Werther

Massenet's Werther is one of those masterworks that were rejected or avoided at the time of creation. The score, drawn up in the 1880s, was rejected by the director of the Opéra-Comique and had to settle for a German premiere far from Paris before it was finally heard in Paris in 1893. Gradually it established itself as one of the composer's most personal works, in which he proved himself both a fine colourist and a master of the art of the "motif de rappel". In his adaptation of Goethe's novel, Massenet and his librettists placed the character of Charlotte more prominently in the foreground, making the struggle between duty and passion central to the story. The role of Werther, originally intended for a tenor, was also sung with the composer's permission by baritone Mattia Battistini. This version gives the work a melancholic colour that is ideal for depicting the suicidal temperament of the hero, provided the singer skilfully employs the voix mixte. Tassis Christoyannis follows this approach exemplarily and contrasts with Véronique Gens' reserved yet moving Charlotte. Both singers give the text the leading role it deserves in the French opera tradition.