It occurs to me that this is the first opera Elina Garanca sang after her mother`s death in July 2015. She told an interviewer that she was scheduled to do it earlier but could not bring herself then to sing the first act, where Charlotte speaks about her dying mother. She also said that Charlotte was supposed to close Werther`s eyes after his death. But she asked Matthew Polenzani to shut his eyes at the end. She had closed her mother`s eyes and just could not do it.
If you're a fan of Elina READ HER BOOK! It is deeply personal and beautiful. I couldn't put it down and I didn't want it to end! It's in German but you can use Google image translate to read it in whatever language you want. That's what I did to translate it into English.
I recommend viewing this with the 2005 performance of the same production, available on DVD. Garanca is Charlotte in the earlier production, and it is fascinating to see, and hear, how her sense of the role has evolved in subtle and telling ways. The stage business has also changed in interesting details. Marcelo Alvarez is the Werther in the earlier production; a persuasive performance, with strengths different from Polenzani's, who is wonderful here.
@@lindseydejesus1877 Thanks! The full opera is not available to watch from my country, I can use my vpn.. which country are you posting from? Or do you have part one with English subtitles?
Opera: Werther Composer: Massenet Jules Libretto: Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet, Georges Hartmann Venue & Opera Company: Wiener Staatsoper Vienna Recorded: November 16, 2015 Type: Staged Opera Live Singers: Matthew Polenzani, Markus Eiche, Elīna Garanča, Hila Fahima, Alfred Sramek Conductor: Frédéric Chaslin Orchestra: Staatsopernorchester Wien Chorus: Staatsopernchor Wien Stage Director: Andrei Serban Stage Designer: Peter Pabst Costume Designer: Peter Pabst, Petra Reinhardt
Opera: Werther Composer: Massenet Jules Libretto: Édouard Blau, Paul Milliet, Georges Hartmann Venue & Opera Company: Wiener Staatsoper Vienna Recorded: November 16, 2015 Type: Staged Opera Live Singers: Matthew Polenzani, Markus Eiche, Elīna Garanča, Hila Fahima, Alfred Sramek Conductor: Frédéric Chaslin Orchestra: Staatsopernorchester Wien Chorus: Staatsopernchor Wien Stage Director: Andrei Serban Stage Designer: Peter Pabst Costume Designer: Peter Pabst, Petra Reinhardt
The musical values are so tremendous in this production--the conductor, Polenzani and Garanca; too bad the Serban/Pabst production is so dreary and ugly, totally at odds with the music
