Opera on 3

[David-G]

I trust that a DVD of this production will be forthcoming after hearing the riveting broadcast. I gather that Richard Eyre and costume designer, Rob Howell, have updated the action of Werther from the 1770s of Geothe's novella to some 100 years later, around the time of Massenet's composition, otherwise it is a straight- forward telling of the story. I shall long remember Jonas Kaufmann's tender evocation, especially of the Romantic ballads of Ossian which inspire Werther to meditate on the tragedy of love ("Pourquoi me reveiller") which not only brought down the House at its conclusion, but the house next door as well! My MD recording brought the programme within 2 hrs 40mins so I presume that the usual interval features were edited. I've retained the intros; Acts 1 & 2 will slot nicely on to a CD-R with Acts III & IV on the second CD.

I became a Werther devotee when I first heard the opera at The Coli, 1977, with Charles Mackerras conducting and Janet Baker as Charlotte and John Brecknock in the title role. The following day, I took an extended lunch break to trek the West End trying to locate the EMI La Voix De Son Maitre recording with George Thill and Ninon Vallin without success but finally succeded at Collett's Bookshop on Charing X Rd - I gather the 'Russian bookshop' has been demolished along with the nearby Astoria Cinema in the draconian renovations underway in this area.

In the next few years, the Thill recording appeared on a References/EMI CD set; Philips released the ROH cast/Colin Davis; Jose Carreras and Frederica von Stade on CD and EMI Classics transferred the 1969 recording, Orchestre de Paris/Georges Pretre to CD in 1991 with Nicolai Gedda and Victoria de los Angeles. The 1979 DG recording, Kolner Rundfunk-Sinfonie-Orch/Riccardo Chailly, paired Domingo & Elena Obratztsova and EMI Classics, LSO/Pappano, (1999) with Roberto Alagna & Angela Gheorghiu, Historic recordings on CD include a Melodram set from 1953/Mario Rossi with Magda Olivero & Agotino Lazzari - Olivera quite superb. A great Opera Recordings CD set from 1949 features Giuseppe Di Stefano & Giulietta Simionato My collection also includes a 1953 LP set, Artia International Opera; Charles Richard as Werther and Suzanne Juyol, Charlotte - all rich pickings.

Thank you for these interesting reminiscences! I also am a Werther devotee. I particularly remember seeing it at Covent Garden in 1980, with Carreras and von Stade. Just wonderful.

[Stanley Stewart]

Thank you, David. I omitted a further CD set. a 1979 recording, remastered for CD in 1988: LPO/Michel Plasson on EMI with Alfredo Kraus in the title role and Tatiana Troyanos as Charlotte, probably Kraus's final essay in the role but the vocal substance is intact.

I'm ready to look at my DVD collection: Wiener Staatsoper/Philippe Jordan and Marcelo Alvarez & Elina Garanca in the principal roles. Also a fresh look at the 2010 production filmed at the Opera Bastille in Jan 2010 with Orchestre de l'Opera national de Paris/Michel Plasson; Jonas Kaufmann and Sophie Koch - this DVD places Kaufmann for me at the top of the Werther league.

This afternoon, I rummaged my off-air video collection and found Peter Weigl's outstanding production with Peter Dvorsky and Brigitte Fassbaender's Charlotte - straight to my top favourite in this role. Picture and sound much improved on DVD transfer but I'm going to tinker with the Prologue as I continue to get a 'no signal' alert, although this clears after a few minutes. The use of locations quite superb. The only hiccup I noticed was the dubbing of Sophie, sung by Magdalena Hajossyova, and Albert, Hans Helm, and played by two actors. I've made a random check online but this fine production doesn't seem to be available. I'll settle for make-do and mend!

"The tears that one does not shed all fall back into the soul..."

[Prommer]

His last performance of Wozzeck was at the Bavarian State Opera in Munich in 1972. We never saw his Wozzeck at CG. That would have been something!

Yes, it would... he also fled the Edinburgh Festival in 1966 having led only one performance of it, with the touring Stuttgart Opera.

The opera composed by his natural father, and conducted at its premiere by his adoptive father... five years before CK was born. Allegedly. But that's another story!

[johnn10]

Fortunately it is quite easy to listen to the broadcasts live on the Saturday on the computer thanks to the joys of internet radio. Classical Minnesota is the one I use, but many public broadcasting stations in the USA are available. One small but interesting thing I have discovered listening in this way is that the Toll Brothers adverts which R3 is so keen we do not hear are in reality quite harmless and less in your face than many a BBC trailer we have to endure.

[DracoM]

Thx for Classical Minnesota link.