Werther by Massenet, sex 25 nov 2022, De (2022/2022), Dirigido por Andrei Serban,, Regente Alejo Pérez, Wiener Staatsoper, Viena, Áustria

Even if Massenet with Werther remembered the triumph of his Manonwanted to join, he refused the dictates of the director of the Paris Opéra-Comique, who demanded a copy of the successful opera from him in terms of form and style. Rather, he was looking for new creative paths and forms of expression: on the one hand, Massenet dealt with the work of Richard Wagner and on the other hand experimented with orchestration. Among other things, he supplemented the range of instruments with the solo saxophone, which enabled him to achieve proto-impressionistic timbres. The resulting rejection of the work by the Paris Opéra-Comique meant that Massenet had to look for another stage and accepted an offer from the Vienna Court Opera, where »Werther« finally had its successful premiere in 1892. In contrast to Goethe's original, Massenet not only focuses on the title character, but also on Charlotte, who has been significantly upgraded dramaturgically. In addition to Werther's desperate love, the complex psychological development of this young woman is also addressed and musically traced in the opera.