On February 20, 2016 at 7:30pm, Massenet's Werther will come to life on AVA's Helen Corning Warden Theater. Stage Director, Dorothy Danner and Music Director and Pianist, Luke Housner along with AVA's Resident Artists have worked tirelessly together for months to bring to Philadelphia audiences the first AVA performance of Massenet's opera since Ruth Ann Swenson sang Sophie in 1980.
While many will be familiar with Werther from The Met's recent performance, audience-goers will be surprised to learn that the piece was initially rejected by the director of the Paris Opera-Comique in 1887 on the grounds that it was "too serious." The Vienna Opera, however, pleased with the success of Massenet's Manon, asked the composer for the new work and Werther premiered on February 16, 1892 at the Imperial Theatre Hofoper in Vienna.
The four-act opera is loosely based on the German novel The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, which in turn was based on Goethe's life. The novel, presented as a collection of letters written by the protagonist, Werther, took Goethe six weeks of intensive writing and upon its publication instantly placed him among the first international literary celebrities.
In the opera, Werther falls in love with Charlotte, but despairs as he learns that she is to marry her betrothed, Albert. Despite the pain the marriage causes him, Werther develops a close friendship with both Charlotte and Albert. Eventually, Werther's sorrow intensifies when it becomes clear his desires will never come to fruition and he fatally wounds himself, begging for a kiss from Charlotte on his deathbed.
The opera, wrought with emotion and sizzling with unrequited love, beautifully illustrates the complexities of the human experience.
Alexandra Schenck, fourth-year mezzo-soprano and Hannah Ludwig, second-year mezzo-soprano who will both be singing the role of Charlotte in a split cast (along with first-year mezzo-soprano Allegra De Vita) discussed working on Werther over the past few weeks.
"The opera was born during the time where Verdi and Wagner had established 'realistic' music," Hannah explained. "So the environment from which Massenet wrote Werther is very fitting. The book from which the music is taken is extremely romantic and emotional and dark which is reflected in his music."
Hannnah went on to describe that Massenet's composition is like "taking a spyglass and looking at the lives of these two people [Charlotte and Werther] and that the music is so intimate and reflects the actions between the characters."
Alexandra agreed: "This performance will be a piano opera, meaning there will only be a piano accompanying us, not an orchestra... we are lucky to have Mr. Housner on the piano for us because his playing is incredibly expressive. He has even woven in instrumental parts from the orchestral versions of Werther into his own piano playing, which is sure to give the performance an added edge."
Galeano Salas, third-year tenor, Mackenzie Whitney, fourth-year tenor, and Matthew White, first-year tenor, will be singing the role of Werther. Galeano added that practicing and performing with only a piano is vastly different than performing in an orchestral opera.
"It's different. One of the big advantages of doing a piano opera is that we as Resident Artists are able to explore the music for more intimate moments for the characters we're singing and also vocally."
Another difference about the 2016 production of Werther is that the proximity of the audience will be much closer than in recent AVA productions.
"This absolutely creates a 'heightened intimacy,'" Hannah told us. "We'll also have about four more feet of stage extension, but even if you're singing more closely to the audience or father way, it has to be the same intensity regardless of proximity. It may even be more intimate with piano and the emotions need to play organically across your face."
Alexandra told us that "[Stage Director] Ms. Danner brought in parts of the book The Sorrows of Young Werther into the opera, which will make it easier for the audience to understand and watch because they will be so close and can see the intricacies between the characters."
"The process of putting on Werther with Ms. Danner has been a wonderful experience," Galeano agreed. "We've really been able to sit down, speak through the text and discuss the characters at length. We've been lucky to have the time to break down who we are performing as characters."
Werther opens on Saturday, February 20 - Saturday, February 27, 2016 at 7:30pm at AVA's Helen Corning Warden Theater at 1920 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103. Ticket information may be obtained by calling 215-735-1685 or going to www.avaopera.org.
Samantha van Adelsberg is a Los Angeles native working in AVA's marketing department and managing the AVA Young Professionals group. Samantha holds two degrees from Binghamton University in English and Vocal Performance and is an active rock vocalist in the Philadelphia music scene.
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