Werther

I knew nothing about this opera until a week ago. In fact, I couldn't even pronounce it until Monday of this week. It's by Massanet, most famous of all for Thais, or rather, for the Mediatation therefrom.

But influenced by reviews on rec.music.opera, I decided to take the plunge and booked a ticket. For this evening.

It's a very simple story. Werther, the poet, meets Charlotte, and falls in love with her. They spend time together. But she is engaged to, and later marries, Albert, as she promised to her dead mother. He goes away, comes back, finds that she is still in love with him, but married, so he goes away again, sends a note asking for pistols, Albert sends them, and Charlotte runs after Werther who dies slowly and beautifully.

Four short acts - so I'm not sure why they needed two intervals. One after forty minutes, one half an hour later, each of twenty five minutes.

Not the greatest opera ever written, not by a long chalk. Good, but not great. Music pleasant, but barely memorable, with only one really showstopping aria - Pourquoi Me R�veiller?

I had quite forgotten just how much I love going to Covent Garden, so much more than any other music venue in London. There's something about the place that has magic and tingle. A touch of class, but only elitist in the very strict sense of being 'the best'. Walking into building, then walking into the auditorium. I didn't exactly have the best seat in the house, but the sight lines were perfect and the acoustics even better.

The orchestra were just gorgeous. As I say, the music was nothing special, but the orchestra was. Tony Pappano was the conductor.

It's not an opera needing many players - indeed I think there are more children in it than adults. and there's only really two parts that matter. Charlotte was played and sung well by Ruxandra Donose, of whom I have never heard before, but suspect I will hear more, but the real star of the show was Marcelo Alvarez. Everything about him is just fabulous, He has a big beautiful voice, and he looks good. Very good. If someone told me they had a celebrity crush on him, I would be completely unsurprised and totally supportive. He just doesn't quite do it for me. A bit too pretty perhaps?

But the voice is what matters, and the voice was wonderful. I do like my tenors to have a rich bottom, and he certainly does. Not such an amazing top, perhaps, but far more than adequate, and great expressiveness. He moves well on stage, and appears to be a good actor - although this wasn't a part requiring great acting skills - only "I'm in love, I'm broken hearted, I'm dying".

I can't wait until April when I hope to see him more than once in Ballo. I have no doubt that his voice will meet my high expectations; I shall see about the acting. I was particularly impressed by the death scene. As they embraced and kissed I felt that I was intruding into a private matter, and felt embarrassed and nosey to raise my binoculars. He sang for quite a stretch from a horizontal position and did it well.

The sets were beautiful, if minimalist. I particularly loved their use of diagonal lines - the first act in a garden, with a drinking fountain on a wall. The second act was a walled terrace which reminded me for all the world of Lyme Park, with a chapel in the background, which reminded me of an incredibly tiny chapel I once went to in Pembrokeshire. The third act was an interior, with wooden floor, and just three pieces of heavy oak furniture. It reminded me of numerous stately homes I have visited, but most specifically of some historic building in Philadelphia - I smelt myself back there.

The final act was interesting. Rather than using the whole stage, a box was used, which against used diagonal lines because it wasn't cuboid, but tapering away. This contained Werther's bedroom, and was a stroke of genius, because the final scene was so very intimate and claustrophobic, and that effect would have been lost perhaps on the full stage. The costumes were sumptuous if not exactly exciting. I particularly liked the opulent royal blue of Marcelo's outfit, contrasted with the equally opulent burgundy of Albert's.

The production as a whole was also fairly minimalist. there wasn't much going on action wise. I suspect that a different director may have thrown in more random background people, or maybe had more action. But it wasn't staid and static. Tasteful, yes.

There's two performances left on 2 and 5 October. If you like gorgeous tenors with gorgeous voices, accompanied by a glistening rich gold orchestra with wonderful brass, in particular, I would recommend it.

But I am so very very looking forward to seeing him in Ballo. In April. I just love Ballo, anyway, and I suspect he will be wonderful.

I shall be buying Tenor's Passion, and may well buy Duetto, depending what I think of Salvatore Licitra in Forza in five weeks time.