre des Champs-Elysee.
The poet Werther (Benjamin Bernheim) falls in love with the charming Charlotte (Marina Viotti) during a Christmas ball they attend, but she is betrothed to Albert (Jean-Sebastien Bou) because of a promise she made to her mother on her mother's deathbed.When they return to Charlotte's house, Werther tries to declare his love for Charlotte but is interrupted by the news that Albert has returned, and Werther is despondent.
Over the course of a year, Werther writes of his love to Charlotte, but she is happily married, and once again, on Christmas Eve, she tells Werther that she cannot be with him, and he leaves, determined to commit suicide.
He does and learns a tragic irony as he dies.
The cast also includes Sandra Hamaoui, Marc Scoffoni, Yuri Kissin, Rodolphe Briand, Johanna Monty, Lee Bisset, and Guilhem Begnier.Marc Leroy-Calatayud conducting Les Siecles and members of the choral group Maitrise des Hauts-de-Seine.
Although many of Massenet’s operas are produced regularly, we don’t hear his oratorios nearly as often.To remedy this, we’ll turn to a work from 1880 entitled “La Vierge” (“The Virgin”).It follows the life of the Virgin Mary from the Annunciation to her death.Many see it as the third of his “heroic women” beginning in 1873 with Mary Magdalene and 1875 with Eve.
In this recording, you’ll hear Denia Mazzola Gavazzeni as The Virgin and Chiara Pieretti as the Archangel Gabriel.They’re joined by Amor Perez, Massimiliano Fichera, Camillo Facchine, and Elena Bakanova.Daniele Agiman leads the Orchestra Sinfonica As Harmonae and the Coro J.S. Bach di Milano.
