# Polenzani's Chicago Werther: Great Voices overcome Regietheater Lite



## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

Saw this on a deep discount ticket last Friday and will see it on again my subscription tonight. Matthew Polenzani, along with Sophie Koch as Charlotte, definitely owns the role and - thankfully - maginficent voices overcome a questionable production.

To be begin with you had a sleek, ultra modern, stainless steel set paired with 18th century costumes. I guess the conceit was this was Werther's and/or Charlottes mental landscape. Fine. It was an attractive set, though entrances and exits, made through a large rectangular hole in the stage, were inevitably awkward.

Werther was portrayed as some sort of 18th century stalker, his room at the foot of the elevated main stage depicted using the bad police drama cliche of a 'shrine' of pin-up images taped to the wall. (Where an 18th century stalker obtained pin-up images is another question.) OK, strains a point... but OK.

The line is crossed though when the director messes fundamentally with the action, having Charlotte's husband Albert appear a few times where he should not be. First during Werther and Charlotte's magical good night scene in Act I, and then, most egregiously, he has Charlotte reading Werther's letters to Albert in Act III rather than herself.

In the middle of all of this, I did have a rather "regie" concept for an update cross my mind. It occurred to me that a good deal of the dialogue/libretto, which is after all teenage angst personified, could be presented as a series of Facebook posts/instant messages. Apparently Goethe's original book was presented as a series of letters, and the idea of a former flame showing up on Facebook and wrecking havoc is a modern one that most can relate to. Also would make supertitles a lot more fun to read...

Anyway, things got even more wacky with few dopperganger Werthers showing up on stage in Acts III and IV. By that time, though, the singing got so good the director's conceits were thankfully irrelevant.

I have to say, though, that as annoying and non-sensical as the regie aspects were, for an eccentric piece like Werther I'd still rather see this attempt at "creative interpretation" than a dusty, bog-standard waistcoats and drawing rooms version.


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## MAuer (Feb 6, 2011)

I like your idea of a Facebook _Werther_! I read Goethe's novel (in English translation), and it is, indeed, a series of letters written by Werther to a friend.


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## tyroneslothrop (Sep 5, 2012)

MAuer said:


> I like your idea of a Facebook _Werther_!


Well, Festival Opera has already done this! ;-)


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

A follow-up after the seconding viewing: I thinking I'm gonna have to retract my support of the "creative interpretation". This time the presence of Albert elicited a laugh during the seriously unfunny letter scene where Charlotte reads a series of increasingly suicidal letters from Werther. It came after Charlotte's line "I know I should destroy these letters" and the director who inserted husband Albert in what was written as a soliloquy had him nod stupidly, the silent implication: "um yeah, ya'think Charlotte?..."

It's a tribute to Massenet's music and the magnificent vocals, particularly Polenzani's perfectly poignant _"Pourquoi me réveiller?"_ that the show still packed a powerful emotional punch. (<----My official entry for alliterative phrase of the year.)


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## sospiro (Apr 3, 2010)

Cavaradossi said:


> A follow-up after the seconding viewing: I thinking I'm gonna have to retract my support of the "creative interpretation". This time the presence of Albert elicited a laugh during the seriously unfunny letter scene where Charlotte reads a series of increasingly suicidal letters from Werther. It came after Charlotte's line "I know I should destroy these letters" and the director who inserted husband Albert in what was written as a soliloquy had him nod stupidly, the silent implication: "um yeah, ya'think Charlotte?..."


Oh dear 



Cavaradossi said:


> It's a tribune to Massenet's music and the magnificent vocals, particularly Polenzani's perfectly poignant _"Pourquoi me réveiller?"_ that the show still packed a powerful emotional punch. (<----My official entry for alliterative phrase of the year.)


Sometimes it would be better to sit there with your eyes shut. Rather defeats the object of seeing live opera though!


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## tyroneslothrop (Sep 5, 2012)

Cavaradossi said:


> A follow-up after the seconding viewing: I thinking I'm gonna have to retract my support of the "creative interpretation". This time the presence of Albert elicited a laugh during the seriously unfunny letter scene where Charlotte reads a series of increasingly suicidal letters from Werther. It came after Charlotte's line "I know I should destroy these letters" and the director who inserted husband Albert in what was written as a soliloquy had him nod stupidly, the silent implication: "um yeah, ya'think Charlotte?..."


I'd laugh too if I were there and saw that, but don't you think you are condemning the entire production on a single non-material staging choice--a single nod? You should take a look at the Jonas Kaufmann interview I posted in another thread about _Regieoper_. I like it because it really reflects my thinking (in fact I've even used referred to it as _"renewing"_ opera in conversations, and so I think that productions such as this Chicago _Werther_ should be encouraged! In fact, I would definitely buy it in DVD/Blu-ray if it was released, but I'm not hopeful since Amazon.com doesn't list it as an upcoming release. The last Werther production in video is almost 3 years old, the 2010 Paris Opera production with Kaufmann which was very traditional in its staging. To my knowledge, there was only one _Regie_ version of Werther in video and that one is very bad.


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

Well that was but one example. I think I approached it with an open mind, but the director's "tweaks" crossed a line when they contradicted the original story line to the extent that arch of the action no longer held together. The basis for the whole story is that one single magical evening Werther and Charlotte spend together in Act 1, during which the seed of love (mutual love as it turns out) is planted and sprouts irrevocably. Most of this spell is cast by a suitably magical interlude, some of Massenet's finest music. However the director abused the lack of dialogue to insinuate Albert in this scene as well... it's made into a love scene between Charlotte and Albert! Werther's appearance to declare his love for Charlotte (in Albert's presence no less ??!!?!) is portrayed quite literally as an unwelcome, horrifying stalker. Consequently, Charlotte's concern for Werther's well-being in Act 3 and admission of love in Act 4 are without dramatic basis. 

Charlotte's doting on her motherless young siblings, so key to her character, was also severely underplayed, hobbling any sense of her as person from the start.

Yet another contributing and irritating weakness was the use of young singers for the Bailiff's supposedly wizened old drinking buddies. This was no doubt done to provide roles for the in-house apprentices, but their wistful and world-weary commentary on the lovesick and lovelorn around them fell flat when both were more virile than the Werther.

There is a full 2009 Bastille Opera production with Villazon and Susan Graham on youtube which I found to be much more effective. The action is updated to mid 20th century and also somewhat stylized. On the surface Graham might have been a little old to play Charlotte, but that actually works in her favor in presenting a repressed, spinsterish older sister, then the dutiful wife.

I did enjoy the Chicago production immensely, but ultimately I'd say it was in spite of the direction, not because of it.


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## tyroneslothrop (Sep 5, 2012)

Cavaradossi said:


> There is a full 2009 Bastille Opera production with Villazon and Susan Graham on youtube which I found to be much more effective. The action is updated to mid 20th century and also somewhat stylized. On the surface Graham might have been a little old to play Charlotte, but that actually works in her favor in presenting a repressed, spinsterish older sister, then the dutiful wife.


What a find! Thanks so much! I only regret that this was not in HD. It looks awful on my SmartTV as that is 55" and it's so blocky! I am watching it in a small window on my laptop instead and it looks better. Why do you suppose this is not available in DVD/Blu-ray? Do you think this is a pirate opera recording made privately in the theater?


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## mamascarlatti (Sep 23, 2009)

tyroneslothrop said:


> What a find! Thanks so much! I only regret that this was not in HD. It looks awful on my SmartTV as that is 55" and it's so blocky! I am watching it in a small window on my laptop instead and it looks better. Why do you suppose this is not available in DVD/Blu-ray? Do you think this is a pirate opera recording made privately in the theater?


Aah, the joys of wondering about why some productions are not available on DVD. Makes you sometimes want to slap the recording companies a little.


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## Cavaradossi (Aug 2, 2012)

tyroneslothrop said:


> What a find! Thanks so much! I only regret that this was not in HD. It looks awful on my SmartTV as that is 55" and it's so blocky! I am watching it in a small window on my laptop instead and it looks better. Why do you suppose this is not available in DVD/Blu-ray? Do you think this is a pirate opera recording made privately in the theater?


Glad you enjoyed! Lately I've been using these full-opera-in-installments on youtube as an aid in libretto study before attending live performances. I must confess that I stopped watching the Bastille version after _"Pourquoi me réveiller?"_ because it felt so strong and distinctive that I didn't want it to overshadow the upcoming live version.

For stage presence and chemistry though, I think Villazon and Graham will stick in my head a long time as the definitive Werther and Charlotte.


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## tyroneslothrop (Sep 5, 2012)

Cavaradossi said:


> Glad you enjoyed! Lately I've been using these full-opera-in-installments on youtube as an aid in libretto study before attending live performances. I must confess that I stopped watching the Bastille version after _"Pourquoi me réveiller?"_ because it felt so strong and distinctive that I didn't want it to overshadow the upcoming live version.
> 
> For stage presence and chemistry though, I think Villazon and Graham will stick in my head a long time as the definitive Werther and Charlotte.


And I'm partial to Villazon anyways--I loved him opposite Netrebko in the La bohème film. Such a great voice and excellent acting skills. So I finished watching the Bastille Werther. It was indeed wonderful as a performance. I'd definitely buy it if it were commercially available!


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